Help! Daughter trying to decide between Drake and OCU in musical theater…can’t find much about Drake…OCU seems to produce a lot of working MT actors but she is nervous that it is very classical and she has a contemporary background…she also has Roosevelt MT but she doesn’t seem to be weighing that…she also has Pace FTVC and Marymount Manhattan acting but no idea how to pick…she says she wants to be in a big city but ultimately the best program would be the biggest deciding factor…thoughts? Thank you!!
Oklahoma Christian has a lot of working actors on broadway. It’s one way to look at the level of talent coming out of the school. I posted a list from last years playbill rankings and it jumped out at me.
Niece just graduated from a manhattan M last year. Has landed a few nice roles ob and oob. Waitressing, nannying and auditioning. She couldnt be happier in nyc and with the energy. She loved her program.
But I did think they where a little cheap when they made them all make their tapes for the agents on their own dime and they have the facilities on campus. Job advising in that field is non existent. You need an agent if possible. And you are really asked to be a triple threat. She seemed to spend as much time learning to dance and extra training in that area than anything else. She’s more of a vocalist.
Im not sure she has time but I recall point park will consider applications after may 1st, in occasion. Point park is in Pittsburgh. It’s a conservatory at heart but now full blown uni. Because it’s a wonderful and safe city with a huge arts scene. And they teach you the business side of things. It’s tough to make it big or long term. But if you can work in the business it can be a great career too. Just a thought.
Interesting to me that if she wants to be in a big city she wouldn’t be considering Roosevelt MT, but everyone has their own fit! Was she able to visit the campuses? Has she done a blind curricula comparison because the B.M. at OCU is different than the BFA at Drake? I don’t know a ton about Drake except I hear they are a tight knit group and my daughter enjoyed her audition with them. As far as the classical foundation at OCU, I wouldn’t let that deter her because I have known several contemporary kids who thrived there and grown vocally. But ultimately only she can decide what is a great fit. But those are different enough that I think curricula and campus comparisons could definitely help! Best of luck!
I am not sure what is holding her back about Roosevelt. She seems to have Pace FTVC at the top of her list at the moment but is struggling between straight acting path and musical theater. The struggle might be, the choice to be in NYC (but not musical theater) or in a small town in musical theater. She seems to have narrowed it down to Drake and Oklahoma City U…(I would try to get her to weigh Roosevelt so any thoughts on that would be good too). How on earth does she decide? She is an actor at heart since a toddler…but in the last 6 years added musical theater and has loved it. OCU might not be able to push her in acting…Drake might not be able to push her in dancing…how on earth does she decide?
You may want to post on the Musical Theater forum - lots of knowledgeable folks there!
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/
My nephew graduated from Oklahoma City University in 2012 in musical theater. He was able to make a living performing (based out of NYC) but it’s a ton of hard work. He recently decided to switch gears and is currently attending graduate school.
Best of luck with her decision!
I agree w @MTSongbirdMom re: Roosevelt U in Chicago. Chicago is a great city (albeit the weather may deter folks), and there’s tons of theatre there. My S applied for MT only, and Roosevelt U was one of his top contender programs. He is a mover, not a dancer, and def thought his dance would improve if he went to school there, along w vocals & acting.
I know two very successful alums from Drake MT living (when not working) in NYC. Let me know if you want me to get you in touch if your D doesn’t have a contact already.
@privatebanker OCU, in the MT world, is Oklahoma City University.
Yes. I know. I made a mistake. Lol.
OCU is strong in voice and dance with a solid acting program. No, it’s not the city, but the training is there. She will do more music theory there and more classical stuff compared to other programs, but the emphasis on vocal health is outstanding and will prepare her for longevity in the industry.
I don’t know much about Drake. Pace is a great school, but don’t know much about its variance of programs and crossover of curriculum. You don’t mention cost, but OCU will more than likely be a savings over Pace, which was a strong consideration for our family. Roosevelt also very pricey and they are not known to give aid, but solid triple threat training there too.
@dmom26 our D is an OCU MT grad. Happy to try and answer any specific questions you may have.
@dmom26 re: Pace FTVC, there is no crossover nor any opportunity to take dance, vocal lessons,etc (unless you find this on your own in the city) They are allowed to audition for the plays, but do not train in stage acting. They are not allowed to audition for the musicals either. (My D is an MT major at Pace and my youngest was accptd. for FTVC).
All of this is so helpful! I guess it will come down to a decision for her between musical theater and film…I think her feeling might be that the Pace program is so innovative that this is an opportunity that may never come her way again. She has acting and musical experience and only a tiny bit of film experience. The program at Drake might be more down her alley if she decides on musical theater as it seems focused on acting and contemporary style. OCU has a tremendous reputation but my d is not a classical vocalist. I wonder why they saw her as a match for their program? The people at Drake have been fantastic and for whatever reason, my d is not interested in Chicago…so for MT it would come down to a decision between Drake and OCU. W
While OCU definitely believes every singer should have a strong classical foundation, they by no means only teach classical voice. Our D learned a very healthy mix and belt while there. And during her 4 years they did shows like Rent and others that would hardly be considered classical. And they brought in experts like Sherri Sanders who are experts in developing the pop/rock sound. So if that’s your concern, I would take another look. Having said that, it is music heavy and you will need to build that classical foundation. So if you aren’t ok with that, it’s not the place for you. You can google interviews with Kelli O’Hara, Kristin Chenowth and others who discuss how a classical foundation has protected their vocal health and contributed to the longevity of their careers. It may shed some light on why OCU feels it is important. I wish kids would not look at classical as a bad thing. It’s a foundation and building block in strong vocal training.