<p>D's been taking chorus in school every year, but the teacher is exceptionally weak, and she'd like to drop chorus in 11th grade. Do you think that will hurt her overall college application for a musical theater school in any way? She says that's the only reason she'd stay in it. (She's taking an intensive voice class at her after-school theater program, so it's not like she's missing out on any training at all). Thanks for your views.</p>
<p>I think Chorus is OK to drop, particularly if she is heading in the direction of BFA schools. The important thing is that she has music and voice training and if she is getting it by other means, then that counts. BFA programs, as far as the artistic review, are more concerned with the audition and skills shown in that, than the list on the resume. As far as academic review at a BFA or BA school, her activity resume and theater resume should note all music and voice training and so she'll have some choral work and some voice classes (and I imagine private voice). She should be able to show training in music and voice, in other words over the four years. It won't seem like she stopped music or singing that way but simply shifted which training or activities she did in that domain. If she only particpated in singing training or music for two years and then stopped, that is a different story. </p>
<p>I don't know your school and if dropping Chorus will affect anything else. For instance, by being in Chorus at our school, it is like being part of the music department. For someone who wants to be in the musicals, it helps to be involved in the music program in general but is not required per se. At our school, the best singers are in the select choir by audition which is an after school activity too. Pretty much all leads in the musical are also in that. That example may not apply to your school though. Also, here, kids in Chorus audition for things like Regionals and All States and I don't think they can do that if not in the program. Those are achievements in the area of singing that are worthy. Here, if in the program, one can also audition for the All State Scholarship Awards in voice and again, that is another achievement of note. Being in Chorus was a prerequisite to be involved in those endeavors and recognition programs. For some students, Chorus class is a big part of their music theory background, though that wasn't the case for my kid who got that way more through piano lessons for ten years than she ever got in chorus which was more basic. If a kid has no other music theory sort of background, and Chorus offers it, it may be worth doing. Chorus here was just fair, I think, but then again, it is an award winning music department. I think our Select Choir (a capella)...this is an additional group my D was in besides Chorus class, was boring-ish and nothing at all like what we have now seen and our D now participates in as an a capella group in college...NOTHING. I only wish our HS music teacher saw what a capella can be! I don't think my D learned a heck of a lot in Chorus class but she stayed in it to be a part of the music department. She no longer was in concert band as when younger, though was in Jazz Band. This was her way of being in the performing arts at our HS, besides the musicals (after school) since we don't have drama classes. For a kid going into MT, she felt she should be part of this department.All performing arts oriented kids were involved in the dept. here in some capacity. Your D is taking a voice class outside of school and that may be enough and she can weigh the ins and outs of being part of her school program or not. My D's voice lessons outside of school pretty much up until her last year preparing for college auditions, were done in a very small group with a private voice teacher. </p>
<p>Overall, dropping Chorus is not going to be a problem on her application though, in my opinion. It is the overall training and participation and achievement that will be examined, not any one particular activity. For BFA schools, artistically the audition will matter far more than the list of activities, though those will be looked at.</p>
<p>Listen to Soozievt</p>
<p>Like soozievt said, I think it depends on the school if dropping choir is a big deal. At my school, while it is not an official rule, it's extremely rare for one who does not take choir to be cast in the annual musical. However, if that is not the case or the musical at your D's school is not a priority, I don't think choir is the most important thing (especially if the teacher is exceptionally weak) as long as other vocal experience is achieved through other programs.</p>
<p>Haha yes.. pretty much listen to soozievt.</p>
<p>Thank you to all for your opinions. SoozieVT, I knew you'd know!</p>
<p>In our school, the music teachers don't do casting for the musicals, and my D hasn't participated in the musicals at all, because it's always been scheduled for the same weekend as the spring production produced by her theater group. Her EC life is pretty much centered around this place, although she was able to participate in the HS drama last year (10th grade) for the first time.</p>
<p>BS, in your D's case and situation, I think dropping Chorus is fine. She gets vocal training in classes outside of school and is doing her musical productions outside of school. Nobody will care if she gets these experiences in or out of school, only that she continues training and also is involved in theater. I know many successful kids who ended up at BFA programs in MT who never did their school shows, but did shows elsewhere. My D did do her school musicals. We also do not have youth theater programs where we live like you do, however. My D did shows outside of school too, but those were adult productions. Also, at our HS, while the director of the school musical is not a faculty member (he is an Equity actor who has been on Broadway and is hired to direct the school musicals), the music dept. is VERY involved and the Chorus teacher who is the Dept. head is part of casting. Here, kids who do the musicals, usually are involved in the music dept. in some capacity. That's why I was saying each situation is different and I was expressing the factors that should be weighed. Luckily, your D has some great programs locally that she is involved in. Sounds good to me!</p>
<p>i droppped chorus midway through 10th grade due to drama i won't get into.....and i still got into college lol...for better or for worse, the audition is almost entirely the deciding factor for acceptance into BFA programs....i don't think the schools care...</p>
<p>My D did not "drop" chorus, but did not "start" it at all until midterm her junior year because she could not work it into her schedule and be in band at the same time. However, she worked with a private voice teacher from age 14 and performed with the local community theatre from age 10. She still made all-state choir her senior year (first year to compete, since it is a fall competition and she did not start choir until spring semester junior year.) I never thought about it being a problem, and apparently the auditioners did not care. But I will add that we have an amazing choir department and she learned a tremendous amount in the short time she was in choir, especially with sight-singing.</p>