Emphasis of training at CCU

College Majors Musical Theater Major
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<p>***These questions may look familiar because I’m asking the same questions at several schools. Please feel free to add to the questions if you think of more! If you want to ask these same questions of any other school, feel free to copy and paste it into a new thread at that school’s subforum.
***</p>

<p>We are starting to understand that most BFA Musical Theatre programs try very hard to train “triple threat” performers, but in the end, one of the three disciplines tends to emerge as slightly more prominent or emphasized than the others, and there is usually a second, then third.</p>

<p>For current Coastal students (or parents, if you know), what would you say is the primary emphasis of your training at CCU?</p>

<p>Also, can you describe the type of training you get in each of the three disciplines? For example, in music, how much time and what sort of training in voice, theory, repertoire, piano, etc. Do you learn both “classical” MT styles as well as contemporary pop styles? When and how?</p>

<p>For acting, do you explore the different approaches, and in what depth? Do you train with the acting BFA’s or separately? Do you get a lot of straight acting training, or is most of the acting training in the context of “acting the song?”</p>

<p>In dance, can more advanced dancers take classes with the Dance majors? How much time is devoted to “specialty” dance like tap, partnering, hip hop, etc?</p>

<p>Sometimes different students have different experiences, so it would be awesome to hear from several!!</p>

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<p>My daughter is a freshman MT and absolutely loves everything about the program, the school, and the location! </p>

<p>I will semi answer some of the questions - but hopefully other Coastal parents, AlexaMT and kjgc will also reply.</p>

<p>The Theatre Dept at Coastal is very cross-pollinated, so to speak - everyone is part of the Theatre Dept and the primary goal is to develop Artists who can make a lifelong career in theatre, they just happen to be working on different degrees (BFAs in MT, Acting, Physical Theatre, Design & Tech, and BA in Dramatic Arts). Everyone auditions for every show, many actors take dance and voice, MTs take acting with actors…
…so the primary emphasis is Developing Lifelong Artists</p>

<p>As a freshman, she was in a Stage Auditions class with the Music Director in the fall semester - they worked on MT songs/rep, acting the song, audition techniques and etiquette, etc. Each few weeks they were assigned an MT genre/period/composer to prep a song for the following week. They also take a private voice lesson every week - it is one hour with a faculty member from the vocal music department - an accompanist joins for the second half of the lesson. My daughter has worked on both MT and classical rep and technique during her lessons (she comes from classical training so this works very well for her - I’m not sure if others all work on classical or if it is her preference to work both). Private voice is every semester. </p>

<p>As a freshman, she is also in piano for 2 semesters - the class is a combination of piano and music theory. </p>

<p>I can’t answer about styles of acting training, but the classes are a mix of all theatre majors, at least at the freshman level - so BFA MT, Acting & PT along with BAs… </p>

<p>There is not a dance major, but dancers can dance at their level. My daughter and two other freshmen girls, including a BFA Actor, are taking an advanced MT dance styles class which is a junior/senior level class - my daughter hopes to take it again as an honors class*. Other dance classes include ballet, tap, jazz, and hip hop (at least 2 levels of each). After freshman year, there is also a Dance Company which is by audition and for credit. </p>

<p>Regarding faculty at Coastal: they, themselves, are Artists who are making Theatre a Lifelong Career - they sing, dance, act, direct, conduct, design, write, choreograph, and/or produce. </p>

<p>*At Coastal, any 3 credit class can be made an honors class by working with the professor to modify the course to meet certain honors requirements.</p>

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<p>I would answer, but it seems tracyvp is looking for answers from students and parents. If you would like me to chime in, I’m happy to do so.</p>

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<p>Ken, you KNOW your input is ALWAYS welcome! I re-posted this here at CCU at the request of someone else who saw that I had posted it at another school’s subforum. That particular subforum doesn’t have the benefit of a Department Chair who regularly monitors and posts here on CC!</p>

<p>PLEASE feel free to elaborate on CCU’s wonderful program!!</p>

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<p>I would love your input kjgc-the more information the better</p>

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<p>Sarcasm from the department chair at Coastal? Never would have expected that. LOL!</p>

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<p>@Moose12 - He gave up sarcasm for Lent… ;)</p>

<p>@kjgc - Despite tracyvp’s excluding you, I prefaced my reply by saying:
“I will semi answer some of the questions - but hopefully other Coastal parents, AlexaMT and kjgc will also reply.” </p>

<p>We all await your words of wisdom :)</p>

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<p>Hey, wait a minute! I feel the need to defend myself! :)</p>

<p>I explained why Ken wasn’t originally invited to reply and I specifically invited his response!! C’mon, Ken, you’ve gotta bail me out here!</p>

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<p>From another parent’s perspective do-what-u-love hit the nail on the head when she commented that the CCU focus is on Developing Lifelong Artists! </p>

<p>I continue to be amazed and delighted by the training and experiences my son has had in ALL aspects of theatre arts. An amusing example perhaps, but a great example of what I see as truly “all around” training . . . Son was at a hotel last weekend prior to an audition and I texted him “hey, what’s up and how is the hotel?” He texted back, “fine mom, just ironing my shirt for tomorrow.” I replied, “you iron???” to which he replied, “yes mom–took costuming.” </p>

<p>I will briefly address the “styles of acting” question, mostly because my kid has taught me new “words/names” since he began his training at Coastal–words and names like Stanislavski, Meisner, Viewpoints, and Linklater. I’m sure there are more, but it is mostly greek to me. One of these days I will find the time to do more research. :)</p>

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<p>I am hoping Ken will step in here and respond. As parents and students come here looking for information, I think it would be great for there to be an “official” reply from him.</p>

<p>In talking to parents and students via PM, I think one of the most underestimated components of the training at CCU is the very strong acting training. If you go to a musical at CCU and you watch the ensemble, there is something going on up on that stage. Of course you expect that from the leads. But I often see musicals where the ensemble members seem to just be “placeholders” on stage. They sing and they dance but they never really help tell the story as a character. I hope I am right in thinking that is a testament to the strong emphasis on acting training at CCU. </p>

<p>I agree with do-what-you-luv that CCU is developing lifelong artists. From the theatre department’s mission statement:
“In any of many possible roles, the theatre professional must exhibit not only technical competence, but also broad knowledge of theatre, sensitivity to artistic style, and an insight into the role of theatre in the life of humankind.”</p>

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<p>To piggyback on the last post, when I was a freshman I was in the ensemble for “The Music Man” directed by the truly brilliant Monica Bell. I was cast as a “River City Citizian” (still not sure how to pronounce that) and was expecting to run around as a, as quoted, placeholder- doing a few harmonies, maybe a solo line here or there, and then sitting in the dressing room. But within the first week of rehearsals, Monica had already named me “Esther”, given me a baby and a husband. She proceeded to personally seek me out the next day to ask the background and history of our family.</p>

<p>There is that famous story about the chorus member who was asked about their character and was fired when they said they hadn’t come up with anything. I don’t know how true that is or where it originated, but I know that not having a solid foundation and a true character in the ensemble makes a show flat. </p>

<p>Every class I’ve taken here- even things like “Music Skills for the Actor” has stressed acting (hence the title). Our studio time is intense and not an hour is wasted, not a day goes by that I don’t become a stronger actor. I would truly and honestly say that to anyone looking for a strong acting program within a Musical Theatre degree- Coastal has that more than almost any program I’ve ever seen, even some of the “tops”.</p>