<p>shacherry, my D is a rising senior and is also using MTCA. She started in April of this year and has met with a song coach and a monologue coach about once a month each. Starting in August I expect her to increase this to about 2 times a month for each coach for a few months. She has lots of homework to do after each session, and with her summer schedule, it is taking her a bit of time to fit it in so only once a month works for now.</p>
<p>In addition, if your coach offers mock auditions, and it fits your schedule and budget, I highly recommend doing them, along with scheduling an early audition at a school not on the top of your list. The mock audition really helped my d work out the wrinkles and get an understanding of how it would all work, but then her first audition, all the way across the country, had some details that really threw her for a loop. I wish we had scheduled one at a closer and not so wanted school earlier in the year, like the fall; even at a school she was not really interested in, just to get the bugs out. Of course, everything worked out for the best in the end, but there were some jittery audition and waiting moments for a bit!</p>
<p>Christie2, do you mind sharing what happened that threw your D for a loop? I think it would be good to know what to look out for.</p>
<p>Is the cost of coaching the same for everyone? Or do you pay for the services you need? If you Skype, and never see anyone in person, is it cheaper?</p>
<p>Thanks all this is very very helpful.</p>
<p>I know with MTCA it is the same cost hourly of you do it over skype or in person.</p>
<p>Coaching is fine if you have the money and time. The question wasn’t whether the coaching itself is unethical but all the marketing brouhaha some of these coaches do for themselves and whether THAT is unethical. It’s also about schools being involved with private coaching services by giving master classes that are not open to the public and giving the appearance that they endorse particular coaches.</p>
<p>IMNSHO, the above scenario is definitely happening. Can you imagine a college football coach appearing on a video for a particular coaching service? Even if they aren’t directly endorsing the program, by being SEEN with this coaching service, implies that that kids will have a leg up at that school by attending this program. Kids are gullible and worried about getting into MT/acting programs and fall into the idea if they don’t get this coach and follow these instructions, they won’t get in. I don’t like it. It stinks both for the school and coach. I’d also point out that if a college football coach did this sort of thing, there would be sanctions through the NCAA.</p>
<p>I think most coaches charge the same rate whether in person one via Skype because we are paying for their time and instruction. But check because each handles payment differently.</p>
<p>Our daughter was coached by Mary Anna Dennard. She started with her the summer between junior and senior year. Most sessions were via Skype since we live many states away from one another. My daughter did visit a friend who is from Texas that same summer, so she had some in person lessons during that visit. But otherwise it was all via Skype. Same for her song coach. On average, she worked with each of them once per month from summer through audition season. But some people only find it necessary to meet a few times to get monologue and song choices. How many times you work with them can be totally up to you, your schedule, your needs and your budget.</p>
<p>I will say not only did we get great audition material and advice from our coach, but Moo provides so much more. She is always available by email, phone or text. She was on site at unifieds and did walk thrus and pre and post conversations with students about their auditions, she did group phone conferences with parents before Unifieds to make sure all our questions were answered. And she had a private Facebook group where she shared all sorts of info with students from when updated audition info was posted on college websites to photos of audition wear ideas to articles about auditioning and the industry in general. This was also a safe place the kids could talk to one another, support one another and ask questions. Our daughter made tremendous friends out of this group. That was nice because she knew someone at every audition she attended which helped the auditions be more fun and less intimidating. And these kids are all still in touch even now that the auditions are over. In fact, one will be her college roommate. So all that to say we got much more out of it than just a few lessons with a coach. No coaching isn’t necessary to be successful. But for us it provided information, training, support and life long friendships.</p>
<p>Lastly, I agree that doing some early auditions at schools you’d be happy to attend but maybe aren’t tops on your list is very helpful. If you have an early acceptance or two it takes some of the stress off your remaining auditions knowing you are in a program already.</p>
<p>I would also note that unlike what was suggested in a prior post about the exclusivity of master classes, Mary Anna’s master classes are open to anyone who wishes to attend. If you visit her website which is college audition coach dot com and click on master classes, it will list all of the dates, locations and clinicians. And also provides links to register. They are a great way to meet mt program heads, see how they work and perhaps get feedback on your audition material.</p>
<p>The point is, WHO is sponsoring the master class? Does that not make a kid (or parent) go “whoa… he/she is connected with this school in some way!” If the master class is sponsored by a regional theatre group or a supermarket, well then there is no question of someone having an inside track at anything. </p>
<p>I also think that public schools that have private college auditions should have to open those up to any student. That’s tax payer dollars on tax payers land. I know here that many schools come to audition kids at the public PAS and ONLY those kids that are enrolled there can benefit.</p>
<p>Our coaching experience was much more small-scale. My son did a few coaching sessions (maybe 4) with an acting teacher who had been his director in a couple of shows. He had also done a week-long acting master class with the same teacher, during the summer, which was very good for getting him started focusing on what he would need. The teacher, Rip, gave us his unvarnished opinion on a bunch of schools we were interested in, from the perspective of a director who auditions a lot of actors from a lot of schools, and formed his opinions that way.</p>
<p>He discussed monologues a lot with my son, and always sent him home with a bag of plays, with instructions to read the entire play, and ideally to craft his own monologues when possible, and to use monologue books only to help identify possible plays that have age-appropriate roles. </p>
<p>I think Rip only coached a couple of other kids this past year. One of them got into Carnegie-Mellon. He thought my son might too, but he didn’t. Oh well!</p>
<p>In terms of voice, my son has been taking regular voice lessons for a couple of years and sometimes spent part of his lesson time working on his audition selections.</p>
<p>The coaching helped a lot with confidence, preparedness, and allowing the parents to keep out of the artistic side of the process.</p>
<p>During last fall, I often read CC postings to my son, in terms of what to expect at auditions. Lots of people related “horror stories” that really threw their kids off their stride. My son, who has done a ton of auditions for all kinds of theatre locally, just laughed at these stories. He feels that the kids who have only done shows at their high school are at a major disadvantage because they haven’t been exposed to a spectrum of approaches, both as an auditioner and as a performer.</p>
<p>Walker1194: I think I’ve said this before but it bears repeating for those new to this process. And i think you and I agree. Nobody should hire a coach with the expectation they can get your child into a certain school or schools. Nobody can guarantee placement. They can only help prepare your child to the best of their ability. What happens after that is up to the student auditioning. I can only speak about our coach, Mary Anna Dennard, and can assure you there was never any suggestion given that she could have any influence on a school’s decision. Her sole focus is to have students well prepared for auditions. The rest is up to them. I am sure MTCA and other well known coaches operate similarly. Lets face it. These schools have so many talented students auditioning that they have no need to be influenced by coaches. I truly believe they select the individuals who best fit their needs in terms of type, ability, personality, etc…to make up the class they are looking for each year. And no relationship to a coach or participation in a master class will ultimately change their decision. Those are just some ways some students choose to help prepare and I for one am glad those options are available to those who feel they will be helpful. Unequivocally, using a certain coach or participating in a master class is not going to get you into a program. But they can be helpful in preparing for audition season.</p>
<p>I want to make a clarification in regards to the public PAS holding auditions. I am from the same area so I assume we are talking about the same school. My D is a graduate and my S is a student there now. All students in our county have the opportunity to audition for the school and if accepted are allowed certain opportunities as a part of the program. Parent volunteers and teachers working on their own time pull off most of the work involved and it does not come from the county school budget. Any taxpayer money spent is coming from the state because the auditions are also open to students who attended the Governor’s School for the Arts. That is a free 3 week summer program open to all students in the state by audition. </p>
<p>That said, I have to agree that these types of opportunities are extremely valuable. The school my D eventually chose was not on her radar until she was called back by them during this audition process. She decided to add them to her list at Chicago Unifieds because of the interactions she had on that day. It turned out to be the perfect fit!</p>
<p>OK, if a girl was called back for the final audition for a Broadway revival but did not get into one “top singer-first programs” when she is talented enough to go to any of them, then either shame on the folks who were casting that revival, or shame on the people who rejected her from those singer-first programs, because one or the other got it wrong. Or, shame on her for not preparing herself. That has nothing to do with coaching. </p>
<p>Too often here people equate not hiring a coach to not being prepared. That is incorrect. Those are two separate and distinct things. </p>
<p>Walker, you make great sense. If there wasn’t a wink and a nod in the marketing, then why have pictures of people from CMU or Michigan or wherever on your website touting their involvement in master classes? Why list the people and what school they are from who have done master classes before? Not only are kids gullible, but parents, with every good intention in mind, are gullible too, and they are the ones forking over the money. Nobody is going to come right out and admit it, but many, many people who hire coaches do so at least in part because they see these relationships pictured and/or listed on the coaching web sites. Again, if that wasn’t the case, then the coaches wouldn’t be wasting money and space marketing those facets of their services. </p>
<p>As for the private auditions, I realize programs need to fill slots, but the private audition thing definitely tilts the playing field in an uneven way. Or once again that is the marketing message. If there is no advantage to it, then why do it? Whats the difference between the private audition via the coaching service, the on campus audition or the unified audition? Will the adjudicators spend more time with the kid in the private audition? What’s the hook? Why market it unless it is different and better than doing it the regular way?</p>
<p>@CollegeSearchDad, I’m glad you heard exactly what I said. That is rare here. </p>
<p>@MTmom1216. We do not live in that county and cannot participate in that school or it’s programs. Therefore auditions were closed to us. However, we do pay taxes to that county because DH works there. And yes, taxpayer dollars are used no matter how many parents or other supporters are involved. Lights, security, the very building itself costs money to operate.</p>
<p>CollegeSearchDad, while I agree there is more to coaching than preparing you for auditions, I do not think a coach is doing their job if they don’t prepare you. They are not mutually exclusive. </p>
<p>I do not have a problem with the master classes. So many places do them, including non-coaching organizations (e.g., Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut has Brent Wagner come to a master class weekend on auditioning every fall…they do not offer coaching services). If you have the money and the time, you can find master classes with heads of the top programs all over the country. </p>
<p>The private auditions, however, may be viewed (and are by many on this board) differently (and many think they give the appearance of impropriety). But, I think the only advantage to these private auditions is that they are held very early in the audition season, and they are held in Texas, fairly far from all the Unified auditions. So, for people who live in or near Texas, and/or are prepared with their audition materials by mid-November, they definitely have an advantage, but not the type that people think. </p>
<p>This may not be very scientific, and it certainly isn’t determinative, but let’s look at TSU and acceptances from the big two coaches. Mary Anna has 4 people attending TSU from the class of 2013. I don’t know how many are acting, and how many are MT. Nor do I know how many got into TSU and turned them down. But she has 4 going (it says, right on her website). MTCA got 7 people into TSU (5 MT and 2 Acting…it says, right on their website). Mary Anna had private auditions, which were attended by TSU. MTCA did not hold private auditions. I would hazard a guess that Mary Anna did not have a lot more than 7 people accepted to TSU. </p>
<p>Let’s do the same thing with Pace. Mary Anna had 4 people accept Pace (again, I don’t know how many got in, and I don’t know how many are MT versus other majors). MTCA had 6 MTs, 3 Acting, and 1 Commercial Dance student accepted. Pace attended the private auditions. MTCA did not hold private auditions with Pace.</p>
<p>Obviously, it would be better if we had more data from Mary Anna (how many got in total, and how many from MT, Acting, etc.). But it does not seem to me that the kids have a BETTER chance at getting into these schools through the private auditions. </p>
<p>Do the private auditions seem a little improper? Yes, they do…to a lot of people looking at them from the outside. But do they actually give the kids who audition there an advantage over other kids? I would say no, other than proximity and getting auditions over with earlier. </p>
<p>The bottom line is this: the vast majority of these programs have waaaaay more students auditioning than slots. They can afford to pick and choose. Most of the programs are small. The schools are not going to waste a slot on a student who isn’t what they want simply b/c they used a certain coach. There is just no way. They want the best kids who are the right fit. Period. </p>
<p>Having said that, though, could there be a potential downside? I suppose…let’s say a particular coach or someone running private auditions has a falling out with the head of a MT department at a big school. That department head may think, “I have 3 kids who are all fabulous, all similar types. One of them used coach X and I’m really ****ed off at her right now. I’m not going to take her kid.” Now before everyone jumps down my throat, I’m not saying this happened. But it COULD happen, theoretically, I suppose. Which is why it’s best to use coaches who are professional and maintain purely professional relationships with the MT departments. Disclaimer: we used MTCA, and they ALWAYS acted with the utmost of professionalism, and never promised us anything, or implied that we would get anything out of their services other than being prepared and comfortable in auditions. I know people who used Mary Anna who said the same thing about her, but I have no personal experience with her. </p>
<p>Sorry for the long rambling post. You have to do what’s best for you and your child. A coach is not going to get your child into any particular program b/c of connections. It’s just not going to happen.</p>
<p>All I know is that for my D we had no idea these more national resources were available. So we had several local professional MT performers check her out, they thought she had what it takes, and then we had a local coach who has been very successful helping kids get admitted to MT programs help her out, and her advice I am sure helped her gain admittance to 3 programs. In the end a parent has to answer this question: if your child does not get an acceptance, will you second guess your decision to not get outside advice? if not then don’t seek advice and coaching. If so, then talk to someone locally in the business, or use one of these Skype things, or whatever.</p>
<p>Again, what about Governor’s School for the Arts? That is available by audition for anyone in the state. All those students participate on the same day.</p>
<p>I don’t think you realize how hard the people involved at that school work to provide this opportunity. The time and space are not there for everyone. Why shouldn’t a school dedicated to the performing arts do this??</p>
<p>My son is in the final week of the Governor’s School in our state. He seems to be having a great time. (He did laundry for the first time and turned all his white clothes pink–just as I predicted.) So I think when it comes to next summer, I’m going to have to give him a choice–do a good summer program or work with a coach for his senior year. We can’t afford both. I’m fairly sure he’ll pick a summer program.</p>
<p>My son is also finishing up Gov School this week. (He was in the VP program. Our state doesn’t have a MT concentration.) He’s had a great time and I can’t wait to hear all about it when he gets home. He auditioned in January, and we found out he was accepted in April. It’s very competitive, and that he got in is a moral boost for him and our family.</p>
<p>We don’t have private MT college coaches in our area. Or, maybe we do, but we’ve never heard of them. S has a voice coach who has gotten kids into VP programs, but not so much MT. Could we have asked our HS theater director? Sure… but time is a problem, and he promised to do that with kids in the past, and it really didn’t work out so well… </p>
<p>Regarding coaching-- We’ve been using MTCA since last October. We’ve been very happy with the progress shown regarding song, monologue and college choices. Before using them, we were clueless! Do I feel like they can help S get into a SPECIFIC MT program? Absolutely not. We’re just hoping for ANY acceptance (well…more than 1 would be nice…). Are they expensive? Yes. Sure, it hurts the wallet…but we feel it’s money well spent to make sure he’s at the top of HIS game. We want him to have choices. We have NO idea where he stands, talent-wise, with the other boys who will be auditioning this up-coming year. Working with MTCA helps us make sure that he’s on par this year, especially since his academics/scores aren’t stellar. Extra help never hurts.</p>