13. Steven Finney - Singer, Actor & Advocate for the creative arts
I have known Steve all his life and can say with confidence that his lifelong interest, curiosity and passion for the creative arts has never left him. Particularly singing, acting and film making. In this conversation we explore his decision to move to London and study at the Royal Academy of Music and how this helped to manage his anxiety. We delve into the challenges of the audition process and how a career in the performing arts will always require a huge sacrifice, challenge and one hell of a thick skin! Steve talks about making the very difficult decision to retrain in Law and how on reflection this was ultimately the right road for him to walk. We ask if nowadays having a privileged background open doors into the industry and have we lost sight of the working class heroes of our yesteryear like Alan Bennett and Harold Pinter? Steve has experienced deep sadness particularly when his Mum passed away and he tells us how he found some solace in the wonderful music of Kate Bush and Nick Cave’s Red Hand Files. Steve also puts forward his strategy of not always just focusing on the present and the now, but to also immerse yourself in the past and celebrate special memories as this can be a way of learning to walk with grief.