<p>Hi Everyone,</p>
<p>We have a 10th grade daughter, who wants to pursue a MT degree in college. Can anyone of you, who either has or had a son or daughter in a MT program, offer us some advice on eventually getting acceptance into a good program? If you had to do it over again, what would you do differently? Any advice you could offer would be much appreciated. THANKS!!!</p>
<p>mrdutt, I would recommend reading through as many of these MT threads as possible, for starters.</p>
<p>Be talented. Be comfortable with yourself.</p>
<p>I would recommend a pre-college program in MT/Acting if you can afford it. I really thinks this gives your child a feel if this is really what he/she wants to pursue. A few of my daughters summer friends decided MT was not really for them after attending; a few decided B.A. was a better way then an conservatory atmosphere.
Also, I also feel that a summer program helps build one confidence in their abilities; strengthens the dance, acting and voice up a notch and even can introduce you to a variety of college audition material. I don't think a pre-college program would guarantee you getting into your dream school but I believe it does have a benefit in helping you feel you a little more prepared and comfortable for what lies ahead. Hope this helps some.</p>
<p>A good precollege program also will help a student evaluate how he/she compares to his or her peers in the theater/musical theater, which is valuable to know going into senior year, for sure. Knowing roughly how competitive you are for college admissions will help shape a kid's college list. Having the right list is crucial.</p>
<p>My son is looking at ACTING programs, not MT, but some of our observations might be helpful:</p>
<p>A pre-college summer program is VERY HELPFUL. Some require that the students audition at the end of the progam--what could be better preparation than that?</p>
<p>Start looking around at programs EARLY. VISIT each one. I wish we'd visited all of the programs to which my son applied before he applied (thankfully, we visited most). Although you may audition on-campus, oftentimes this is NOT a good time to get a feel for students, classes, etc. Remember-time runs out very quickly during the senior year in high school.</p>
<p>Apply early. Get signed up for auditions early so you get the time you want--the selection is reduced as time goes on. </p>
<p>Learn which schools have rolling admissions and apply to/audition at one or two that your son or daughter might like to attend EARLY. If your kid is accepted at one, it is a huge relief, and a confidence-builder. If not, well, you might be able to reassess audition material to be sure it reflects the student's talent.</p>
<p>There is much written about applying to a range of schools, including "safeties" and "reaches." This is a little hard to determine--what's a "safety" or a "reach" for an individual kid--but try to understand it and do what you can!</p>
<p>READ AND RE-READ the audition requirements for each school. Check again. Get prepared. I was surprised to see that kids were learning audition material in the halls before an audition, asking others for input into their selection of material, and sometimes seemed "clueless" about the whole process. A good summer program will go along way to getting past this. Also read this message board. And, again, read the materials for the programs. If you have questions, call the program. The staff will usually be happy to clarify things!</p>
<p>And, HAVE FUN!</p>
<p>My D started looking at colleges during her sophomore year. It is so much easier to make college visits at this time. By her junior year, she had a pretty clear idea of what the programs were like, and of where she wanted to apply. </p>
<p>At the same time, she began to focus more intensely on her dance training to improve her skills in that area. We made the decision not to send her to a pre-college training program because she was already very involved with several summer stock companies. This proved to be a great learning experience, as most of the other performers were college students or adult professionals. </p>
<p>When we finally got to the college auditions, she was fairly comfortable with the whole process, having auditioned for many professional-level productions. For the same reason, she was also pretty philosophical when she received rejection letters.</p>
<p>In addition to the above tips, I would suggest that your D should begin NOW to build her repertoire. And that includes monologues -- for many students that is the most difficult and time-consuming area of auditions. Good luck!</p>
<p>I'm currently a senior and have just finished all my auditions!! If you want to PM me i'll be more than happy to answer some questions. BUT I would deff say PRACTICE ALOT!! Also be yourself and don't get intimidated...as hard as it will be, just remember what you have to offer and that it will mean something to someone in the end!</p>
<p>I started typing and then realized that most tips had been posted already :).</p>
<p>One thing that typically is a 'given' as extremely important, and yet always turns out to be difficult to decide upon, is the "right" audition material.</p>
<p>Start early, have your D have a selection of songs and monologues she 100% loves and that adequately show off her talent to the max. The songs should be fresh, showcase her ability, and not be terribly overdone (see numerous other threads), She will need uptempo songs and ballads, that are contrasting (example legit vs. belt etc.). The same goes for her monologues. My D had 4 ready to go that showed very different emotions (sadness, anger, happiness etc). </p>
<p>Remember, that depending on the school, you may need different kinds and/or a unique mix of material (including different cuts of songs), but the above generally covers quite a good portion of MT applications. </p>
<p>As everyone points out, this really is quite time consuming, and the earlier, the better :).</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>If you can audition at the International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, NE in June right after your junior year of high school, you can get some idea of what schools might be interested in you. This is really helpful when you start auditioning your senior year. I believe your high school has to have a Thespian chapter for you to attend. There were 3,000 or so kids from all over the world last year. Only the rising seniors could audition.</p>
<p>Some of the colleges at the Unified auditions are at the Thespian festival. For the June, 2007 festival there were around 30 colleges represented - some of the same ones listed on this board. </p>
<p>Students do one audition with all the college reps sitting in the same room. The colleges then post callbacks on a central call board. These are usually callbacks where the colleges just want to talk to you. Most students still have to audition for the same colleges senior year. </p>
<p>As a parent, I was really concerned that S was trying to pursue an impossible dream and that the college competition was so stiff (from what I had been reading for two years on CC) there was no use in his even trying to compete with kids from all over the country. </p>
<p>When S got some callbacks at the festival, we knew that the competition was still very, very tough, but at least he wasn't completely and totally barking up the wrong tree. I felt much better about the time and effort plus travel costs for the senior year auditions. Auditioning at the Thespian Festival helped us more than anything else to be OK with the path he was choosing - no matter how it eventually turns out.</p>
<p>Mrdutt: I think that one of the most important things to do you are doing early, learning all about what it takes. By reading these threads as well as the different college's sites, you will know pretty much what it takes, from audition materials, to what to wear, what to expect when you get there, etc. Then the most important thing to do is to be prepared with the right materials and practice, practice and practice. That is all anyone can do.</p>
<p>Okay...I know I might take a hit for this as I did when questioning a poster's statement/reflection last year about "don't have a dream school" but I firmly believe, for our son, having a dream school made all the difference. The dream of attending that school helped him make important decisions concerning high school class selection (honors/advanced classes where he thought he could do well; regular courses in his weaker areas so that he could achieve a solid unweighted gpa while still demonstrating rigor in his schedule). The reach of a dream pushed him to look at other areas where he might need help...for him it was SAT prep and we found an outstanding intensive program in our area that helped push his scores into that school's "ballpark." He attended a summer program at the school to make sure it was indeed what he wanted to shoot for. He also had faith that God would put him where he was supposed to be and if it wasn't at this school, it would be somewhere else where he could thrive. Being organized, prepared, all of what the other posters have said, is so important...but for HIM it was the reach of the dream school that put all the other gears in motion. :)</p>
<p>As a career counselor at a major university, I have to say that the key to success in ANY field is to have drive, passion and commitment (coupled with talent, of course!). In my experience, I have found that the most successful students are the ones who exhibit these traits, regardless of the career they choose to enter. When it is the student (as opposed to the parents) who takes the initiative to do whatever it takes to get where he/she wants to be, then that is a terrific sign! It doesn't necessarily guarantee that the student will get into his or her "dream school" but that they have a greater chance at being successful in their career for the long term. If, as parents, you feel that you are constantly pushing your child to do things to enhance his/her chances of being accepted to a good MT program, then this is not a good sign. They need to be taking the initiative and going the extra mile to get where they want to be.</p>
<p>"...it was the reach of a dream school that finally put all the gears in motion." I certainly agree with you, gem, that having something specific to strive for can make all the difference. I encourage all of my students to visit the schools they may be applying to; it really gets them fired up and enthusiastic about preparing for college.</p>
<p>It sounds like your son has a positive and realistic attitude. However, if your "dream" school really is a "reach" school -- it's important to have other options lined up in case things don't work out. For those who are auditioning for BFA MT departments, sometimes the "dream" school turns out to be the one that accepts you!</p>
<p>I second the attending a summer program. My son went to Mpulse at U of M and came away with a wealth of knowledge about auditioning. Not only was he given stacks of music, he was taught how to make to most of the 3-4 minutes you have in front of the judges. It has served him very well during this audition season.</p>
<p>Voice lessons, take as much dance as you can fit in, and start reading plays to pick out age appropriate monologues. Read MANY plays for this purpose. </p>
<p>Visit schools as you have time. See shows at those schools. It will really help to see the programs before audition time, if at all possible. We visited beginning summer after 9th grade and into spring of junior year.</p>
<p>definitely start reading plays and listening to shows now-- while it doesn't make sense to pick material right now, as you'll change a lot between now and college auditions, but you'll get a feel for what's out there, and you can find something that really fits well and isn't overdone.</p>
<p>Seek out performance opportunities. All the training in the world won't help you if you freeze up in front of an audience. For vocals, enter competitions. It will be helpful for you and your teacher to receive feedback from the judges to get a "fresh" opinion on your abilities and areas that need improvement. Keep dancing, with an emphasis on ballet techniques. Take jazz classes, and when introduced to new dance combinations, focus on learning them quickly and accurately.
Train with the best your area has to offer. Keep in mind though, there may be many different opinions in your area as to who is the best. Try to find a voice teacher that cares about your D as an individual, and is committed to protecting her vocal health. For my D, it was imperative to find a teacher that had a nurturing quality. Someone else may not need that same feeling about a teacher.
Begin piano lessons. Take music theory classes.<br>
Enjoy life!</p>
<p>
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Seek out performance opportunities. All the training in the world won't help you if you freeze up in front of an audience.
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I respectfully disagree with this one. Most kids who have decided to audition for college MT programs have had plenty of performance opportunities. Too many of them think that is a substitute for training. If you are so busy being in shows that you can't commit to regularly scheduled voice and dance lessons, I believe you are on the wrong track. If you are so busy in shows that you let your grades suffer, also on the wrong track. I'm not saying not to do any performing, but be selective in what shows (or with what theatres) you expend your time and energies. If it can be a positive experience without negatively impacting your training and studies, fine. If not - concentrate on your training and studies.</p>
<p>MusThCC...performance opportunities come in many forms. Embrace the opportunity to sing a solo or perform in an ensemble at church, join a performance troupe that visits local nursing homes, participate in fundraisers using your talents to help a worthy cause. In no way did I advocate performance as a substitute for training, but as something that also needs "practiced" in preparation for the time when auditioning becomes necessary. Some performance opportunities DO involve the audition process, and the more comfortable one becomes with that, the better off they are when college auditions roll around. I agree, that training should not be sacrificed in order to pursue strictly performance opportunities.</p>