<p>noracharles! Congratulations!!! That is so wonderful; you must be so proud. That is wonderful news. I'm sure the director will write a wonderful recommendation for her for college auditions (I'm just assuming she'll be doing that next year.)</p>
<p>Aww, that's wonderful, and nice to be so well respected. Congrats!
Congratulations to the other posters above as well. Alot to be proud about on this board!</p>
<p>Congratulations to your daughter! You and she should both be proud!</p>
<p>i just wanted to say that i got to meet sutton foster backstage at the drowsy chaperone</p>
<p>it was amazing!!! she was so sweet and kind to us (our friends knew someone in the show...that's why we were backstage)
i was so thrilled to meet her!!</p>
<p>This isn't really a brag, but I couldn't figure out where else to put it!</p>
<p>My daughter is a BA Music (vocal) student at Otterbein, who also has very strong political and social justice concerns. She decided to go for the BA instead of a BM, because that way she could consider an individualized BA, double major. I went down to see her operas this weekend and when I hugged her good-bye, the waterworks started and she had a full-blown meltdown. We drove around Westerville after that, and she proceeded to tell me how miserable she was with...everything. Two hours later :eek:, I had her calmed down and suggested she call me later in the week, after she'd recovered from the rehearsal schedule and post-performance decompression.</p>
<p>She called Wednesday and said her problem was that she didn't think she wanted to be a music major. As much as she loves music and singing, she felt the classes are very fact-oriented, and she missed "think-intensive" coursework. Despite the integrative studies courses required each quarter, she was "missing the stimulation of ideas." But, she also has a very generous music scholarship which she didn't want to lose by dropping the major.</p>
<p>I told her that if she was that unhappy, everything was on the table...transferring, dropping music, a music minor, whatever. I asked her what she thought her next step should be, and she decided to meet with her advisor, who also happens to be the chair of the music department.</p>
<p>She met with him today, and within minutes he suggested she drop the music major and any plans for a double major, and instead just go with an individualized BA. When she hesitantly mentioned that absorbing the loss of the music scholarship was going to be a real hardship, he told her that she wouldn't lose it as long as she incorporated music into her individualized BA (which is what she always intended). He told her to spend spring break immersing herself in the college catalog, and early in spring quarter, he'll start helping her to write her proposal for the individualized BA and shepherd it through the necessary approval process. He reassured her that she didn't have to feel bad or as if she was letting anyone down; that her desire for a more interdisciplinary approach was precisely what a liberal arts education was supposed to provide. </p>
<p>When my daughter called me this afternoon, she was in tears again, but this time they were tears of gratitude and amazement and joy. I shed a few myself...so I guess if this is a "brag" at all, it's a brag about the wonderful kindness, understanding, and support my daughter is receiving at Otterbein.</p>
<p>Mezzomom, what a great ending!! I'm so glad things worked out for you and your daughter! I hope you let her know that if she's ever unhappy about anything again, to not hesitate to let you know (I'm sure after this last incident she realized that that's always the best thing to do!) Go, Mom!!!</p>
<p>Mezzomom....yay! I am so happy your D was able to work this out. I know how hard it must have been on your to hear your D was unhappy. The great thing is that this was solvable. She need not be afraid to "change course". That is what college, particularly a BA degree, is about. Students discover what they enjoy and want to pursue by taking the courses. She is evolving. That is to be expected. She has discovered her focus. And it is an interdisciplinary one. I think it is great that there is a solution and that she has a way to do an independently designed course of study. It is all good. Change can be tough or if you feel you are not living up to what was originally expected but the idea here is for her to study what she wants and the fact that she discovered all of that is really what a college degree in liberal arts is about. I'm glad she has reached this point through discovery. There usually are solutions to these sorts of dilemmas. There is no need to stick with something you don't want to study. I am glad the support systems were available at her school. Bravo to her and to you too for supporting your daughter and also getting through her unhappy phase.</p>
<p>mezzomom, I'm glad your D could work everything out like that. :)</p>
<p>And VTBroadwayBaby, that's so cool that you got to go backstage! I met her at the stagedoor after the show, when I saw it, and got a picture with her. She is soooo amazing! </p>
<p>And though this is kind of old news, I was cast in Ragtime (one of my absolute favorite shows) back in January, and it's my first professional show! I don't get paid for it, but it's still a great experience... And on a completely un-MT-related note, I also got a job at Build-a-Bear, and it's my first actual job, so that's cool. :)</p>
<p>Mezzo, when I first started reading your post I held my breath by the time I was done I sighed in relief! Sounds like your D is in the right place. We're with you and your D all of the way!:)</p>
<p>Mezzomom,</p>
<p>What a great story! I think all our kids go through the same thing. I have been through at least one meltdown a semester, primarily from exhaustion. I wish my daughter would be open enough like your daughter to talk to her teachers. She is so afraid that they won't care or shrug her off. (Past experience from disgruntled high school teachers has scarred her.) I have tried to explain that college is a different story and that the professors and advisors are there to help her and show the way.</p>
<p>Perhaps I will have her read your post. Maybe it will spark something in her all it takes is one teacher, advisor, or mentor to help these kids out. Kudos to your daughter for finding that person!</p>
<p>Best wishes to your daughter and thanks for the story.</p>
<p>Thank you all for the kind words; I'm so excited for my daughter that I even proposed a "Freaky Friday" sort of switch with her (but I get her talent too). She wasn't interested :( !</p>
<p>Klri, the first time my daughter had to approach her advisor about something, she was absolutely terrified. I kept assuring her that he wouldn't be the chair of the department if he didn't have people skills, but it took that first visit for her to realize he didn't eat students for lunch. Now she approaches professors with the attitude that they wouldn't be professors if they didn't care about students, and it makes that initial contact that much easier.</p>
<p>Susan, your words to my daughter's ears...during her initial meltdown, she was saying things like, "But everyone expects me to be a music major..." I spent most of my extra two hours with asking her who "everyone" was and trying to get her to focus on what SHE wanted. When we talked again on Wednesday, she asked, "Was I really so concerned about 'everyone'?" When I assured her that's what she told me, all she could say was, "What was I thinking?!" It's amazing what a few days with adequate sleep can do! </p>
<p>Be<em>a</em>Star, "Ragtime" is on my list of "must see" shows...congratulations on your role. (And what a fun job; I could easily spend a fortune on Build-A-Bears...remembering the next tuition payment is due helps keep me in check.)</p>
<p>My D is going to be on "Clash of the Choirs" on NBC December 17-20. You all have to watch each night and call in to vote for Oklahoma City! This is a reality show where 5 "stars" (Blake Shelton, Patti LaBelle, Michael Bolton, Nick Lachey, and Kelly Rowland) went back to their hometowns to assemble amateur choirs which will compete live in New York beginning Dec. 17. There are 20 people in each choir. D auditioned for Blake Shelton and was selected for his choir, so be sure to watch and vote. It is my understanding that they will be wearing green choir robes and my D is the only redhead, so I hope she will be easy to spot!</p>
<p>Congratulations-that sounds like a lot of fun-are there a lot of OCU kids in the choir?</p>
<p>musicmom, bravo to your D! What an exciting and fun opportunity for her. I hope you get to go to NYC and enjoy it with her. :) A great time to visit the city and an opportunity to perform in an event like this is wonderful. Best of luck to her!</p>
<p>Musicmom, that is SOOOOOOOOO exciting! It will be a very cool experience no matter the result of the "competition"! Will you be able to go to NYC to see her in it? I'm glad you shared your wonderful news and I am sure you are very proud and excited for your D to have this opportunity. We'll have to look out for her and her group. Keep up updated.
Break a leg wishes,
Susan</p>
<p>We'll be watching and we'll be voting! Major congrats!</p>
<p>I think there must be several of the OCU kids in the choir. When we were up for the Stripped show there was a guy in the audience at intermission talking to some of the others about being in it</p>
<p>Jacksdad, I think there are 5 or 6 OCU students in the choir. My D named off some names, but I don't know that I caught them all! </p>
<p>I am not going to be able to go to New York, but she will be so busy she won't notice I'm not there. We've talked about it a lot, and since it is a major expense for me at this time of the year, we will go to NYC together sometime when we can see the sights together. The winning choir gets something for their hometown, so she doesn't benefit personally if they win, but she gets to sing more if they make it through each round! All the choirs will combine to perform together several times so she won't be sent home if they are eliminated, but, hey, everybody wants to win! Your votes will be appreciated.</p>
<p>WMonMTDad, the final callbacks were not until the Tuesday after "stripped," but the first round was Friday and Saturday of that weekend. There were a lot of students called back, but only 5 or 6 made it, I believe.</p>
<p>Since votes are involved for this show, you've come to the right place! With all the many supportive members on CC rooting for you....that will be a lot of votes for your daughter right here! :)</p>