<p>I am currently an MT Senior at Carnegie Mellon University...</p>
<p>It is very interesting to hear what prospective students and parents have to say about the process of applying, going through the ordeal of auditions in a variety of places...If anyone has any quesions, possibly in particular about CMU's drama school, I would be more than willing to answer.</p>
<p>VemaKate, it is very sweet of you to make yourself available to prospective parents and students. It is always helpful to hear first hand accounts of those who are in programs under consideration. I have a daughter who is auditioning for BFA programs in MT, including the one at CMU. She is away on vacation at present, ironically with lots of her theater friends, many who are also applicants. So, I do not have her specific questions to ask. </p>
<p>But if I may ask you....I am only guessing by your "name" that perhaps you are a dancer? If so, I am wondering in CMU's MT program, how the dance training is for those who enter with a lot of dance background. Are there different levels in each discipline of dance in terms of placement given various backgrounds? Also, do you take one liberal arts course per semester? What are the performance opportunities? Do you take private voice all four years? As my daughter is not here with specific questions, I will just ask you in general, what made you choose CMU over other programs you may have gotten into? Now that you have attended for 3 1/2 years, what did you like best about the program? What were the strengths in your training there? What aspects might you like to have changed? had more of? less of? Any weak areas that you can think of in the program or at the college? How do you like living in Pittsburgh? What are your plans once you graduate? My daughter has a friend who is a freshman in your program. We are looking forward to coming to campus in late February. Anything you can share about your experiences would be great because it is so important to get that kind of feedback which is different than simply reading a brochure or website. Thanks for even offering. Congrats for getting into CMU and much luck with the rest of your time there and with the next exciting step in your performance career!</p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! Any information you could post about musical theater programs at Kent State, Ohio Northern, and Baldwin-Wallace would be greatly appreciated. We are putting together an itinerary for our D during her spring break (she's a junior) to visit a string of schools from Boston (Emerson) to Ann Arbor (U of M) with stops at Syracuse, Ithaca, and maybe one of the SUNY's. I grew up in Northeast Ohio and still have much family there and am interested in what the schools in that area have to offer.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance to all...</p>
<p>If you are looking in Ohio, you might want to check out Otterbein, Cincinatti College Conservatory of Music and Wright State.</p>
<p>soozievt--what do you or anyone know about Wright State?</p>
<p>And I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas--and may we all have a happy and healthy New Year, keep our perspective--and peace wouldn't be bad either!</p>
<p>scogor - If I were planning your spring break route (based on having researched many schools, including this forum and other resources, and based on some previous not so perfect trip planning on my part), I'd see along your route - Emerson, Boston Conservatory, Syracuse, Ithaca, SUNY Buffalo, SUNY Fredonia, Baldwin-Wallace, and Michigan. I haven't heard much about Kent and Ohio Northern. Then, if I had additional time, my first side trip from there would be Pittsburgh after NY to see Carnegie Mellon and Point Park. If there is time to get to middle Ohio, Otterbein should be your first choice. I'd skip CCM, as it is out of your way and as many negative as positive comments have been written earlier on this forum. I printed some good material about Wright State from their web site. You could do the same. Depending on your time, if you get to Otterbein, consider Wright State as well. In addition, I had some interest in visiting Kenyon as a "safety" that offers drama and dance (not MT), but we never got there. </p>
<p>Out of the above, we have visited on separate trips: Syracuse & Ithaca, Carnegie Mellon & Point Park, and Michigan (all very worth the time). We are scheduled to visit Baldwin-Wallace. Otterbein is my only regret, but it doesn't look like we are going to get there in the near future. Good luck! Ericsmom</p>
<p>scogor - I would DEFINITELY take the time to visit CCM! The program is considered one of the top in the country and has arguably the best attended showcase in New York each year for its seniors. The facilities and faculty are amazing and if you can get to CCM during Spring Break, I think you will be be very impressed. My daughter is a sophomore in the program and loves it! I had a mom e-mail me last year who was following this thread to ask about some of the negative comments she had read - I told her it was a great school and her son would be so happy there - anyway, I ran into her at the school's fall production - her son decided to attend CCM and loves it as well! Good luck to your daughter!</p>
<p>scogor, I'd have to agree with beez here that you should include CCM, if only in terms of quality of program. If you have to narrow your list, I'd eliminate the SUNY schools and add CCM. Only you know your child and what you're looking for in a program, though. It's true that CCM gets a lot of complaints and many of them are well-deserved. There was a student who posted on the old forum last year who was cut from their program and then had nowhere to attend because it was too late to apply/audition anywhere else for the year. Nor could she apply as a transfer because she had only attended one semester before being cut and most schools require transfers to have completed one full year. She was in a difficult position and I've often thought of her and wondered what happened to her. Their cut program is difficult but they're not the only school which does that. It doesn't hurt to look, though, just keep in mind that there are many people who do have negative experiences with CCM. It's always worth the time to go back and read through the various incarnations of this discussion.</p>
<p>alwaysamom - the student you mentioned in your post decided to stay at CCM under a different major, not because she didn't have time to apply/audition elsewhere - she wanted to stay at CCM. Another student who was cut at the same time applied to, was accepted at and is now attending the University of the Arts in Philadelphia in their BFA musical theater program. The rest of the freshman class (now sophomores) were told their first week back this fall that there would be no more cuts in their class which is probably more comforting than many other schools provide with their cut policies. As far as negative comments go, I don't recall ANY CCM student or parent posting anything but glowing reports.</p>
<p>Velmakate-</p>
<p>Did you graduate HS in Los Al? I think you have met my S at CMU, (second year actor). </p>
<p>Thanks for posting. Everyone on this thread will gain from your CMU insight. I look forward to your post.</p>
<p>beez, I wonder if we're thinking of the same girl. The one I'm referring to used to post under the user name idontknow and when she posted about being cut it was in March so that would have been too late to audition elsewhere. We all felt very badly for her and I don't recall ever seeing a post from her after that day. I remember there being a long discussion then about cut policies and statements which individual parents and students were told by CCM administration about their policy, etc. In addition to her, we have several other friends of my Ds who have experience with CCM. Some of it has been fine and they've graduated, others has been less fine, still others have left early for various and assorted reasons. I think the training there is good, if you fit in and are comfortable with the environment. The kids who stay seem to be very happy so that's a plus. I think the negative comments tend to come from those who have left, whether they've been cut, decided to transfer, or left because they've been cast in a show. Finding the right 'fit' is so important for college, but perhaps even more-so for these theatre programs.</p>
<p>Hi Alwaysamom - Yes, we are talking about the same girl (Idontknow). The second boards are in March (you have to fail two boards to be cut) and that was when she was cut as well as a few others. However, all freshman stay and finish out their first complete year (as well as perform in the freshman showcase in May). Some students did apply and audition elsewhere as I mentioned in my earlier post but Idontknow decided almost immediately that she wanted to stay at CCM in another major. The other student that I mentioned who transferred to University of the Arts transferred in as a sophomore. Regarding negative posts, although I have read some on this site, I have not read ANY from students or parents who actually attended CCM whether they left or not. I have read negative posts from people who "know someone" or "knows someone who knows someone" but unfortunately, although I think this is an invaluable site with a wealth of good information (which we read when our daughter was auditioning at schools two years ago) inevitably some of the information gets a little distorted (sort of like the telephone game where someone shares a bit of information which they heard from someone else which then gets passed on and so forth and so on). I feel it is a disservice to such a fine institution as CCM and its musical theater program to not speak out and clairfy some information that sometimes gets a tad distorted. Perhaps some students who have been cut from the program may have negative things to say but I have not read any of those direct comments on this site and don't know those kids and I can only imagine that any student who was cut from ANY of the musical theater programs might be prone to making some negative comments, not to the exclusivity of CCM.</p>
<p>Thanks, beez, for confirming about idontknow. I hope she's happy and doing well. I suppose that some schools have later auditions for transfers. I was just referencing how it is at Tisch because I know my D helped with the scheduling last year and all transfer auditions happened during the month of March, which would definitely have cut it short for anyone just finding out mid-March that they had been cut from their current program.</p>
<p>I hope you don't feel that I did a disservice to CCM with my comments. That wasn't my intention. As I said, the kids who are there certainly seem to enjoy it. The kids we know, we know well. My D attended an arts h/s so knows kids for many years who are at all of the major programs because they tend to keep in touch. Also, we have a few family members in the business so know a lot of performers through that avenue. In fact, several of them attended, and some graduated from CCM. A few have been in Rent, a few are very involved in their own music careers (which a lot of MT kids seem to do, on the side), and one left CCM after freshman year because she'd been cast in Rent at an open call. She had mixed feelings about the school but this was several years ago so perhaps things have changed. The stories we've heard over the years have come from people we know well who are actually the ones who have gone there. I know what you mean about the third-hand type stories that get repeated and it is a little concerning when you know that a true picture isn't being given. That's why I've always maintained that there is no ONE perfect program. One that works for one student may NOT for another. :)</p>
<p>Velmakate I am going to audition for both Acting and MT at CMU and have some questions about MT. I should have asked them when I visited but was just thinking about straight acting then.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Do they try to turn you into an opera singer in the singing lesson/labs (something I definitely dont want) or is the emphasis more geared toward contemporary styles?</p></li>
<li><p>What types of things are covered in the 1st year Music Skills classes? Is there a music theory component? Do a lot of the students come in with credit for AP Music Theory under their belts? I don't see any theory courses in the curriculum and am wondering how my AP Theory might play in. Do most of the students also have instrumental skills?</p></li>
<li><p>How much dance experience do most of the MT students already have when they get there and how advanced do the classes get? I read somewhere on this thread that some of the advanced dancers take classes at another school. Is this true?</p></li>
<li><p>Do the straight actors ever get cast in MT productions? </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Break a leg on your showcase!</p>
<p>NewmtMom...I don't have any concrete info. for you regarding Wright State. When the poster was saying he was taking his D on a tour of MT schools in Ohio, I just knew he left out CCM, Otterbein and Wright State. My D is not applying to those schools. The way I knew of Wright State goes back five years ago when my D was eleven and on a regional tour of Bridge to Terabithia. Most of the cast was adults playing kids (don't ask). One young person in the show was actually a senior in high school (six years older than my D) and he was applying to programs at the time (and I knew nothing of these back then!). I only know that he chose Wright State, but can't recall where else he got in though may have gotten into Tisch. He chose Wright State, in part, as it was cheaper. I just never heard how he liked it as we really just knew him from the show and he did not live in our town and was not really in my D's peer group otherwise. It was kinda funny actually when we met him, I recognized the name because his father was sort of a spiritual leader of a little synagogue in his city, which at the time did not have a rabbi and we had gone there for our daughter's baby naming ceremonies when they were born and his father presided over those and then years later, his son was in this show with my D. Sorry to not give you any true info. on that program! </p>
<p>Beez....my recollection of discussions regarding CCM on this forum in the past year or two have not been from those unhappy with the program. I don't doubt that many in the program love it. I know a girl who goes there for BFA in acting and she loves it. My recollection of the discussions here are that they were not centered on first hand or second hand information but rather centered on information or policies in that program and people's thoughts on those, more based on paper than actual experiences. Obviously CCM is a highly regarded program. When students choose where to apply they must weigh what they want and what policies and other aspects to a program fit their needs/interests. That is what I have observed the discussion focusing on.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of your suggestions and input. My D does not want the conservatory experience and has thus not expressed an interest in either CCM or CMU. That would also appear to rule out Baldwin-Wallace. Kent State is intriguing as it is near my home town and has a working relationship with the theater at Blossom Music Center where I worked for several summers. Have checked their website but was hoping to get some first-hand information. We plan to visit some of the North Carolina schools in the spring and will head over to Miami sometime in the next few months. We only wish that UF had a strong MT program as that is her mother's alma mater and I am rather fond of the campus myself...</p>
<p>I am a 3rd Year MT at The Hartt School (University of Hartford, CT). I came across this site on a search engine and I am blown away by how amazing this support and help line is. I only wish I could have found it my senior year back in 2001 -2002. That is why I want to help.</p>
<p>I know the audition season is coming up. I may be helping out again this year at Hartt. If there are any questions about the program and auditions, I will be happy to answer. I can also put people in contact with students from CMU, CCM, Boston Conservatory, NYU-CAP 21. </p>
<p>The process is tough, I know. I was seen for 10 schools at regional auditions in Los Angeles. Best of luck parents and students!</p>
<p>CHB1005963297-</p>
<p>Do you know an MT major at Hartt (female) with the initials AC?</p>
<p>By some odd coincidence would you be this person?</p>
<p>I received an email from an Emerson student who lurks here but does not have a username. She asked me to post this link which recently appeared in the Emerson livejournal community. It's a discussion about how lacking some current students find the music aspect at Emerson. I don't know anything about it firsthand but am passing this along to any who may want to investigate, as she thought some might be interested.</p>