Hi! I’m a rising junior and really looking for the best quality rigorous musical theatre training for this summer! It’s inrcedibly important because this is what I’m going to do with my life and there’s never any training anywhere near me!
I really especially need private vocal training! Does either of them offer these? i would be doing the two week program with TPAP. I love how it sounds intensive but I didn’t know if it offered private training. I don’t like how it’s not in a big city like on one of the coasts though. And I like how BAA is in NYC and you get to see Broadway and things! But is the training as intensive? I really need intensive rigorous training that’s not just cookie cutter basic training that everyone who’s into musical theatre knows. I know in BAA you have a “major”. My problem is I’m pretty good at acting and dancing, I just REALLY need so much help with my voice in singing. But my voice is so behind that I didn’t get into the singing major program! But if my voice is so not good that I can’t get into any summer programs, how can I ever improve?
I’d rather do BAA because it’s only a week and that’s better for my schedule, but if the training is just bleh then I won’t. I’d also rather be in NYC! I just need information. Plus I don’t know if I can afford TPAP. But if it has great NEW rigorous training then I’ll do it!! Thanks for any info!!
@futureactress19 - I’m confused, you have done several posts about your search for an intense acting program, why the switch to voice? Also on both of these more expensive than the budget that you had stated in your other posts?
@toowonderful Hi! I’m hoping to do both. These intensives are two weeks max and all of the acting intensives I’ve looked at are about that long too, and there’s many weeks in the summer so I can do more than one thing. So I just wanted some more information about which one would be more intensive and help teach things for the money.
I don’t have any personal experience with either project.
Last summer my D did two one week programs. She felt like she was just finding her groove when they finished.
Personally I would choose the longer program even if it feels like NYC is calling. I read great things about TPAP
BAA is very good. I believe you will sing even if you are in dance or acting. Just ask them. They are really responsive.
My D did BAA several times in middle school. She did both the Acting major and the Voice major different sessions and then CHOSE to do the Acting major the following year. Voice is her #1 strength, but more people want to be Voice majors and those classes are more crowded. You can craft almost exactly the same program - same classes and teachers - as an Acting major rather than a Voice major. You just do the corresponding Voice classes as your electives rather than the master classes in your major. You will get more individualized feedback with smaller class sizes. So don’t rule out the Acting major. Also, I’m guessing you applied late in the cycle, and the Voice major fills up first, so don’t necessarily take the rejection from Voice as a negative statement about your talent.
As for private voice lessons, I know that when my D did BAA, they offered private instruction for an additional fee. My D did not do that because she gets plenty of private instruction at home, but it was definitely an option.
As for choosing TPAP or BAA, it’s really up to your set of preferences, including 1 week vs. 2 weeks. From what I have read, TPAP is a program exclusively for older students (16+), and has a more collaborative feel because they bring kids together as a company. BAA is more an a la carte menu of choices and there is not the same group bonding and collaboration. Also, you stay in a hotel. BAA can be an exciting opportunity, though, if you would really like to spend a week in NYC, meet Broadway stars and working professionals, be seen by actual NYC agents and casting directors, etc. I don’t know the specifics of TPAP, but my guess is that the experience there is a more focused on high quality training and college prep, whereas BAA is an excellent introduction to the industry. Both have value, so it’s a question of which would be more helpful to you right now.
My D attended TPAP for two summers (as a rising senior and rising college freshman), and did one summer intensive at BAA in middle school. As mentioned above, BAA teaches a little more about the industry in general and gives you face time with casting companies through their showcases. She was a voice major at BAA and D didn’t feel as if she learned a whole lot. She did have a couple sessions of private voice training, but it wasn’t “intensive” by any means. Granted, she was in middle school at the time and had limited experience with training, but my assessment of her experience at BAA was that it helped her greatly with audition technique and learning about the industry, but didn’t help her skills that much.
TPAP was simply magical for D. It helped her in so many ways with her confidence, her acting, dancing and vocal skills, her college audition preparation, and also provided the inspiration and motivation to start songwriting and playing multiple instruments. She worked with many industry people and learned a lot from them. And, as icing on the cake, she made friendships that will last her lifetime. No doubt TPAP provides high quality training, and the kids who attend work really hard…the schedule keeps them busy every waking moment. But I think the goals of TPAP go beyond voice, acting and dance skills, and yes, it is expensive!
All this said, if you are looking to aggressively train to improve your voice, then perhaps your money is better spent on private training. You can work with some amazing vocal teachers through Facetime and Skype nowadays. Do some research on the faculty of well respected MT schools and you are likely to find some of them offer private online training. Michael Maresca from Texas State comes to mind as one. (He is also on the faculty of TPAP).
Good luck!
