<p>MTMomma - I would be frustrated too. I was most concerned about the schools with rolling admissions that he’s auditioning at early. I’ve read all the information has to be on file to get any news of acceptance so I was hoping it would work out…fingers crossed.</p>
<p>Recommendations are another story. The recommender section of the Common App seems to be having issues. S’s music teacher/director pretty much said forget it and mailed in his forms/letters vs sending electronically. Hopefully that works out.</p>
<p>I also noticed today CCM, CMU and U of MI downloaded S’s transcripts. I just realized you can check that on the Common App site. Ithaca hasn’t yet but they were submitted.</p>
<p>Prescreens are causing us the most grief and to boot his favorite accompanist is out of town until after the 25th. She’s one of the accompanists at CMU’s auditions. She’s been the greatest help cutting songs. S says she can whip up a perfect 32 or 16 cut in seconds LOL. So nice of her to mark his music for him, corse it’s around $30 per hour but so far money well worth it. </p>
<p>I just feel good to know we did it all correctly. Keep on keeping on everyone! Now if I can just keep myself from wigging out over the long drive back and forth that I have coming up!!</p>
<p>It’s a bit less expensive in Pittsburgh than it is in CT to hire an accompanist to do cuts! My D’s accompanist charged $50 per hour for rehearsal time and $60 per hour for recording time, her voice teacher (who charges $85 for 45 minutes) actually did the 32 and 16 bar cuts for her and the video/audio guy who taped her prescreens 10 days ago (but we haven’t seen them yet…the twitching continues…) charged $80 per hour recording time and an additional $80 per hour editing time. This doesn’t include the acting coach at $150 an hour and the dance coach at $125 and hour. I’m thinking college might cost less than all of her lessons/coaches!
And she still waived her English book at me and her AP gov pol packet when I try to suggest maybe she would like to take a stab at writing one of the 10 application essays she needs or finish so she can try to get audition dates for her remain colleges.
Anyone else feel like they are treading water as fast as they can but are caught in a ripe tide instead?!</p>
<p>Oh, and all recommendations and transcripts from D’s high school go by snail mail after handing in a ton of paperwork including the addressed, stamped envelopes. And they don’t understand why MT kids need almost all of their applications out ASAP so they can schedule auditions. Or why D with her grades and scores needs to apply to 16 colleges. Love a clueless counseling office! Ran into a similar problem with my cellist son 4 years ago, nothing has changed.</p>
<p>I actually had a dream I was caught in a rip tide! She definitely gave him a good rate, she teaches piano at the performing arts school he attends and does a lot of work with the kids. We priced other accompanist they were $40 to $50 per hour, same rate though whether it was rehearsal or recording. I feel lucky now! </p>
<p>I swear my S’s GC submitted everything so I wouldn’t bother him anymore! Like “I gotta get this lady outta my hair”. No one, other than people on this site, understand why he’s applying to so many schools or why so early.</p>
<p>So I just heard that D’s theatre teacher is wondering why she’s applying to so many schools. Mind you, D attends a performing arts high school!!! Yeah, we’re in this alone. Thank goodness for all of you who “get it”!!</p>
<p>Just got my S’s music from his accompanist…and actually got him to listen to it with me and modify the tempos where necessary and saved them as MP3’s!!! Yeah, some progress. Also sent another email to his GC…tomorrow, I shall call the team lead to get somewhere. I can’t stand this waiting any longer!!! Thank goodness for the comradery of this site. At least we can all go crazy together and understand why!</p>
<p>We have 12 applications in, 4 of these are safeties. The Common App essay is done and submitted; however, no other essays, personal statements, etc. have been completed for those that require them. Not ready to do pre-screens yet because D has been working for the last 6 weeks doing the follow spot for a regional production of Ella, practicing skit for Homecoming (which is today). Job ends this weekend, then she will have loads of time to get ready for pre-screens and essays. Hoorah!</p>
<p>One good thing is that her GC has been very accommodating with her needs and timing. He said he knows nothing about this and wants to learn for the next person. Also, all her recommenders have been very responsive.</p>
<p>So, I’m in hurry up and wait mode until early next week!</p>
<p>Waiting for transcripts to be sent here too. Son’s GC seems to think we are so far ahead of the curve though I have explained why applications need to be in early. Son is applying to 13 schools, two of which are non-audition safety schools. The money is just pouring out. We will attempt to film the pre-screens ourselves. We will have an accompanist recommended by his voice teacher. Every time a task is completed I feel better. Soon all the apps and pre-screens will be done and sent and then it will be on S’s shoulders to knock 'em dead at the audition.</p>
<p>SU88BFA it sounds like our sons could be related. My S is a baritone - 6’3" and has been busy in theatre for most of his life (My husband and I run a children’s theatre company). My worry is that, in spite of all his theatre experience, he is very shy. I worry that in the interview part of the audition he won’t come off as well as the kids who sparkle with loads of personality. We’ve told him he has to smile and show some spunk but it’s just not who he is. My other thought - a question: is getting into a good MT program easier for boys? I read that somewhere but then read it’s not. Thanks!</p>
<p>MTMajorCook - Thank you for posting that your son is happier with his new ballad selection. </p>
<p>My son told me yesterday that his song coach thought his ballad was boring.
I was driving him to his voice lesson and had to pull the car into a parking lot. Me - “When did he tell you this?” Son - “A couple weeks ago”, Me - pretty much screeching now “But you are doing your pre-screens in two weeks! Did he give you other suggestions?!” My son is handling all the artistic ends of this process, but he has a tendency to be a bit oblivious and unaware of time (and yes, I have bought him calendars, white boards, date books etc. we bought him an iphone before he went away to a six week summer program and it has helped)
So he is skyping with the coach on Tuesday and may end up with a new ballad…</p>
<p>Ikemom, it’s statistically much easier for boys, but that means it’s only incredibly hard, not that it’s easy. Certainly the standards for dance are not the same. It’s not unusual for a guy to have little training under his dance belt, whereas the girls have usually been studying dance for years.</p>
<p>entertainersmom, I think we are living parallel lives. My son is very unorganized and we are constantly changing monologues and songs at the last minute. We thought the iphone would help with time management but he doesn’t even use the calendar. Today I am sending music out to record a track for pre-screens. Of course college apps are not finished either.</p>
<p>entertainersmom - it gets better! He is considering changing it again! Yesterday he was at the studio choreographing a number for this group he’s in and he saw sheet music on the floor. It was the entire score from a musical he originally considered a ballad from (like 4 ballads ago), he came home telling me “its a sign”. He sang his most recent choice for his vocal coach who said “don’t you have anything slower” huh? Isn’t that part of her job, how does she not know if he has anything slower? arrghgh lol! He hasn’t work on any videos, he has enough material from the first recording to put together prescreens for schools that don’t require you perform the same material at the audition. Hopefully he’ll get that this week.</p>
<p>Ikemom, my D auditioned for 15 schools, and only one of them really interviewed her. The vast majority had her come in, sing her songs, do her monologues, and NEVER asked her a question. Penn Sate was the ONLY school who asked her questions off her resume (e.g., “It says here one of your skills is making dogs howl. How do you do that?” and “Oh, did you enjoy playing Christine in Phantom?”). One of the schools never even looked at the whole time she was in there (let alone spoke to her)…she was WLed there (go figure). So, don’t worry too much about the “interview” part of the audition, b/c more often than not, there isn’t one. </p>
<p>And yes, it IS easier for boys. But like others said, easier doesn’t mean easy. But, the odds for the boys are much better. There are entire threads on that in this forum.</p>
<p>monkey13, I can only speak from personal experience, but in both my kids’ cases, there were pretty long interviews with every single audition. The first one my D went to - Guthrie - she was unprepared for the interview and was flustered and felt awkward. She was rejected there, and of course she has no idea if her being tongue-tied for the interview was a factor, but it can’t have helped. I have no idea what each student’s experience will be, but it never hurts to be prepared.</p>
<p>My son had real interviews at all auditions, even the most rushed. In all of them, the discussion included things on his resume as well as what other schools he was considering. All of them asked him what questions he had about the program. And all but one of them asked about the athletic experience on his resume, for whatever that’s worth (believe me, he was not a star athlete, I think they were just curious and surprised to have a football player in the room)!</p>
<p>Thank you fellow parents for making me laugh out loud for the first time in too long!</p>
<p>I also had the serious talk with my husband and son at dinner yesterday to tell them to be
cautious at the auditions and pitfalls of being too chatty or believing everything you hear. My husband, who has been blissfully unaware until now, looked at me incredulously, like I had just gone around the paranoia bend. My son on the other hand, only nodded and gave an example of an instance of another performer working to shake the confidence of others.</p>
<p>My son is at UCLa in the MT program. TFT actually. He had a 4.0 He did musical theatre at a place called Centre stage theatre with Keely Milleken Monrovia California There he took voice lessons and was involved in productions year around. He did some musical theatre at his school. I believe what you do outside of school is very important and if you can afford it voice lessons. You will need to sing in another language as well. I’ve noticed that people are talking about how their child looks. I really don’t think this plays into it as much as you would think. These kids all have different looks. Short , Tall whatever. Do what you can to have a full r</p>