Meet Tahlia Josephine Knoshaug

We recently connected with Tahlia Josephine Knoshaug and have shared our conversation below.

Tahlia Josephine, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?

I love this question because I feel as though I have always carried generosity in my heart, in a metaphorical sense of course, but also literally! Here’s why: In my very first musical theatre stage debut, as a mighty fifth grader, I proudly performed as the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz. The Tin Man is a character who believes he doesn’t have a heart. By the end of the musical, though, the Tin Man realizes his love for life and others was always present. In fact, his heart has the loudest beat of all! For me, I not only held the Tin Man’s physical prop heart on stage, but I also felt its power within me. As I was performing, I felt the magic of connection to the stage and realized my breath was in tandem with the audience. That was the moment I like to say that I, too, found my passionate, beating heart, which generously shares a love of the performing arts and its powerful messages with others.

After this experience, I discovered the way my heart beats loudly for my community and the world around me. I am forever grateful for my fifth-grade music teachers, Mr. Phillips and Ms. Casanova, who inspired and taught me the value in spreading joy through song. My generosity comes from the way my soul strives to bring happiness in the stories I tell, in the smiles I give, and in the laughter I spread. I love to offer the gift of music and creativity to make a difference in everyday life. In high school, I started a program called Rays of Sunshine: Singing for Seniors, where I and other volunteers perform Broadway classics for those living with dementia in memory care homes. As I follow my own yellow brick road and pursue musical theatre, I realize how spreading positivity and generosity, onstage or offstage, can be the difference between simply booking a job versus fostering a meaningful career with kind people around me.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

MY STORY
Hi there! My name is Tahlia Josephine Knoshaug! I am a freshman musical theatre (MT) student at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music. As a dreamer and passionate artist from Golden, Colorado, my story looks a little something like this: After realizing my dream of performing on Broadway from my experience as Wizard of Oz’s Tin Man in the fifth grade, I decided in seventh grade (2018) to audition for a children’s theatre company called Actors’ Academy for the Performing Arts (AAPA) in Boulder, CO. I was honored to be accepted into their senior company! During the school year, I had to balance academics with artistic training, and my parents would drive me three times a week (25 minutes each way) to Boulder so I could take acting, singing, and dancing classes with the small ensemble of other young AAPA artists. The agreement was that I had to do homework in the car on the way and back so I could maintain my learning and good grades at school. At AAPA, I learned the ins and outs of backstage crew work and that a production would not exist without their presence and dedication. I collaborated in ensemble scenes and also landed my first leads as Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors, Anna in Frozen, and Cosette in Les Misérables. I was even cast in my first professional performance of an original musical called Man Up at the theatre company, Arete Theatrics (Empathy Theatre Project), next door!

AAPA was my sanctuary. Until high school, it was here that I began learning the philosophies of Sanford Meisner and Uta Hagen. I learned the value in holding audience attention and releasing it in an effortless theatrical presence. I began to understand how individuals onstage can physicalize their emotions and present honest work in a listening and reacting state. After all, Meisner himself once said “Acting is the ability to behave absolutely truthfully under the imaginary circumstances.” These philosophies are the same ones I use today in my training in Boston. Middle school Tahlia taught high school and now college Tahlia what it means to be an artist by examining the human experience and connecting that information to who we are as individuals behind the artistry.

CHOICES DURING THE PANDEMIC AND BEYOND
When it came time for high school, I made a life-changing choice to pursue the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program as well as enter an award-winning theatre company at Lakewood High School (LHSTC). This was a very difficult decision because although I would still see my childhood friends, I would not share my four years of high school with them. And let’s not forget that fall 2020 was the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, so I was unsure how I was going to bond with new friends.

Although onstage theatre was not possible as a high school freshman in 2020 due to COVID-19, I knew there had to be another way to meet people, share music, and perform. I wanted to connect with the outside world as so many of us did at the time. I had to be versatile. I ended up joining clubs that performed in outside venues, such as tennis, symphonic orchestra, and cheerleading, where I could still meet peers and teachers as well as engage with audiences. I also continued tap and ballet classes at my local Virtuosity Centre dance studio, which were often held on Zoom and outside, and even convinced my sister, Ava, and brother, Tref, to join me in a contemporary dance class (and my sister was not a dancer)! I also did not give up on singing and acting for an audience, and it was in 2020-22 that I eagerly discovered the world of online theatre. I auditioned for a local company called NextStage and was ecstatic (and a little nervous) to perform in online shows, learning how to work in real-time, glitches and all, as well as with imaginative filters that would make me look like different characters. One of my favorite scenes was in Looking Glass World when I sang a newly composed song as Tweedle Dee and could be free to be as silly and goofy as possible, along with my new remote friend Twiddle Dum, using wide-eyed facial expressions inspired by my favorite comedic actress Carol Burnett and physical comedian Charlie Chaplin.

However, the pandemic also brought some dark moments to my family. My grandmother, Mamie, passed away from Alzheimer’s and complications with COVID-19 shortly after I started high school. My grandfather had faced the same fate with dementia about 10 years earlier. During the pandemic, visits to my Mamie’s memory care home had been limited due to restrictions, and I know that she and many of the residents often felt isolated from the real world and their families. When we were finally able to visit Mamie, almost every time we would find her slumped in a chair with no expression on her face. I will always remember a special moment, however. One day, my mother brought a few of her favorite music CDs, and we played Edith Piaf and Elvis Presley CDs in her room. At first, there was a twinkle in my Mamie’s eye, and as the melodies continued, the familiar songs would bring her “back to life.” From then on, we always returned to visit her with CDs in hand. Depending on the day, she would even laugh and grab our arms and dance. She was able to offer a glimpse of her old self as she held my hands tightly and started singing “La Vie en Rose.” I was amazed and inspired by how music positively affected my grandmother. I decided that in fall of 2022, I would start a volunteering program called Rays of Sunshine: Singing for Seniors in my Mamie’s honor to spread the gift of music at local memory care homes. I and my peers visited residents on weekends and sang classic Broadway songs, developing close relationships. I will never forget a woman named Marge, who always made efforts to harmonize with me, grabbing my hands to dance while dodging dining room tables and smiling the entire time. The difference a beautiful song made in attitudes and physicality after just an hour made me realize how much sharing music offstage was just as or even more important than doing the same onstage. I knew then that I would never stop volunteering and singing for assisted living communities.

ALMOST NORMALCY
When things became a little more normal during pandemic in 2022, I was able to physically attend class in school by wearing a mask. I dedicated myself to rigorous academics (becoming a valedictorian of my class in May 2024!), and I was also elected as an officer of the LHSTC (eventually becoming president my senior year). Most importantly, during my 4 years at LHS, I collaborated with others who loved music, performance, volunteering, and fundraising. I met and shared experiences with students from different backgrounds who celebrated cultural traditions, spoke various languages, and expressed themselves in unique ways. I learned the importance of listening to different perspectives. What’s more, just when I thought live indoor performances would never exist again, I found myself playing cello in chamber orchestra and traveling to different festivals, performing a critics choice monologue at ThesCon Denver in 2023, presenting at 8th grade community nights, as well as engaging with families during Trick-or-Treat Street and other fundraising events. I gratefully took on the roles my directors gave me the opportunity to embody, Portia in Something Rotten and Charlotte Hay in Moon Over Buffalo–-a role originated by none other than, again, my favorite actress, Carol Burnett! In the summers, I found myself studying theatre at the Arvada Center and Denver Center for the Performing Arts as well as studying at New York City’s Broadway Artists Alliance (BAA) Intensives, where I was able to learn from incredible Broadway faculty and form relationships with like-minded peers from cities all over the country.

LIFE LESSON AT AGE 18
After graduating high school in May 2024, I realized that I could not have followed my thespian path if it were not for supportive and inspirational instructors I met before I received my diploma. My teachers, directors, and mentors, including in my dance classes (Kelly French, Kat Wright, David Otto, Angela Dryer, Caroline Younger), in my cello and piano lessons (Allison Olsson, Barbara Casanova, Bryce Melaragno, Sandy Miller), and in my vocal and acting training (Dorinda Dercar, Tami LoSasso, Jace Smykil, David Otto, Debbie Miller, Emma Kate Lampe, Jennifer Johns-Grasso, Rob Phillips, Carrie Colton, Dillon Kenyan, Sam Wood, Hunter Herdlicka, Mark Christine), instilled a strong foundation in my heart and body for the performing arts. I learned that while I develop as an artist, I would never forget those who have guided me and who will guide me during my four years at college. Moreover, my beloved mentor Tami LoSasso taught me that a community as a whole makes storytelling real, not only one individual. Humility and recognition are important in the world. Yes, I am proud of my accomplishments, but I appreciate how collaborating with and helping others onstage and offstage allow me to understand my true self as well as see and hear others around me. In addition, I know that kind actions, no matter how small, make a big difference in daily life, such as holding a door for a stranger, smiling at someone as you cross paths on the sidewalk, and asking someone how they are doing. Communication is also key, and just a thoughtful “thank you” goes a long way.

STEPPING BACK: INSIGHT INTO THE PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGE AUDITION PROCESS
I feel it is important to take a step backward, before I graduated in May 2024, to offer a word about the performing arts audition process for students. At age 17, as a senior in fall 2023, I entered the competitive and ambitious journey of auditioning for musical theatre and acting college programs. I felt prepared with the instruction I received through my education; however, I was still daunted by the process, so I engaged the help of College Audition Coach (CAC) and amazing founders, and I started auditioning with a bang during a 16-college audition weekend in Texas at the famous Moonifieds in November 2023. The fact that I was able to audition for so many programs the same weekend and receive valuable coaching from Broadway actors Hunter Herdlicka and Mark Christine was the best feeling ever! But I knew I still had a long road ahead of me.

A WORD ABOUT MUSICAL THEATRE COLLEGE APPLICATIONS AND AUDITIONS
The college search path for musical theatre (MT) applicants is truly intense. Whereas most high school students apply to around 10 schools, performing arts students usually apply to 25+ colleges due to reduced acceptance rates and limited number of programs and candidate spots across the country. First, just like all students, arts students have to fill out a Common App to be accepted to a college academically, but then MT and acting students complete an additional arts application as well as record vocal, dance, and acting videos for submission. This means that these applicants do triple the work when applying for college! After the initial applications and videos are submitted, MT and acting students wait to receive a “prescreen pass,” meaning they are invited to audition for a program at that college. Racing to get a time slot for an audition is an entirely different challenge.

Waiting for these coveted prescreen passes is nerve wracking, and you are lucky if you get passes for only half of what you submitted. With acceptance rates similar to those of Ivy League institutions, being selected for MT programs is an incredible honor and opportunity. Sometimes the audition committees see between 1,000 to 2,000 prescreen videos of songs and monologues, select anywhere from 50 to 500 applicants to receive a prescreen pass, and then offer acceptances to only 8 to 50 students out of all those eager artists. Acceptances and rejections are usually sent in March and April of the upcoming school year.

MY ULTIMATE COLLEGE AUDITION PATH
I believe, like all students in the same position, my senior year was extremely busy, rewarding, and sometimes stressful. Filling out a myriad of applications, staying on top of classes, traveling to campus auditions as well as Unifieds in New York and Chicago (similar to audition conferences), and being away from my peers was very challenging. Overall, the pressure linked to finishing strong my senior year, doing well in auditions, maintaining my GPA and becoming valedictorian, being kind to myself and others, and upholding my responsibilities was intense, but I stayed strong and followed through. I had to remember on a daily basis to “never give up.”

By spring of my senior year, the anticipation of a college decision update was on my mind. I often checked my email for updates, finding “No, thank yous” and sometimes “Congratulations.” I was crushed when the “No” emails arrived from a couple of my top choices and thought I may never make it. But by spring, after long hours of hard work and days of doubt, I was astonished and blessed to find I was accepted to over 25 programs, mainly for musical theatre but also acting and vocal performance. If I thought the process would be easy at this point, however, I was wrong. How could I choose just one program? If I could attend multiple colleges at once, I would because they offered unique pathways as well as had passionate directors. This decision seemed impossible for my busy-bee mindset who liked to engage in many activities. The programs all had a different appeal, and I had met so many kind professors and administrators along the way; ultimately, my decision came down to the “right fit” and gut feeling I had when visiting certain campuses. This is a different feeling for every student, but my own heart was set on living in a big city and engaging in music on a daily basis. I chose to pursue a BFA in MT at Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music in fall 2024, knowing that at BoCo, I could play my instruments while training to become a well-rounded performer.

MY CHOICE: COLLEGE PROGRAM REFLECTION
My BoCo college lifestyle is filled to the brim with passion, hard work, and excitement while navigating 12 challenging courses (e.g., music lab, piano, ballet & jazz dance, dramatic text and context analysis, theatre production process, acting, college writing, private voice, musical theatre, voice & speech, movement, and more), playing the cello in the Audire Soundtrack Collective Symphonic Orchestra, tap dancing in the T-Tap Club, volunteering at a Boston memory care home through my Rays of Sunshine program, assistant directing an original senior capstone play, and co-managing the MT Class of ‘28 Instagram page. Not to mention that I have loved learning from supportive faculty and collaborating with incredibly talented and dedicated peers in my small MT cohort. I have already made lifelong friends! I would never give up these experiences for the world and am grateful that my college choice is leading me on the right, bold path, allowing me to fully explore my artistic and intellectual self.

FUTURE GOALS: WHERE DO I SEE MYSELF?
My story does not end here. During my time at BoCo, I will never ignore an opportunity and will audition for as many plays and musicals as possible. I hope to perform on the Mainstage at least once, but I am grateful my training will prepare me for performances and the competitive audition world post graduation. After four years of a conservatory education, I hope to perform in national tours or on a cruise ship, but my dream, like all aspiring actresses, is to be lucky enough to book a Broadway show, cast in Wicked as Glinda or even as the first Rapunzel on a Broadway stage! In the future, I see myself as a music instructor, a college theatre professor, a choreographer, or a director, such as those mentors I have always looked up to. I would like to share my passion for performance and spread joy through inspiring as well as guiding students to find out who they are and what they are capable of.

I will also continue spreading happiness through music offstage in more isolated communities, especially memory care homes. No matter your age or mental state, younger and older generations share an appreciation of a song and will form bonds based on that connection. I will always devote part of my time to volunteering because I am inspired by all who come alive by hearing music, sometimes favorite songs that provide a sense of familiarity and peace. Last, throughout my life and career, I won’t ever forget to be kind to others, be bold and grasp onto magic when offered a chance, and trust in the beautiful, complicated, and sometimes messy journey that is my own.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Empathy. There is no tomorrow without it. Especially as a storyteller, empathy to me means understanding characters as reflections of real people and their lived experiences. Empathy connects the stage to the real world by encouraging those involved, whether it be performers or an audience, to think beyond themselves and consider the world of another. Empathy is the foundation of storytelling and is part of human nature in caring and feeling for others; importantly, it is the ability to see if someone is having a good or bad day and asking them if you can lend a hand. Just a hello, a smile, or a squeeze of the hand can make someone feel better. I notice those around me to make my community a better place and try to use my training, skills, and heart to help.

Persistence. It’s funny, but in my middle school journal when I started my artsy adventure that I knew would be difficult, I wrote on the front page “Never Give Up.” I also have a list of productions I have auditioned for that have a “No” or “Yes” next to them. This list makes me see that with every no, there will be a yes or a success sometime but only if I never give up. This belief holds true to me today because I will never stop dreaming too big even if I fail at times. When there’s a wish in your heart, a fire in your soul, and a dedication in your mind, nothing is impossible. What you have to do, though, is put in the effort and work hard every day. In fact, my current musical theatre teacher Isaac Leaverton inspires us by sharing that we should “do something every day to help your future self get to where you want to be.” To me, this means that baby steps and simple mindful habits are the key to success and fulfillment in the future.

Passion. We can’t exist without it. Passion is the very magic that unites people from all different backgrounds as they pursue what they love. To me, passion equals joy, and joy equals love. Actually, one of my idols is Miss Piggy because she is bold, and her passion for life and entertainment is obvious in her interactions with Kermit the Frog and Muppet friends. Her joyful and driven spirit makes me laugh and realize that I should not be afraid to speak up, be bold, follow my heart, and spread love and laughter through musical theatre. I even wrote a Miss Piggy skit in my 6th grade talent show, performing an original tap dance and ukulele song with duet partner Kermit the Frog (my beloved hand puppet that I still cherish!).

I am inspired by the vast world around me and want to be a part of the exchange of creativity it offers. To be passionate is to be alive.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

My parents, Eric and Jessica, have encouraged me to follow my heart and pursue my love for performance; my Dad is a scientist, so you would think he would have preferred that I follow a more traditional college degree pathway, but he saw and still sees the value in doing what you love no matter what. My Mom has also upheld a similar motto. In fact, she has always supported me 100%, saying if I work hard and do my best, at the end of the day that’s all that matters, and I will succeed in being happy and finding my true self.

My parents have given me the world as a canvas to paint with as many colors as I can reach. From driving me to distant classes or rehearsals, to celebrating successful casting with me, or encouraging me to always try again and again while remembering to focus on my education and life outside the theatre, my parents have instilled the best values within my grateful heart and mind.

Last, my Mom calls me her robin. I proudly, and at times tentatively, spread my wings to reach the sky, each year flying a little farther away from my nest while realizing my mother is right behind me. My Dad has also never let me down, and his expression “get all of your ducks in a row” surfaces in my mind when I occasionally struggle to find my way. I could not ask for anything more. I am very fortunate to have parents who believe in my artistic development and the path I have chosen in life. The fact that I’m studying musical theatre at my dream school tells you that my parents are my heroes.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: tahlia.knsg
• Youtube: @TahliaKnoshaugBerklee
• Other: TikTok: tahlia.knsg
  Email: tahliaknoshaug@gmail.com

Image Credits

Mattie Gale Photography