Photo by Dave Location: Ormond Beach, Florida Busted playing backstage: Jamieleigh & Galah "Bandit" 

I'm not so sure I'd enjoy performing on stage if it wasn't with my parrots, too... they are just SO much fun and backstage time has got to be my favorite!

At a recent show in Ormond Beach, Florida... the dressing rooms backstage were right next to one another and the ceilings were so high that the walls around the rooms didn't actually go all the way up to the ceiling. You could pretty much hear a tack drop next door!

This made for the photo to be taken above... because, you see, it's hard not to be excited and yelling, laughing, all sorts of loud behavior when you're with a GALAH of all birds! And so Bandit and I were having the greatest time in the dressing room, when in popped in Dave and the camera and caught us right in the act of playing!

We were having a jolly time and apparently getting a lot of weird looks from techs and other performers backstage wondering WHAT was going on in that dressing room of mine!

Photo by me! Location: Ormond Beach, Florida Backstage in dressing room: Galah "Bandit" 

A lot of fun happens backstage, and I always give myself hours to get ready because I know the birds will slow me down with their fun!

I don't normally wear a lot of make up outside of performance stuff, so when the birds see me with it they always want to EAT it off my face!

Photo by Jamieleigh Location: Ormond Beach, Florida Eating face: Galah "Bandit" 

Backstage is a great desensitizing environment. Normally, shiny and crazy costumes can be alarming to all the birds at first... but when they hang out backstage with you and see your transformation... from make up, to hair, to shiny costumes... they become used to it because it was piece by piece and you're pretty much "playing" the whole time, so they think it's all fun and games and don't even usually realize they're being desensitized to tons of things in the environment.

Loud music pops on randomly for sound checks, people are always coming and going and people talk randomly in different voices, languages and tones. Props move around, sounds come from everywhere... everything happens randomly to the birds and because they're just hanging out, they tend to take it at a much more relaxing pace.

So in order to find me backstage? It's not that hard, I promise... go towards the sound of the playing parrots!

Article by Jamieleigh Womach. She has been working with parrots and toucans since the age of 17. She isn’t homeless but is home less than she prefers to be. She travels the world with her husband, daughter, and a flockful of parrots whom she shares the stage with.