<p>MTCoolGuy....I'll take you up on your offer. What can you tell me about PSU?</p>
<p>Lexismom: The All State program UMICH has for MT's is great. It's only two weeks, and is VERY intense (there's that word again), and our D loved every minte of it and thrived. She spent four summers up at Interlochen, which she started the summer before her freshman year of HS. (Now the program is held on the UMICH campus, which is a little sad since the Interlochen Arts Camp is such a special place to spend time.) Nonetheless, it was invaluable in learning about MT AND mostly to work each summer with Brent Wagner , the head of the MT department at UMICH. He truly is a genius in his field and a great mentor. The choreographer and pianist were also top notch. I am sure it helped knowing him and working well with him in being accepted to UMICH. BUT, that can also backfire. If you don't grow each summer, it can't be a good thing. I am sure he watches for growth. I have known some from All State-ers who first, didn't get an audtion because of grades and second, weren't accepted for whatever reason. I highly recommend All State in MT at UMICH, but be prepared to work real hard and have a great time doing so.</p>
<p>Idyllwild School of the Arts in S.Calif has a short - 2 week I think- program of "Music and Dance" that accepts post high school students. This program requires an audition for admission.</p>
<p>I think someone on here has a child in the MT program at Idyllwild during the school year/boarding school, not the summer program, but I haven't seen her on here in a long time. My D witnessed the summer MT program, though did not participate. It would not be something to do in place of a pre-college or SDM or Interlochen.</p>
<p>Dramatica:</p>
<p>I'm here, just a little tuckered out. MWFs are long days for me. Early meetings, Showcase rehearsals from 11 to 2, MT Studio from 2 to 4, and meetings with prospectives after that. We live the same schedule our students do. (Are we all that masochistic? Yes.)</p>
<p>My experience is that students who have done intensive summer programs (Cap 21, CMU, Northwestern, etc.) have done well at our auditions. So have students from intensive performing arts schools (NCSA, e.g.) or after-school theatre programs (Walden, e.g.). I'm not sure I've seen anyone who's done both. I think the critical issues are (1) that students understand what intensive training feels like, and (2) that they've had good professional coaching on their auditions, both in terms of appropriate material selection and presentation skills. If they're getting that during the year, I don't think doing it again in the summer necessarily adds much benefit. If they don't get it during the year, then it may well be worth it. </p>
<p>That said, I'm very interested in the kid who has a good answer to the question, "What do you love besides theatre?" Too often I see a blank stare, when almost anything would be intriguing. One of our students is a former nationally-ranked figure skater. One has been to Israel, others to Europe. Several write. Some have built houses for people in poverty. Some love sports (and with apologies to Yankees' and Cardinals' fans, how about them Sox?) These experiences deepen their understanding of what it means to be human, they've witnessed the good things the species has accomplished, and they instinctively want to bring that to their work in the theatre. They want to be professional actors, yes, but they also want to be artists. They may not yet think of themselves in those terms. But the spark is there. Those are the kids we want to work with.</p>
<p>Does that help?</p>
<p>Who's going to be at:</p>
<p>PSU on the 13th we are staying at the Nittany Lion Inn -arriving on the 12th </p>
<p>OCU on the 20th - we arrive on the 19th - are staying at the Hawthone Inn</p>
<p>Would love to connect with other CC people - we are planning to attend the shows Friday night - e-mail me. I get sick to my stomach just thinking about all this my S is handling it better than I am - but he has always been more mature than I am!</p>
<p>Doctorjohn,</p>
<p>Thanks for your opinion regarding intensive summer programs. Being a mere mortal, it feels good to hear an opinion that echoes my own. I never sent my D to a big-time summer MT intensive. Most of them are quite expensive. My husband and I felt that we could either send our D to a summer program and forgo lessons and classes during the school year or vice versa. We decided that she was better off getting local training 12 months of the year. We are fortunate to have excellent drama, voice, and dance teachers in this area. I think that my D was able to get the training and experience she needed without having to do a summer intensive. I can't think of anything she could have learned during a summer program that she didn't get from her teachers in Cincinnati. As you stated, if students are not getting the coaching they need throughout the year then a summer intensive may be well worth it. It sounds like many people on this forum have had wonderful experiences at CMU, SDM, Cherubs, U.M., etc. I'm glad that you've pointed out that there is more than one path to success.</p>
<p>Dramatica,</p>
<p>What does it mean to be well-rounded? My D never played sports of any sort. However, she is an academically gifted student who likes to write poetry, loves Shakespeare and other classical theatre, is passionate about opera and ballet, and enjoys visiting art galleries. She has recently developed a strong interest in stage combat and has a talent for choreography. MT is not her only interest. She's said that if she could lead 3 lives she'd be a classical dancer, an opera singer, and perform with a classical theatre company. MT is her way of being able to combine her interests. I cannot imagine anyone believing that she is not a well-rounded person. However, all of her interests involve the arts. I don't see any problem with that and I would hope that no college admissions committee would either. </p>
<p>I think that my D's greatest strength is the passion she brings to her work. She has recently begun to think of herself as a young artist. For a long time I think she felt that the label could not apply to her; she felt too young and too inexperienced. Two of her teachers in particular, her acting teacher and her vocal coach, have encouraged her to think of herself as a budding artist. She knows that she still has much to learn, but she is beginning to realize that she is a unique young person who has a lot to say. She wants to communicate with her audience and truly sees the theatre as a way to help us to become more fully human . It will be interesting to see how my young artist blooms over the next 4 years. The journey has been fascinating so far.</p>
<p>My D has never done a long intensive program, but this summer she went to "Camp Bravo". It is a single week theater camp that is in the San Bernadino Mts. My son also attended when in HS. Both gained new insights into their craft and met great people. The cost is only slightly more than "traditional camp", about the cost of one month of voice and dance. Totally enjoyable.</p>
<p>My daughter has also focused on the arts. She did gymnastics for awhile, but was only interested in what she could bring back to dance. When she was younger she did many dance competitions with the dance studio. Through this she was able to learn team work and experience the joys of winning and the disappointments of losing. She did well in sport activities at school, but dance has always been her "sport". She has been fortunate enough to be involved with youth dance companies that are affiliated with adult companies. Because the adult and youth companies work together for some performances, she has been able to see what it is to be a professional performing artist. It's been great.</p>
<p>We've talked about doing other activities, but she claims her only regret is that she didn't start piano sooner. She's happy, healthy, intellegent and has a pure and good heart. Couldn't ask for anything more and I think the colleges will see the same thing.</p>
<p>We will be in Tempe at ASU on Nov. 13 and at
OCU on Nov. 20th.</p>
<p>momfirst,
I have tried to e mail you privately two times now and am obviously missing an important step because each time it tells me I am not logged in!! And believe me, I have.... SOOOO, if you want the scoop, send me your e mail address and I'll try it that way! Sorry.</p>
<p>We'll be at Baldwin-Wallace this Saturday, OCU 11/20, Webster 1/19.</p>