<p>My name is Donell J Foreman and I am a senior in high school and am very interested in applying to college for musical theater. I have been involved in numerous community theater productions as well as my high school productions. I am a high tenor and have only had one year of vocal training. I went to a studio recently and recorded a CD. If anyone is interested in listening to you can hear the tracks at <a href="http://www.hostflight.com/donell/%5B/url%5D">http://www.hostflight.com/donell/</a> . My favorite tracks would have to be "King Of The World", "The Life Of The Party", and "Awaiting You". Feel free to listen and comment on them.</p>
<p>I am applying to CCM, UM, BOCO, Emerson, CMU, and NYU. I want to be in a program that has a big influence of music. Are there any other schools that I should look at? I took Syracuse, Carnegie Mellon, and Oklahoma City University off of my list. I am pretty sure that I am going to apply to NYU's Steinhardt School for early decision. That is my top choice, I really like the program, and am very nervous.</p>
<p>I have a few questions and if anyone can help me that would be great.</p>
<p>My current songs that I am planning on doing for my auditions are:
"Lonely House" Street Scene
"Lost In The Wilderness" Children Of Eden
"Where'er You Walk" Handel</p>
<p>Are these songs overdone at all? Any other songs that I should look at?</p>
<p>I have not gotten any good monologues yet. If anyone knows good monologues for black males that would help me greatly. I have been searching and not really finding anything to help me.</p>
<p>Donell - I think you're the first to post a link to a self-made CD, and let me tell you, what a treat that was! You are amazing! Such a great range, and beautiful tone! I wouldn't worry ONE IOTA about getting into a musical theater program. I don't know what your grades are like, but many programs you will be able to get into based on your voice alone! NYU, Carnegie Mellon, and Michigan are difficult to get into academically, but with most of the others, as long as your grades are decent, YOU won't have any problem whatsoever! My daughter goes to NYU, but is in CAP21. She absolutely LOVES it there. We also have a friend going to Steinhart, and HE loves it. From what I understand, they accept a smaller number into Steinhart, but possibly not as many people audition; not sure. If you want to know more about NYU from my daughter, I will be happy to privately send you her email address. She can probably get you in touch with our friend at Steinhart, also. Other posters on this forum have children at Steinhart and NYU, as well. If you read other threads, you will find a bunch of information about these programs.
As far as song choices go, I personally have not heard most of these songs AT ALL; there was only ONE I have heard (Life of the Party; one of my faves!) and I've noticed others using it as an audition song. This one might possibly be overdone. I notice you're from Albany; still a ways from the city, but there are some EXCELLENT vocal and monologue coaches; I could give you names privately. My daughter got her song choices and monologue from her coaches in NYC. My husband recommends a monologue from Raisin in the Sun, but that might be overdone. How about something from Big River? My husband's best friend is African American, and he's been on Broadway and does a lot of directing/choreographing. I can ask him his opinion; he's supposed to call tonight, as a matter of fact.
One thing I can definitely recommend: do NOT choose a song because of the "big ending" or that "high note toward the end". My daughter was cut short halfway through both her songs! Luckily, she got in, anyway. (she relied on a big high note toward the end and didn't get to it at all! the rest of the song sorta stunk!)
Donell, the posters on this forum are SO helpful; you will find so much information that will help you along the way. Just keep those grades up and you'll be able to write your own ticket! Good luck, and if I can be of any more help, let me know!</p>
<p>Wow amazing voice! I'm auditioning for a lot of the same schools and am very glad I am not a boy right now :) Awaiting You is such an amazing song. Of those songs you mentioned I would say "Lost in the Wilderness" will probably be done a lot this year, it's getting more and more popular, but I bet you sing it like none other! Good luck with NYU!</p>
<p>I would love to advise you on monologues but I stay away from suggesting anything to actors I don't know.</p>
<p>However, my advice is please don't use Raisin in the Sun. It is over done. Look at some lesser known works of August Wilson or color blind casting ideas/non traditionally black roles from great American playwrights of the 20 century</p>
<p>You have a wonderful gift. I'm certain that you'll have good results with your MT auditions. As I posted once before, U of Miami has a good MT program and a huge music program. They even have a large contemporary component underwritten by an alum who is a member of the group Matchbox 20. </p>
<p>I would STRONGLY urge you to try to find works by Susan-Lori Parks. She is a young American playwright who in 2002 won a Pulitzer Prize for "Topdog/Underdog". I saw it on Broadway with Mose Def and Jeffrey Wright and it was riveting. I think Jeffrey Wright won the Tony that year. It is about two African American brothers but incorporates themes of racism, poverty, three card shuffle, Lincoln and life in general. That play, or others by her would be a GREAT choice.</p>
<p>I've also heard that "Lost in the Wilderness" is done quite frequently. If you are looking something with more of a Pop sound to contrast your other songs there might be some more interesting choices out there.</p>
<p>freelance, I agree with your suggestion of Suzan-Lori Parks. Topdog/Underdog was a great play, wasn't it? I enjoyed it very much and look forward to seeing more of her work. Geoffrey Wright, sadly, didn't win the Tony that year. It was a particularly strong year for that category and Alan Bates won. Geoffrey did win several years earlier for Angels in America, a richly deserved award. He's a fantastic actor!</p>
<p>Donell, you might also want to see if you can get a copy of A Soldier's Play by Charles Fuller. I haven't read it myself but my D has and she knows a few boys who have used it for audition material. It was also made into a film version. By all accounts, it's a wonderful play and will begin an off-Broadway run next month. Normally, I wouldn't advise using material which will be having a NY run but this one might be fine as it is a limited run off-Broadway. Worth a look anyway! I'm going to see it and am looking forward to it very much.</p>
<p>It's always hard to know with overdone stuff....The boy who got automatically accepted at CMU this summer after pre-college sang "Lost in the Wilderness." so it proves that it is overdone....but it doesn't necessarily mean if you do it well that it shouldn't be done. that said, obviously a song like it that isn't quite as known would be ideal.</p>
<p>With Little Women, I doubt many of the songs are overdone but the song, Astonishing, might start to become that, so keep that in mind. </p>
<p>I agree with BroadwayWannabe because while you want to avoid super overdone songs, you dont have to be so utterly unique because if you are good at a song and they like you, that's what counts. So, it is ok to do a song that is done by others as long as it is not the super overdone songs of the moment. I know that one song my D did at several college auditions was mentioned by Eve here as one not to do (for various reasons) in the context of her advising someone else here some time ago and it worked for my D with several acceptances and she even did it to get a NFAA Award, so there are not hard and fast rules but there are guidelines. In the end, doing what shows you the best is key.</p>
<p>You asked what other schools you should look at - maybe Baldwin-Wallace, which is very musically oriented. Also, OCU is excellent for vocal training, so I'm not sure why you said you took it off your list.</p>
<p>My d is thinking of using as her two audition songs a ballad and an uptempo song that are both before 1960, unless the school specifically requests a more recent song. Is this wise?</p>
<p>Hello Im new to this but Ive been reading for a while, Anyway Im very interested in musical theater. I was wondering if anybody knows any good bass song that actually highlight the low end besides Ol' Man River</p>
<p>We are in the process of selecting songs and then finding 16 or 32 bars of the song per the requirements of some audtions. My D found a great ballad for her but getting a 32 bar cut of it would be messy. Any thoughts on having less than requested or 35 bars instead??</p>
<p>Normally, auditors don't mind if you go a little bit over the limit, but more than 6 measures is definitely pushing it. There's absolutely NO problem with doing less than the requested amount of measures, as long as the song still shows you off in your best light. In fact, a shorter cut is usually appreciated - auditors can tell if you can sing within a few notes. Sometimes I think the 16- or 32-bar cut is more for OUR benefit than theirs. ;)</p>
<p>i have a personal request for you guys. nothing to do with theatre, but having to do with song choice. My d is performing for a fundraiser to provide mammograms for women who can't afford them. I'd like for her to do a song, sort of a tribute, to breast cancer survivors. So, do you have any suggestions, fairly current music, preferably a beautiful ballad, that would reflect dealing with a difficult situation and coming out on top. We've thought of the Reba McEntyre song, "I'm a survivor." It's a western themed banquet, so that would certainly be appropriate. I would like a more beautiful ballad though if I could find one. the banquet is next week so help soon would be good. Has anyone heard anyone do a nice song in tribute to the hurricane survivors, possibly?</p>
<p>Ce Ce Wynans has been singing a great song on the major networks to the Katrina victims. It is on her new album, I think. If it's not too sectarian</p>
<p>thanks, Mary Anna. Would love to meet you sometime, we're in the Dallas area. I recommended your seminar to a young friend who is currently a senior and is a good friend of my d. He's not really a singer, but a gifted actor. I don't think he went, I yelled at him for it. I can't seem to convince him how competitive this all is and how much preparation he needs. He is, though, a very intelligent young man and will do well, I know. Perhaps I can convince him to have some private lessons with you as his audition time nears. And thanks for your insightful posts, they're really practical and we all need that on this forum. It's a very emotional place to be.</p>
<p>I sing for these live charity events all the time, and I know how hard it can be to find a song that really fits the occasion. There are songs that pretty much fit EVERY kind of charity occasion, notably "The Greatest Love of All" which everyone loves, and "One Moment in Time." Whitney sure knows how to put out those pretty ballads that people like to hear. And all you have to do to make it fit the occasion is say something like, "Any survivor can tell you that a sense of respect for oneself was the key to her determination to get through those hard times and emerge a better, stronger woman for it. This song is about how important it is to love yourself. To all of you wonderful women out there who never gave up!" And then, voila, it's a smash hit. :)</p>
<p>For breast cancer specifically, I think "Hero" (the Mariah Carey song) would be a great choice. It's a beautiful belty ballad, and it talks about the hero inside of you, which of course is very relevant to survivors of any cancer.</p>