<p>daniellececelia - Coastal Carolina is what I would consider an “acting first” school. They cross cast so you see MTs in plays and Acting/PT majors in musicals. They are also have all types in the program. And depending on your GPA, that SAT would qualify you for merit aid at CCU.</p>
<p>Hey austinmtmom! Thank you for the great suggestion - I’ve looked into that school and really like the program, however it appears from their website that they do not have regional auditions or NYC or attend NYC Unifieds, which is an issue for me. I live on Long Island, NY, and my parents would be against travelling to South Carolina for an audition because of the airline cost…</p>
<p>Otterbein is a strong, acting-first program as well. </p>
<p>This is part of “Audition Advice” from Dr. Stefano (Dr. John here on CC.):</p>
<p>OUR MISSION</p>
<p>"In our desire to develop theatre artists and artisans of the highest ability, our program provides a select number of undergraduate students with the training, education and experiences necessary for the successful pursuit of careers in the American professional theatre. In support of the liberal arts goals of the University, we also seek to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to live full, rewarding and productive lives. </p>
<p>Because we define our mission this way, we are looking for students who want actor-training and a liberal arts education, students who are interested in other human beings and who want to learn everything about them, students who love the theatre and want to spend their lives doing it. </p>
<p>Because we define ourselves as a school that trains actors and educates human beings, acting is the root of our training programs. Of course we are interested in students who can sing coloratura or do three pirouettes. But that’s not enough. We need students who want to use their acting, singing and dancing skills to tell stories to audiences hungry to hear them."</p>
<p>Here is the original link: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/otterbein-university-mt/1035287-audition-advice.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/otterbein-university-mt/1035287-audition-advice.html</a></p>
<p>The bottom line is this: A lot of kids can sing really well, and dance really well. But if they can’t act really well, especially while singing and/or dancing, they will not get cast in the real world. Check the faculty associated with a MT program. If they only have one acting professor for all of MT, it should give you pause.</p>
<p>dcsparent - yes, the SETC convention was a truly amazing experience. This year it was in Louisville, Ky, next year (March) in Mobile, AL. My S went as a junior and was able to audition for MT college programs - seniors can, too. He got something like 40 callbacks to talk with college representatives - some wanted to recruit him to their programs, some offered scholarships, some offered personal advice to improve his auditioning skills, some offered to waive the prescreens if he applied, some just offered “atta boys”. Of that , the most valuable was the audition feedback - great stuff as he moves forward to his auditions that really count - and the prescreen waivers. There were also MANY college and commercial exhibitors - focused TOTALLY on things related to theatre arts. My S was SO busy over the three days he attended that he didn’t even have time to hear the keynote speakers or see any of the productions - also very terrific, we heard.</p>
<p>The other awesome part of this was the workshops and panel discussions he attended - parents were allowed to attend some of them - all related to singing, dancing and acting (just small fraction of what was offered during the entire convention). College faculty and people in the field presented these. Kids (also college students and professionals) could ask questions, or be the “demo” students. My S got a “makeover” on singing one of his audition pieces. In a short 10 minutes he got terrific coaching. Although I did not sit in on that particular session, I did sit in on another and got to witness several college students transform their vocal technique and presentation from “pretty good” to “wow” in one 60-minute session on use of microphones and amplification.</p>
<p>We also got to hear about aspects of what happens “after MT college”. There was also a whole separate audition venue for current and soon-to-be-graduated college students, as well as professionals. Several entities (Disney and cruise lines, just to name a few) there auditioning for summer and year-round work. We learned about other conferences and auditioning venues we had never heard of. Although I didn’t know this until afterwards, the national tour for Newsies was auditioning there.</p>
<p>Most of all, S got a feel for what an MT audition call is like and where he fits into the spectrum of his same-age cohorts. He came away feeling good about what he already does well, but also what he needs to work on to get to the next level. I would recommend this opportunity to anyone and am very disappointed the S’s performing arts high school did not take the entire class on this “field trip” that was only 2 hours away.</p>
<p>daniellececelia - CCU is in the Chicago location of Unifieds (not an official school but they audition there.) They do have a video prescreen which will tell you if you would be invited to an on campus audition. I know it’s tough to travel to the various auditions. We live in Texas and made the trek to NC, SC, Ohio, OK, and LA!</p>
<p>Acceptd is a free site to upload your prescreens that a lot of schools use.</p>
<p>Hello everyone! I’m a 5’8.5 brunette female of the scrawny variety with a character-type face. Think young Barbra. I was a BA theatre major at Chapman University for a year, but found that I wasn’t happy in a non-MT program. The first time around, I was accepted to CalState Fullerton, back when they had the auditions for Freshman, but Chapman offered a better scholarship. I wish I’d gone there in the first place, since this has felt like a bit of a wild goose chase. Anyway, I’ll be applying as a Freshman, since I have a young look and don’t really mind being a bit behind for my age. I’m taking dance and voice lessons (weekly voice lessons, dance two to three times a week), and will be taking piano lessons this fall to improve my theory background. I had strong grades in high school and a strong GPA my first year of college. I’m mostly worried about my auditions because I’m still fairly untrained in voice and dance (I’ve only been in voice for about 6 months). Anyway, I’m looking forward to discussing this process with all of you.</p>
<p>Hi everybody! I’ve been researching and reading tons on this site for the last year and figured that since I am going to be entering my senior year this fall it was time to formally join the community. Thanks for creating this thread Merlehay and I can’t wait to get to know everyone! Oh also thanks for mentioning the Facebook group, I read this thread when it was initially created but somehow missed that bit. Good thing I decided to look back at it haha.</p>
<p>Now I guess this is the part where I tell a bit about myself. I am 5’5" with dark blonde/strawberry blonde hair and have freckles. I am a mezzo/soprano depending on the style with a strong belt. In order of strengths I guess I would be considered Actor Singer Dancer. I would like to think of myself as a strong singer, but have been acting my whole life whereas I only really “discovered” singing my freshman year. As for dancing…well as someone earlier said I am definitely a mover, and ironically though I am quite skilled at tap. I started in the spring because of a huge tap number in our musical and was picked to be in the intermediate section onwards (the advanced section was for the kids on the dance team who were in the musical).</p>
<p>For roles/type I have been cast as both the ingenue and a character actress, but am typically considered for character roles (i.e. Frau Blucher, Christmas Eve, Rizzo, Patty) This year I hope to explore my range more and fully understand my type and cast-ability.</p>
<p>Oh gosh that’s a really long message, but I guess that’s what a years worth of researching and not sharing will do to you!</p>
<p>Hello, all. I recently discovered this forum and have a daughter. She’s 5’6" curly dark brown hair (now highlighted burgundy red), mezza soprano who loves a good belt but can do the legit stuff too. She’s been singing and dancing since she was two, started acting at 10, left it all for a few years then came back at 13 with a vengeance. Currently, she is a rising senior at a performing arts high school. </p>
<p>As another parent mentioned about SETC, I will say that her experience at SETC this year was wonderful. Her school competed with a play at the local and regional levels and was at SETC to compete. All of the junior parents thought it would be an opportunity for the kids to get a feel for what the audition process is like. She received over 50 callbacks and was accepted in summer intensives, was told by some MT programs that she would not have to audition with them again for acceptance in 2014, and overall received wonderful feedback from the colleges. When the summer started, we said we would go to Alabama, but now that we’ve started the college tours and are getting closer to auditions, I’m not so sure. We’ll focus on unifieds, I think.</p>
<p>I look forward to sharing and receiving information from all of you.</p>
<p>hellogorgeous93…</p>
<p>It sounds like you are taking classes and working to prepare. All you can do is prepare to do your best, and try to have a varied list of programs (including a non-auditioned academic and financial safety). You sound like you now have a much better idea of what you are looking for in a program. That is a terrific step!</p>
<p>A few statements you made in your post were unclear…</p>
<p>“I was a BA theatre major at Chapman University for a year…” and “Anyway, I’ll be applying as a Freshman…”</p>
<p>Many auditioned BFA, BA, or BM programs may require you to complete four years in the program… basically, requiring a transfer student to start over in training classes with the incoming freshmen. However, most universities (and sometimes the program as well) will consider you a transfer student for academic admissions purposes. That means you may have different deadlines, application requirements, and scholarship opportunities at some schools. Just important to check with each school to clarify.</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>Hello. I just wanted to get in on this thread and see if you are as overwhelmed as I am. My D is a strong legit operatic soprano to F6, classically trained ballerina, and MT actress. Belting is not her strong suit but she can mix. Her academic ranking and test scores are excellent. She recently auditioned at the Lincoln, NE thespian festival, and received several callbacks. She did not get callbacks to three of the schools on the original college list (CCM, U of OK, and Webster). With her voice and ballet, I actually thought she would be able to get in anywhere, but now I know that I was naive to say the least. I need to know which MT schools actually appreciate a strong legit soprano who chooses to go the MT route rather than vocal performance or opera? Any suggestions?</p>
<p>Princessmom: What you are learning is the same that many of us learned going through the process. As parents we all think our child is the best, and then you find out that there are a whole lot of talented kids out there, and that you and your child are bound to be disappointed when some schools don’t call them back, etc. Happens to almost everyone that auditions. Just be strong, make good choices, and above all be supportive when a school you think you should get into doesn’t work out. In this business getting into one school is a success! I’m confident things will work out for your daughter.</p>
<p>Princessjpmom - Congrats on the callbacks she did get! There is a program out there for your D! It’s a matter of creating the right list for her. I can tell you that Coastal Carolina takes a very diverse class in terms of type, so that might be a school to add if it isn’t already on her list. Hang in there! The ride can be a roller coaster for many (it was for my D) but it is so worth it!</p>
<p>Princessjmom, my D is the same voice type as yours. Don’t panic…there are schools that appreciate legit sopranos! Try NYU-Steinhardt (NOT Tisch), OCU, FSU, and Indiana University. My D is a very high soprano, classically trained, and she can mix, but not belt. She got into NYU-Stenhardt, Ithaca, BoCo, OCU and Tulane (her safety), and WLed at Syracuse, BW, and Indiana. Your D should choose 2 audition songs that are contrasting: one that shows off her legit soprano, and another that shows off her mix. And, be prepared for the comments…if I had a dollar for every time someone asked my D whether it wouldn’t be better if she majored in VP, I could pay for her tuition. In fact, at her CMU audition, they asked her, “Are you SURE you don’t want to go into vocal performance?” She replied, “Yes, I’m sure…I want musical theater.” Needless to say, she did not get into CMU. There are several threads on here that go into great detail about MT versus VP, and legit sopranos who don’t belt. Search for them. No worries…someone will value her! Good luck.</p>
<p>And BTW, in case I wasn’t clear, my D ONLY applied to MT programs. So what I meant to say is there ARE MT programs out there who will value your D’s legit soprano! If you use a coach (we used MTCA), you can get great advice on which schools we shouldn’t bother applying to, b/c they really wouldn’t know what to do with my D’s voice. If you want to save, time, money, and aggravation, I would urge you to get some professional advice …</p>
<p>princessjpmom: I notice you are from Mississippi. There are some good programs in the South you might want to consider including University of Mississippi, University of Alabama, University of Memphis, Elon and Belmont. I think someone else has already mentioned Coastal Carolina but it was an impressive program as well. If geography does not matter, you have been given some great suggestions regarding schools who take legit sopranos. Another to add to that list would be Penn State.</p>
<p>Thank you to vvnstar, monkey13, austinmtmom,and jeffandann for your help and encouragement. Right now D does have OCU and FSU on her list. She has considered applying to Elon, Tulane, and U. of Alabama as well. NYU Tisch is her dream school, ie location, location, location… She got a callback from TCU, Viterbo, and the Hart School, all good options. Thank you again for the advice. I will be here a great deal. Seems like we all need this “support” group. It is great to hear from parents who have already been through this process.</p>
<p>Princessjpmom: If she is a legit soprano she should audition for NYU-Steinhardt, not NYU-Tisch. Same location…completely different programs. Steinhardt is a BM, not a BFA, and they only have one small program (not numerous different studios). Both great programs, but Steinhardt goes for those classical singers.</p>
<p>Monkey13: Do you know if you can audition for both NYU Steinhart and Tisch?</p>