Ali Ramsaier, a dual Music Business and Performance major and participant in Berklee’s Summer Internship Program in London, tells Berklee Blogs how punctuality can be a different concept across cultures.

Punctuality.  Something that is absolutely vital for an internship, or something that can be taken in either direction.  My first day on my internship, I waited thirty-five minutes for someone to come.  I called the program and the office to make sure someone was there, but I ended up walking home.  Over the term, I have realized that Brits have a different viewpoint of punctuality than Americans.  If I were over six minutes late to work at Publix (a grocery store in the US), I would have a write up.  Here, I end up buying breakfast and waiting outside for a while until my boss or someone with a key arrives. It’s just the way things are done.

In auditions, if one has a scheduled time, depending if the person is a dancer, actor, or model, their sense of time is completely skewed.  Part of this is the agent’s fault, but another is the client himself or herself.  I have run several auditions where a casting director has said to come between the hours of 9-5 to find that 20 people all arrive at 2:30.  For a general rule, I have learned about auditions that you need to come on time or earlier than your set time to prepare for whatever is next.  You will never know what is going on in the audition room and there might be a delay.  I have learned that more than ever: EARLY is on time. ON TIME is late, and LATE is inexcusable.


Ali Ramsaier is a Georgia native attending her final semester at Berklee College of Music. She is currently finishing her double major in Music Business and Vocal Performance. Prior to attending Berklee, Ali has performed professionally throughout the Atlanta area. Some of her highlights have been performing in the Georgia World Congress Center, Georgia Tech Hotel Conference Center, becoming World Airways Idol, singing in Leipzig, Germany, and singing annually for the troops each Christmas Eve in Downtown Atlanta.

While attending Berklee, some of her credits include being heavily involved in the Berklee Musical Theatre Club performing in multiple musicals and revues like Emma Goldman in “Ragtime” and Mama Morton in “Chicago.” Ali is no stranger to performing in the Boston area. She has music directed and performed in several musicals at Emerson including the Paramount Theatre. Ali is a performer on the Spirit of Boston and has made demo work under Pat Pattison for David Foster, Andrea Bocelli, and Barbara Streisand.

Ali plans to pursue a career marketing herself as a solo artist after college. She also plans on working professionally again in the Musical Theater realm, and her aspirations of attaining a Tony and being the first actress alum to receive one. Ali also plans to work for a record label after college and eventually run a label and manage artists becoming the “go-to girl” for the music industry.

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