<p>Son wants to be an actor; sings beautifully and trains with a pro, but at 16 is sensibly aware that his voice may go south or just nowhere, and wants a strong acting program, BFA track at a U. or college, rather than a conservatory. Anyone know of solid acting programs where this could work? Many thanks...</p>
<p>There are many BFA acting programs where a student can also take voice lessons. Can you elaborate, though, why a "U. or college, rather than a conservatory"? Is it because of a desire to get a good exposure to liberal arts, a concern that if your son decides that a performing career is not the direction for him that he have the opportunity to change majors without changing schools or because of a desire to minor in a non-performance area? I ask because even where housed at a university or college, a BFA program often is at the very least "conservatory style" and is fairly insulated from other academic programs. There are exceptions but better understanding your comment would probably be helpful for those who could suggest schools. (For example, University of the Arts has a very strong acting program and BFA acting majors can minor in MT and take voice but only take 8 liberal arts classes in 4 years. NYU's Tisch has several acting studios within the school's BFA program and students spend 3 days a week in studio and 2 days in liberal arts classes. In contrast, there are also BA programs like Muhlenberg with strong acting and vocal training where a student can readily double major or minor in a liberal arts area. Which kind of approach would better meet your son's objectives?)</p>
<p>He enjoys conservatory style acting training, and wants that, but wants the exposure to liberal arts courses, too. His thinking is that if he can't make it in the performance end, he could go back for a masters and possibly teach. The minor would definitely be Vocal Perf. The singing style he's been studying is classical, and a school that allowed students in the BFA acting prog. to take voice lessons with faculty would probably work. Scanning catalogues, it looks as though many do not, or at least seem to discourage it. I'd welcome any suggestions.</p>
<p>datripp....while not a minor in Vocal Performance....at Tisch, those who are in acting studios can take private voice lessons every semester. Also, some of the acting studios still have some MT or vocal work....such as Playwrights Horizons, Experimental Theater Wing and Strasberg. And Tisch includes liberal arts...what amounts basically to two liberal arts courses per semester (it is not spelled out that way but just how it turns out to be) where one is in Theater Studies and one is in other liberal arts subjects. It is possible to minor in another area too but not in Vocal Performance.</p>
<p>If cost is an issue, make sure you find a program that includes vocal classes in the tuition. I know that some families are being hard hit when they are paying $50K tuition and then have to pay extra for dance, performance, private lessons, none of which are included. You can always find private lessons, in my opinion, so if that is the route you want to go it would make it easier. It is more difficult to get good vocal training on a departmental basis within a liberal arts program. Many schools will only allow performance majors access to the private or semi private voice courses.</p>
<p>cpt, I'm not sure if your comment about private lessons was in reply to Susan's post or not, but, if it was, I'd like to clarify. :) At Tisch, students, as Susan said, are indeed able to take private voice but that doesn't mean that those private voice classes are private lessons outside of school. Tischies can take for credit private voice with faculty (when my D did it, it was through Steinhardt which is where the VP major is housed). There is an enormous range of classes that Tisch kids are able to take in other NYU colleges, certainly one of the advantages of attending a conservatory style program set within a larger university.</p>
<p>Yes, I hope I was not misleading. The private voice lessons that Tischies in acting studios can take are for credit and included within tuition. </p>
<p>And yes, one plus (if ths is something you are looking for) at Tisch is that you can take a myriad of courses throughout NYU.</p>
<p>USC has an acting BFA with a minor in musical theatre so that one might fit the bill...</p>
<p>He'd kill for Tisch, or Steinhardt, but frankly the money is an issue for us, and NYU isn't famous for financial aid. USC I don't know about, in terms of that.</p>
<p>Just to throw this out there....D is at NYU (VP Steinhardt.) The cost of voice lesson is included in tuition, however the cost of an accompianist is not. So we are paying an extra $25 per week for her accompianist at her one hour voice lesson and an extra $25 per week for an extra 1/2 hour session with the accompianist for additional practice (a requirement of her voice studio.)</p>
<p>Thus $50 extra/week for included in tuition voice lessons. We did know about this going in because D has a friend ahead of her in the program, but for many this extra expense was a surprise at orientation.</p>
<p>I believe this may be common at other schools, too. What are other people's experiences with hidden costs like these?</p>
<p>University of the Arts has a very strong BFA Acting program where you can minor in MT and get voice. If you include text based theater courses such as Theater history or MT theater history as a "liberal arts" course, then students in the BFA program average about 2 liberal arts classes a semester. Whether an MT major, MT minor or VP major, there are no additional costs for accompanists for voice lessons. In fact, as an MT major, in addition to her voice lessons my daughter is also receiving vocal coaching with accompaniment from her music skills instructor who works as the music director for many professional productions in Phila, again included in the tuition. Tuition this year is about $29,500 plus about $6300 for an apartment style dorm. There is no meal plan, however, so you have to factor in the cost of food shopping in comparing the costs to schools with meal plans.</p>
<p>uskoolfish -- it will depend on the school. I used to teach at a school that required students in private lessons to pay an additional performance studies fee. This was to cover the cost of an accompanist. The accompanists were then assigned to the students by the dept.</p>
<p>Where I teach now there is no additional performance studies fee, but students are required to secure an accompanist for themselves. Some are able to find a student in the accompaniment class to work with them in that semester for credit. Most find an accompanist (usually a student or a freelance accompanist who works with students at the university) and pay them out of pocket. </p>
<p>This might be a good question to ask during audition information sessions.</p>
<p>^^^Yes, I would ask the question, although it would not have changed her decision to go. NYU students in Steinhardt are already paying an additional fee of $105 towards privatevoice lessons that was billed through the bursars office in addition to tuition. D's voice teacher selected the accompanist, don't know if there would have been room for alternatives if D could have found someone else.</p>
<p>:) It is amazing to me how expensive college has become! Hope that your D loves NYU.</p>
<p>Uskool - did you guys apply for/get any financial aid? Forgive me if hat's a rude question. Feel free to ignore it if so! I'm hoping for a very generous private, or excellent public, school. He went to Stella Adler for the teen intensive last summer on schol. and hopes to go back this year; just loved it. Great and very challenging program, interesting kids. But unless a mountain moves, probably not in the future as a college choice. Tho I have heard that Steinhardt is more generous than NYU theater, generally.</p>
<p>A lot of private schools are generous with merit aid. Sometimes a private university can end up being less expensive ultimately than going as an out of state student at a public university.</p>
<p>NYU is a great school -- not sure how generous with aid. </p>
<p>uskool -- I had friends in Steinhardt years ago who loved it. I used to go see shows there when I was in college. Terrific program. It is great that NYU has such great options in musical theatre through Tisch and Steinhardt!</p>