<p>My daughter’s Feb 25 audition date is fast approaching. Could anyone who auditioned already this year share some info? How are the auditions structured, what sequence, is there an adequate physical and vocal warm up, is there time to change clothing into or out of dance clothing? What does the dance audition consist of? Are the auditors interactive with students, make adjustments, ask for additional pieces? Any info you can provide would be much appreciated.</p>
<p>Michael, again as I just posted on the Emerson forum, you might want to search back the past two years or so from the winter months of accounts of auditions. For all I know, I posted my D's experiences two years ago, but can't recall. </p>
<p>At CMU, looking back now.....the director of the program addresses all parents and applicants with a good presentation about the program and admissions to it. There are also current students available to talk with throughout the half day of auditions. I recall some did dance first and some did singing/acting first. My D did dance first. At all auditions we have been to, there is time and a place to change. She wore her audition clothes to auditions and changed for dance whenever they did that segment. I recall dance involving both ballet and jazz combinations and being a very good dance audition overall. Again, it was done in groups. You are called one at a time from a big waiting room when it is your turn to sing and do monologues. You sing for one person, and do monologues for another. While normally I would not read anything into what you get to do or not do at an audition (as normally it can be interpretted many ways and drive you nuts analyzing it!), I have to say in the case of CMU, if you are asked to do your songs and monologues for more people, it is always a good sign...an informal type of "callback" so to speak. I think this is true from anyone I have spoken to and was for my D I think. She had to do her monologues for the director of the program. That person ended up asking her for four in all. Luckily she knew four. She also asked my D to sing her songs a capella for her even though that wasn't even the singing part of her audition. Then she was asked do to her monologues for another acting faculty person in another room again (what some kids refer to as a CMU callback of sorts). She then did her songs for the voice faculty person. But then she was asked to sing for another person all over again in another room... callback for that basically. So, she did monos for two different people separately and songs for three people separately. For the third voice person, she was vocalized.....besides her two songs, they wanted to hear a higher range and so had her sing Somewhere Over the Rainbow in higher and higher keys many times, going quite high. She ended up waitlisted for CMU. Again, being asked to do more at some schools doesn't mean anything so much....you can still not get in and actually people get in who weren't ask to do anything extra (like my D got into Ithaca and only did what was required and nothing more). But at CMU, I really do think there is a bit of a callback thing going on if they are interested, they have more faculty take a look. I don't say this from just my own kid's experience but from others who have also been through it. PSU also does this but in a more formal way that is obvious. CMU doesn't say they have callbacks but there is an extra step involved if you are being considered....I do believe. It just is right then, you are sent to see more people.</p>
<p>Thanks once more for all the info. It will no doubt help my daughter to be better prepared.</p>
<p>Hi MichaelNKat,
Just wanted to let you know that I was an MT at carnegie and during my audition years back, I was not asked to do my monologues for any additional people after the first professor saw me, yet I still got in. (I also know other classmates who had the same situation) Just goes to show you, there's never really be a concrete formula! Best of luck!</p>
<p>Anyone doing NYC auditions this Sunday/</p>
<p>CMUJohanna, thanks for providing some extra comfort/reassurance for those who have auditioned at CMU and were not asked to do extra monologues or to perform for additional people. Clearly, that happens to some people and not to others and auditioners should try hard not to interpret either being called back or not to mean anything specific, as difficult as that may be! :)</p>
<p>I'm also glad Johanna came back to let us know of hers and others' experiences. Normally, I do not like to interpret being asked to do this or that as meaning anything because it can go either way and even with my own kid it has gone either way.....do nothing extra and get accepted or not, and do lots extra and get accepted or not. So, you can drive yourself nuts interpretting what any of it ever means. </p>
<p>In the case of PSU, you do have to be called back to be in the running. In the case of CMU, I'm so glad that Johanna is letting us know of those who got in who were not sent to be seen by another faculty member, because I was just going by what everyone I had met who had been through it has said and took that to be the case and apparently it isn't. So, I guess it was common heresay about being sent to see a second faculty member, as so many others had explained it to me. So, forget ANY pattern to THAT! :D In any case, don't read anything into it but know that you may be asked to do it again for other faculty. </p>
<p>I agree with NMR that it is hard to not analyze auditions, but you really have to know that anything can happen either way.</p>
<p>I completely agree with Soozievt, don't drive yourself crazy trying to figure out what the faculty is thinking! Don't sweat about stuff that's not in your control. Just make sure that you are prepared to do your material for other faculty, and also always be 110% prepared with a few "emergency" selections, just in case they want to hear something else. And its always a good idea to know your material like the back of your hand just in case they throw you a curve ball and ask you to do it as a 90 year old woman with an English accent. If you're not as prepared as possible, you might lose your train of thought and there's nothing worse than walking out of an audition thinking, "Oh, I wish I would have rehearsed more" or "I wish I would have taken a bigger risk, made bigger choices, etc." Good luck!</p>
<p>My d auditioned at CMU two weeks ago and was asked to do her monologue like a chicken. What I would give to have been a fly on the wall for that one! I have tried to get her to repeat the audition for me, but she won't.</p>
<p>Now that is the funniest thing I have heard all week! Thanks for sharing that info - it shows that you really have to be prepared for absolutely anything!</p>
<p>I'm auditioning in Atlanta in like a week and this has been a really great help!</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for sharing your insights and experiences!</p>
<p>I just had my CMU audition in NYC on Sunday. I did my monologues for someone, and was asked to repeat the performance for someone else. The second auditioner was quite interesting; she asked my to perform my piece as if I were talking to a dead tree. I am assuming it is the same person that asked for the chicken performance. The atmosphere was very relaxed and friendly, and I really enjoyed the process. The dance audition was fairly straightforward. My only qualm was that the dance room was so packed with people that it was very difficult to see the instructor as he taught the combinations, and since it went fairly pretty quickly and I am very short, I struggled to learn all of the steps. My suggestion is to ensure that you have enough room and be considerate of the height of other people (if you're tall, make you way to the back as long as you can still see, and short people go front, being carefull not to block others). The singing was lovely, they ask for approximately 32 bars, but the auditioner said it was a very loose requirement. They would rather hear the whole phrase than a perfect 32.</p>
<p>NOLAMOM -- i thought it was weird that otterbein had me scottish dance (it's on my resume as a special skill - i competed for a while)...but THAT takes the cake.....i am AMAZED!! </p>
<p>that is by far one of the BEST weird audition stories i've heard!</p>
<p>My d is a Soph MT at CMU and she was asked to do her mono's for both acting teachers. She attended Chicago Unifieds two (2) years ago. It appeared to be regarded (at least when she did it) as a callback, even tho the head of the Acting program in her opening remarks stated "..don't read anything into it if we ask u to perform for the other acting teacher. When we heard this, I laughingly turned to my d and said " DEFINITELY...READ something into it!" Just our experience...nothing written in stone.</p>
<p>showbizkidz....like I said, my D also auditioned two years ago and that was how it was regarded that year by many others as well. But I guess that may no longer be the case or maybe it was never accurate. But it was the common school of thought with CMU (not auditions in general, however) that year about the "informal callback".</p>
<p>Keep in mind that getting callabcks when auditioning for shows may not mean anything either. Someone auditioning for the lead in a show may not get a callback but still get the lead. The creative team just may not need to see anymore.</p>