Colleges for Musical Theater Major - Part 33

<p>I have a question that perhaps Dr. John as well as others might be able to answer. While many have pointed out the importance of having a safety school, when I and others have asked about some of the less well-known, less prestigious schools, no one seems to know anything about them. So my question is, how do you evaluation these programs? For example, my D has been admitted to Drake (yes!), a school with rolling admission and no audition. So she has the relief of knowing that she is going someplace where she can study MT if she doesn't get accepted at schools like Michigan, CMU, etc. We chose it because of those two characteristics and because when we looked at the curriculum, it looked to be at least 3/4 theatre/music courses--in other words, a BFA program. But how else do you evaluate a program that isn't well known?</p>

<p>newmtmom, evaluating safeties (and I use that term loosely!) is a very difficult thing to do, I think largely because there really are very few safeties when it comes to MT. I'm a little confused, though, about your comment on Drake. Their MT BFA definitely requires an audition because a friend of my D3 is auditioning there. </p>

<p>When my D2 was deciding which schools to audition for and apply to a few years ago, she had very specific things she was looking for in a college experience. She wanted academics in addition to opportunities for good theatre training so that made her list look a little different than some of her classmates (she attended an arts h/s). When she narrowed down her list to, I believe it was, seven, we started the in depth research. We printed out and compared the four year curriculum of each, not only the number of courses but what exactly the classes were. Are they performance oriented? Are there tech courses? Are most of the courses theatre arts type courses? We researched faculty at each school. We visited. She attended classes and made contacts with current students. She spent hours online discussing classes, profs, training, performance opportunities, facilities, etc. with students. We attended performances when possible at each school. And we also were fortunate enough to be able to discuss the various programs with family members and friends who are involved in the theatre world both in a performance capacity and behind the scenes in the casting/agent/production end.</p>

<p>There really is no perfect way to do it. You just need to get as much information as is humanly possible and then look at the college itself and see if your child feels that it would be a good fit. Even then, there's no guarantee. We do the best we can, that's what it comes down to, in my opinion. :)</p>

<p>Denvermom,</p>

<p>Yes, my D did choose to go to Michigan instead of Steinhardt. She also was accepted at Emerson and Syracuse, rejected by CMU and CCM and withdrew apps and cancelled auditions at Penn State and BOCO when she was accepted at UM. I'm happy to share our thinking with you. </p>

<p>My D also did one of the Open Audition days at Steinhardt, although it was the first of the two offered in early November last year. And I can absolutely understand the reaction that you and your husband had. Other than the auditorium where the opening presentation was given being FREEZING!!, the day was a smashing success. The day was well organized, we felt welcomed and well taken care of and MY D felt so positive coming out of her audition. Given that it was her first college audition, it was a great way to launch the process. Given that the main focus of the Steinhardt program is voice and that my D is most confident in her vocal abilities, it was natural to schedule this audition first. We also stayed around to see the departmental production of "A New Brain" which was first rate. Although my D was also desirous of a "real" college experience along with her MT training, I could tell that she left Steinhardt with a new interest in being in The Big Apple for college, living so close to her ultimate goal. She was fortunate in that she received an email from the Head of the MT department about a week after her audition, complimenting her on her audition and volunteering to meet with us as a family to discuss opportunities for her at Steinhardt. We were, needless to say, very excited, and went back to NYC in early December to meet with him. It was in that meeting that we asked to see the four year curriculum for MT majors. As I'm sure you know, the Steinhardt program grants a BM degree with a specialization in either Musical Theater or Vocal Performance. As such, there are tons of music courses, e.g., Music Theory, Aural Comprehension etc., that are required and take up much of their training. Voice is obviously the major focus. </p>

<p>The dance audition was actually given and judged by a Steinhardt student! My D is a very experienced dancer and wanted to continue her dance training as part of her college curriculum so the fact that there wasn't a faculty member overseeing the dance audition was a real red flag for her. The student confirmed that the dance component of the program was weak and that any students really interested in dance simply took classes at any number of wonderful studios in NYC. The Chair told us he could try and get D admitted to dance classes at Tisch but there was no guarantee there would be room for her to take classes with the dance majors. Finally, we also had concerns about the strength of the Acting program - we didn't see a lot of course offerings in the four year curriculum. Again, the MT Chair was honest with us and reminded us that their MT program was not a BFA but a BM and focused on the voice training. In the end, we were extremely grateful for his honesty and didn't write the program off - it clearly has a lot going for it - not the least of which are the connections to local theatrical professionals. The program continued to recruit my D and we attended two other performances at their generous invitation and were impressed especially with the caliber of the students' vocal talent. I also really liked the size of the program and the impression I got of how collegial and nurturing it is. I still believe that it is the stronger of the 2 MT programs at NYU. This is just my personal opinion, but we decided that CAP 21 is too large, the dance training is also weak for the majority of kids who go there without a lot of dance trainiing and don't audition into advanced dance and the students also do not have access to NYU Voice faculty. All the studios that comprise Tisch are merely subcontracted to provide this training and the teachers are not members of the NYU faculty. If my D hadn't been accepted at Michigan, I believe that Steinhardt would have been a strong second choice if we could have gotten her into Tisch dance training. We were treated with respect and honesty at every step.</p>

<p>If your D wants a "real" college experience AND top notch MT training she is right to focus on Michigan. My D couldn't be happier. She's working her butt off and learning so much. The program is uniquely balanced between Voice, Acting and Dance, plus much of freshman year is spent training them as musicians so they will have control and understanding of the underpinnings of MT - the "Musical" part of Musical Theater. Plus, she is so happy with the other MT majors - they are so talented and all very supportive of each other. (She'll be home tomorrow night for Thanksgiving - Yay!) If either you or your D have any specific questions or we can help in any way, please feel free to email us directly.</p>

<p>One other factor I forgot to mention - Steinhardt also has a graduate program and their students compete for roles with the undergraduates, another factor that was a negative for us if given a choice. Thankfully, we had choices.</p>

<p>This entire story, by the way, just reinforces what other have been saying - make sure you compare the actual curricula of the schools you are interested in. That's the real meat and potatoes of every program.</p>

<p>Theatremom-
Thanks for sharing your thoughts re. Steinhardt vs. Michigan- lots of good things to think about and discuss over Thanksgiving Dinner! Have a wonderful holiday and thanks again.
Sandy</p>

<p>FYI You don't need to audition. If you want to be considered for scholarship money, you have to audition, but otherwise, you don't have to.</p>

<p>Theatermom-so Glad To Hear Your Daughter Is Doing Well And That She Is Coming Home Tomorrow! My Older D Is Coming Home Today And I'm Very Happy. All Is Getting A Little More Relaxed Now, Since A Majority Of The Applications Are In. We Are Heading Out For Emerson On Dec. 3. So How's The Weather Back There? I Guess We Should Leave Our Sandals At Home. We Do Own Uggs, But For Fashion Only. She Will Get A Real Feel For What It Would Be Like To Go To School In The East, As She Has Chosen No California Schools. I Keep Trying To Talk Her Into Cal State Fullerton. I Know Someone From Northern California Started There And I Would Love To Hear How She Is Doing If You're Still Here Reading. </p>

<p>Thanks For The Reminder About Bringing An Extra Outfit For Auditions. I Had Forgotten About That.</p>

<p>Happy Thanksgiving To All.</p>

<p>For those of you not from New England, be forwarned that weather here changes a lot. The best thing to do is go online before you come here and see what the weather is. For ex, this past week has been in the 50's but before that we had several inches of snow.</p>

<p>I will be at Emerson on the 4th!
I can't wait to go to Boston.</p>

<p>I'm doing the campus tour on the 3rd.</p>

<p>soozievt--my D is on the 5th at Emerson too. Is your's a.m.?</p>

<p>soozievt- yup... i hung out with SL and your daughter's bf friday and saturday night. small small world...</p>

<p>NewMTMom...yes, my D's Emerson audition is at 9 I think on Sunday the fifth! I have no idea how many kids will be there. We know two other friends from VT also auditioning that day, a best friend from CT as well, and a BF from PA auditioning for acting, not MT on the 4th. So, I hope we do connect. My D won't be acting so alone given that she she three friends going that day. It's her first college audition though ;-). Maybe we can figure out who each of us is!</p>

<p>Dani...that is pretty funny. Actually Sat. is when my D stopped home and got that silly IM from SL that her bf missed his NYU audition (not true). I'll tell my D about you and S and J. </p>

<p>Yes, small world.<br>
Susan</p>

<p>My D will be at Emerson on Sunday the 5th, too - Musical Theatre. Morning appointment. She'll also be at Hartt on Saturday the 4th...I guess we'll have to try to figure out who everyone is. Maybe we need some sort of "secret College Confidential code". We'll all wear small, red cc's on our right sleeves or something! Just kidding, of course.....</p>

<p>Susan and others going to PSU on 2/26....we'll be up there that weekend to see Sweet Charity, so maybe we can finally meet up. My D, Casey, who is now a sophomore MT will be at the sign in table for auditions....make sure that you stop by and say hello. She reads this site frequently and is looking forward to meeting those of you auditioning at PSU.</p>

<p>My D will also be auditioning at Emerson on Sunday the 5th (9:00 am). Will be her 3rd audition. Perhaps we will meet some of you there! Have a happy thanksgiving everyone!</p>

<p>We are taking the Emerson tour on Saturday the 4th and auditioning at 9:00 am on the 5th as well. I am hoping to get over to see BOCO on Saturday afternoon. They don't have a tour, but at least we can walk around. It sounds like we will have quite a group from CC there. On the front of my envelope from Emerson confirming our audition, there was a #200 written on it. Did anyone else have a #? I wonder if that's the amount of people auditioning that day. Thoughts anyone? This is our 1st audition also. Hope to meet some of you there.</p>

<p>I hope we do connect. This is my D's first (and mine)--anyone who has done this--do they provide someplace for the parents to hang out, are the kids non-stop? I'm from this area, so if anyone has questions about Boston, I might be able to help.</p>

<p>So today, a friend of mine who's daughter is applying to dance programs, told me that she was told that at many programs in the south and midwest, classes begin with Christian prayer. Anyone have info on this--is it true?</p>

<p>newmtmom,</p>

<p>We did the Emerson audition on the same weekend last year but our experience was colored by the fact that it was also the Blizzard of '03 - several feet of snow in Boston, we were lucky to get out in our SUV after the audition. Anyone with plane flights got stuck in Boston for 2 days. Ask Sarahsmom about her experience - a total nightmare with trains, faux cancellations, etc. Yikes!</p>

<p>In any event, I couldn't believe that so many people actually got to the audition. Maybe they were spurred on by the fact that it was the last day to audition for Early Admission. I remember also being a little miffed that they had absolutely nothing to offer parents or kids in the way of food or drink - not a cup of coffee, not a bottle of water - NADA! And going back into the street to get anything meant trekking in the snow in search of an open deli or the like. We all crowded into what was seemingly a lecture hall and the parents were asked to stay there the entire time. They provided a brief overview of the program and several students were there to share their experiences. They divided the kids up and took some for monologues, some for dance and some for voice. They all rotated through each of the disciplines. My D felt good about the acting audition - they worked with her after hearing her monologues and then talked to her a bit. She thought the dance audition was not good - very regimented and not at all demanding. The vocal audition went well but she was disheartened that only one person heard her sing - felt a little vulnerable to the likes and dislikes of one person. She was also interviewed at some point (sorry, I don't remember which auditor did this). She was asked if Emerson was her first choice and she honestly answered that she still had several schools to see so wasn't in a position to know what her first choice was; but she liked what she had heard and seen so far. After the fact, she was sure that her honest answer had put her out of the running for Early Admission and maybe for any admission at all. I reassured her that honesty is never the wrong answer. Turned out she was one of only 3 students offered Early Admission for MT last year. She got her letter 10 days after the audition.</p>

<p>Several parents went on a small maybe half hour long tour to see the new performance space. Other than that, we were told not to wander around the building as there were classes going on. I think some parents snuck up and tried to listen in on their kid's audition. I did not - my D would have killed me. I was very happy to have brought my knitting. </p>

<p>They had a second group arriving for an afternoon session so we were hustled out as soon as the kids were done. All in all, not my favorite audition from a parents perspective. On the plus side, their letter of acceptance and the letter they wrote to my D after she declined enrollment were the warmest, most inspiring and most personal written communications she got from any admissions personnel over the entire process. I've saved them.</p>

<p>Hope this helps. Now that you've heard our tale, I'll bet this year's experience will be totally different, especially as the CC parents will all have each other. Wish I could be there!</p>

<p>PS. NO PRAYERS IN ANN ARBOR! We're Jewish, and I guarantee I would have heard about it if there were........</p>

<p>Honor Code Alert - John246 is a poser.</p>

<p>Hi, I am mtheatremom - not to be confused with the very articulate and wise theatremom - its just that our names are similiar (my fault). I posted alot last school year 2003/2004 when my daughter was going through the MT audition round. She is now a very happy MT freshman at NYU's Tisch/CAP21.</p>

<p>I am writing because John 246, now posing as a parent - wrote a glowing report about OCU on 11-19-04 at 11:23. Please read this and then go back to the 2003 archives to Saturday, August 30, 2003 at 3:56pm where John246 was then posing as a current sophomore - that would make him a junior now - not a parent!</p>

<p>Anyhow, you are probably wondering why I discovered this and why I care. I started reading the CC for MT schools - August 2003 because my daughter was beginning the process... I was totally captivated by John246's Aug. 2003 postings (please go back and read) -so much so that I encouraged my daughter to apply, audition, etc. to OCU's MT program. After my daughter got into OCU for MT - which we were thrilled about, I contacted a student by email (there were several student contacts listed on the OCU/MT brochure/handout... I had several particular questions about the school and their MT program which is heavy on musical theory, etc. Its not a bad thing, but, my daughter had concerns/hesitations and I wanted some facts before we committed to the school. I also mentioned to this contact student that I was trying to find out how I could get in touch with John246 because he was so positive and pro- OCU (but by this time he had disappeared from the thread...)</p>

<p>Anyway, I emailed this student contact and mentioned john246's postings, etc... This student said that, "Oh yea, someone a while back was posting alot of propaganda about the school." I was a little disappointed about hearing this, but, didn't think much more about it. Then my daughter decided to go to Tisch/Cap21 - so I didn't think much more about OCU, or John246.</p>

<p>However, I was so disappointed and outraged when I recently read "new member" John246's posting on 11/19/04. When I noticed the OCU report was so "glowing" - something seemed fishy - so I went through the very laborious process of finding the August 30, 2003 posting by john246.</p>

<p>Decide for yourself about his true identity, but, I for one know that he is just trying to sell the school either way he can - under the guise of a student or parent. </p>

<p>I have to say, we really liked OCU. Its a great school with a great classical training for the voice in MT. The school can stand on its own without the dishonest posings of John246.</p>

<p>I relied alot on this board last year and it helped us get through alot of difficult times. I assume everyone is honest until proven otherwise. Then I felt like it was my duty to let you know.<br>
Sincerely,
(mtheatremom)</p>