Introduction
This portfolio is of my second year of Actor-Musician training. Its contents should aid my transition from Leeds Conservatoire into the industry.
Bio
Appendix 1: Bio
Since I am using a stage name, I found it natural to write about myself in my bio in the third-person. This is because whenever I have referred to “Cadence Bayley” (Appendix 1:1), I have done so in the third-person, since I have only used that name in “a mock audition” (Appendix 3:4). Therefore, I have not fully connected with the name yet, which means that I found it easy to write about my skills under that name in the third-person.
I wanted my bio to highlight my instrumental skills. As a result, I initially wanted to write when I started learning which instruments, in order to emphasise my ability to play them. However, when Claire read this, she told me that it read too much like a story, and that I should use my bio for facts. Therefore, in Appendix 1 (page 1), I have essentially listed which instruments I can play, rather than try to attach any emotional weight to them.
I also wanted my bio to emphasise that I am approachable and professional. Therefore, I used adjectives with positive connotations, such as “enthusiastic” (Appendix 1:1), in order to convey my willingness to work. However, because I did not want to cut off any opportunities for myself, I was initially vague in my interests. Claire said that I should use my bio to talk about my niche specialities, so I wrote about my love for “orchestral and classical … [and] folk music” (Appendix 1:1), alongside how I am most interested “in timeless stories” (Appendix 1:1). Whilst I appreciate that these are not the most extreme niches, they will definitely give a casting director or agent a better idea of what sort of work I most enjoy.
Year 2 Reflections
Appendix 2: Term 1 Skills
Throughout second year, I have had many experiences that have helped me to become a better, more professional actor-musician. Throughout the first term (Appendix 2), I found that something that really aided my acting process was “having a director with an external eye” (Appendix 2:6). This is because I know that this will result in feedback that will aid the delivery of my performance, which will help to create a more cohesive scene. As a result, I know that once I enter the industry, I will create my best work in a rehearsal room where there is a director working consistently alongside us.
Appendix 3: Term 2 Skills
I have found screen acting classes this year invaluable, as I have become more interested in entering that section of the industry. For example, we had experience working with “multiple cameras” (Appendix 3:1). However, in screen classes I have identified “that I blink excessively when trying to remember lines” (Appendix 2:5). Whilst this would not be an issue for stage acting, due to the distance from the audience, this is highlighted more prominently on screen. As a result, I ought to focus on fully immersing myself in Rodenburg’s (2007:21) idea of the “Second Circle” of energy, where “your energy is focused” (Rodenburg, 2007:21). Therefore, this will help me to stay as present in the scene as I would be in real life and will hopefully prevent any unnecessary blinking, which casting directors might be distracted by otherwise.
Appendix 4: Shakespeare Project
I found that my acting was enhanced throughout the Shakespeare module of this year, where I played Macduff in an extract from Macbeth (Shakespeare, 1967). My greatest learning was letting the text do the work, since, before this module, I thought that my acting had to be almost melodramatic in order for Shakespearean text to resonate with the audience. One exercise that helped was “noticing the antitheses (Berry, 1992:164), which helped me to understand how strained a character can feel within their situation” (Appendix 4:1). This allowed my acting to become more naturalistic, since there was more depth to the character, and therefore helped them to feel more real. After further reading of Cicely Berry’s The Actor and the Text, I am also very interested in singing the phrases, which helps “the sounds to make their own sense” (Berry, 1992:149). As a result, this would further my understanding of the text in a way that allows me to use my skills of pitch as an actor-musician. I am also eager to use these exercises on modern text, as Berry writes that “[a]ll the exercises that we use for Shakespeare will be useful” (Berry, 1992:255), since I have not before focussed much on what the text alone can convey. This will be crucial to do once I enter the industry, whether I am working on a Shakespearean play or not.
Along with that, during the Shakespeare module I finally appreciated “what vocal support and connection to the core muscles feels like with speaking” (Appendix 4:1) after “doing repeated voiced fricatives with our hands below our ribs” (Appendix 4:1). I had been “very confused” (Appendix 2:1) by this in Term 1 , but finally feeling my muscles working how they are supposed to allowed me to feel “much more confident” (Appendix 4:1). This confidence was retained throughout the rest of the project, and using this confidence in industry will hopefully allow me to make larger, better choices, which will allow me to work well with directors. This project also aided my imagination as an actor, since the set was bare. Upon further reading, I learned that Alfreds (2013:36) writes that “[s]torytellers in an empty space can convince us utterly of the reality they’re creating”, which highlights the power that we have as actors. This will remind me that ability to tell a good story is not due to anything external, such as the budget or set that a production has, but down to us, as performers.
Appendix 5: Pantomime Project
The pantomime project was incredibly rewarding, as it felt like our first opportunity of properly combining music with a script. I found that combining choreography with playing music “made the playing of the music more difficult, as we had more things to focus on” (Appendix 5:1), but I was able to overcome “this by taking it incredibly under-tempo, and … I was then able to build up the tempo” (Appendix 5:1). I am very grateful that I understand that problems can be “overcome” (Appendix 5:1), as this will encourage me whenever I find myself working on a project that feels difficult.
Marketing
Appendix 6: Personal Branding Research
Over the past year, I have been struggling with my mental health due to being worried that if I make a big mistake in any aspect of my life, I will become unemployable in the industry. Whilst I know that this is not true, I have decided that using a stage name will be a way in which I can separate my personal life from my professional life. Along with that, according to IMDb (2026), there is a Kate Hodgson who is an “[a]ctress”, and since “it’s important that it’s [a name is] distinct, memorable, and easily recognisable” (Clark, 2024) (Appendix 6:6), it would be best for me to choose a stage name. Since I wanted my brand to be completely separate from my personal life, I wanted both parts of my stage name to be different from my legal name. However, I wanted to be able to relate to it. Therefore, I looked to my mother’s maiden name, which is Bayley, and I think that that is more classical-sounding than Hodgson. For the first name, I wanted something that highlights that I am a musician, and also sounds similar to Kate. Cadence fits both of those criteria, and the name “Cadence Bayley” is available according to the Spotlight name checker (Spotlight, 2026).
Appendix 7: Headshot Photographers
Appendix 8: Headshot examples
For my headshot, I knew that I wanted to mine to look bright and professional, as opposed to moody and dramatic, as it better suits how I want to present myself as an artist. In Appendix 8 (page 1), I found myself being drawn towards the AKTA headshots of Becca Connell and Bethan Olliver. However, in Appendix 7 (page 1), I found that a headshot session with AKTA would be £299 for three photos (Akta Photography, 2026). This is out of my budget, since I have decided that my budget for these headshots will be £200 for at least 4 photos. This is because I do not intend for these headshots to last me many years, as I will hopefully be receiving cosmetic adjustments to my teeth over the next year and a half. In Appendix 6 (page 2), Tarento (2026) writes that is important for “your headshot looks like you”, so this suggests that I should update my headshots once my teeth are straightened. My appearance will also be impacted by whether I wear contact lenses or glasses. Therefore, until I definitively know whether I can use contact lenses (since I currently have sensitive eyes), my headshots should include my glasses, since I would wear them to auditions and rehearsals. In Appendix 8 (pages 1-2), I noticed that Emily Goldie Photography (n.d.) has taken headshots where the subject was wearing glasses, with minimal glare on the lenses (as seen in “Val Debenedetti Headshot 1” (Appendix 8:1)) and no glare on the lenses at all (as seen in “Clara Abdilla Joslin Headshot 4“(Appendix 8:2)). I also liked how her style was very bright. I did some further research on other headshot photographers in Appendix 7, but I found that Emily Goldie Photography matched my budget, location and stylistic ideas the best. As a result, I will book a session with her during the summer holidays, so that I have a professional headshot for my third year shows.
Appendix 9: CV
At first, I was nervous to write my CV, since I was worried that my job experience would be lacking. However, I was relieved to find out in Appendix 6 (page 5) that an acting CV is rather different to a non-acting CV. In Appendix 6 (page 5), I found out that The Bridge Theatre Training Company (n.d.) writes that an acting CV should contain a “[h]eadshot”, “[p]hysical details”, “[c]ontact details”, “[a]gent details”, “Spotlight pin”, “[t]raining”, “[s]pecial skills” and “[a]cting credits”. As a result, I included these in my CV (Appendix 9). I decided to put some of the information in tables, which made it feel a lot more orderly. I also decided to put my bio into my CV (Appendix 9), in order to allow casting directors to understand where my interests lie. I will also update the headshot, email address, agent and Spotlight pin once I have access to/created them.
Currently, I have made the decision to not be on social media. Whilst I understand the immense benefits that it can have for an actor’s career (such as “[t]he immediacy, the outreach, the connectivity” (Gilbert & Butler, 2026) (Appendix 6:1)), I have found that my mental health has improved since I have stopped using my personal social media accounts. Along with that, Lanier (2018:73) writes that social media can negatively affect empathetic abilities. As an actor, I believe that it is necessary to be able to empathise with and relate to characters in order to accurately represent them on stage. As a result, I believe that it would be for the best for me to continue to stay off of social media.
Industry Research
Initially, I did not know which specific areas of the industry to research, since I was not sure as to which areas I am most eager to enter. As a result, I wrote down the first few ideas that came to mind when I thought of what I wanted out of my career (Appendix 10).
Appendix 11: Screen Industry Research
I was intrigued to realise that the first thing I had written down was “screen acting” (Appendix 10). One of the first companies I wanted to research was the BBC, as I very much enjoy their work. In my research (Appendix 11:4), I found out that a casting director for the BBC is John Cannon (The Casting Directors’ Guild, 2025). I also looked into ITV, Disney and Netflix (Appendix 11:3), and I learned that a casting director who has worked with all of those companies is Catherine Willis (CWCasting, 2025). As a result, I should ensure that our showcase next year is accessible to these casting directors.
Appendix 12: Voice Acting/Over Industry Research
I am worried about the rising use of AI in the world of voice-over, which is another area of the performing industry I am interested in entering (Appendix 10). According to VoiceProductions (2024), “AI is faster and less of an investment” than hiring a voice actor (Appendix 12:3). However, I believe that the best way to counteract this use of AI is to create meaningful, authentic art that cannot be replicated by a machine. As a result, I must work throughout the rest of my time at Leeds Conservatoire to work on being able to fully connect with the work that I produce.
Appendix 13: Live Performance Industry Research
I also researched live theatre. In Appendix 13 (pages 3-6), I initially researched the Directors/Artistic Directors for the National Theatre (with their Director being Indhu Rubasingham (National Theatre, n.d.)) and the Royal Shakespeare Company (with their Co-Artistic Directors being Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey (Royal Shakespeare Company, 2026)), as I am very interested in timeless contemporary plays and classical plays. I also researched the Artistic Directors to many of the UK’s regional theatres (Appendix 13:6-11). Later in my research in Appendix 13 (pages 12-13), I learned about the Watermill Theatre, where “the Watermill Ensemble is a collective of multi-talented performers … including actor-musicians” (Watermill Theatre, 2025), and they have worked on uniting “Shakespeare’s text with live music” (Watermill Theatre, 2025). The Watermill Theatre also did a “2023 production of The Lord of the Rings” (Watermill Theatre, 2025) (Appendix 13:13). As an actor-musician with a passion for timeless stories, I would love to perform there. There is a real possibility that this could happen, since graduates made up over a fifth of the actors they hired in 2024 (Watermill Theatre, 2025) (Appendix 13:13). I also found out in Appendix 13 (page 13) that their Artistic Director is Paul Hart (Watermill Theatre, 2025), so I should ensure that our showcase next year is accessible to him.
Appendix 14: Agent Research
In my research of agents, my goal was to identify agencies with clients who work in both screen and live theatre. In Appendix 14 (page 2), I found that an agency I was interested in was Access Artiste Management, as they highlight that they “have specialised in Actor-Musicians from the very beginning” (Access Artiste Management, n.d.), which would allow me to specialise in what I’ve been training for. Therefore, I should ensure that our showcase is accessible to representatives of that agency.
Summative Statement
My experiences throughout my second year of training have allowed me to develop significantly as a performer, and my research has helped me to be able to choose effective marketing strategies that will hopefully allow me to work in the areas of the industry that I am most interested in, which include “screen acting … voice acting … [and] live stage performance” (Figure 10).
I believe that my acting training has helped me to become more confident in making choices throughout my process of understanding a character that I will be playing. However, I believe that my greatest increase in confidence has come from being able to understand and use my voice in a healthy manner, which will ensure that I am vocally comfortable on stage for multiple live shows each week, whether I am using a microphone or not. Berry (1992:16) writes that to use the “voice both body and creatively … we have to let go of our own patterns”. Whilst I am aware that I have not fully let go of my vocal patterns whilst performing, I believe that I am making progress towards that. This is because in Appendix 3 (page 1), I wrote that we “observed each other’s natural speaking patterns”, and during this, I also thought about my own vocal tendencies. As a result, since I am able to notice and observe my vocal patterns, that means that I am one step closer to being able to change and release them, which may help me to become a more versatile performer. Another way in which my voice has developed is my singing voice. In Appendix 2 (page 8), Jacob encouraged me to sing a whole song in my chest voice, which felt out of my comfort zone. However, after doing this, “my performance suddenly felt so much stronger” (Appendix 2:8), which highlights how stepping out of my comfort zone can result in growth as a performer. In third year, I want to focus on using my voice to further convey emotion, since whilst I feel confident using my voice for speaking, when we looked at laughing and crying, “I noticed that this felt throaty” (Appendix 2:4). Along with that, I also want to work on strengthening my chest, head and mixed voice in my singing voice. This will allow me to become a more versatile performer, which will hopefully
In my research of the voice industry Appendix 12 (page 1), I found that Tester (2026) recommends having a “[h]ome [s]tudio”, so I ought to do further research on what microphone would be most beneficial for that. In third year, I want to use the incredible resources available at Leeds Conservatoire for a voice reel that accurately reflects me as a performer. Along with that, I also intend to a acting, singing and musicianship reels before my time at Leeds Conservatoire is over, which I will put on my Spotlight, so that agents and casting directors can see everything that I can bring to a performance. I can also achieve this by inviting them to see our showcase. Whilst I am aware that it is very early in marketing myself, I am pleased with what I have researched. However in my marketing materials, it is imperative that I market myself as an actor-musician, so that I am able to do the work that I enjoy the most.
