<p>Hello, I am new to this forum (as says my post count...). I'll start with a quick background of myself. I really need some advice and guidance as to what I need to do to finally live my passion. The growth and development of my voice and singing.</p>
<p>I am a senior graduating may 2013, so I am very aware the time to start applying is NOW for next year. From my own experiences I realize there is so much more to a school than just the numbers and even a campus visit. As an engineering student I truly did not receive the support to excel at my highest level however I managed to grow and develop and I'm about to be done! :-) While studying I have sang with my university's choir and it has given me the opportunity to truly grow musically and led to many amazing experiences. I was able to travel Europe for the past 3 Decembers in a gospel choir (not really my style expenses paid? Sign me up!)and now I lucked upon an amazing opportunity to study opera in Italy for a month. I have truly been lucky as I continued pursuing musical opportunities despite the lack of support from my classmates and faculty.</p>
<p>So I've decided to do the college thing again and secure a background and foundation in vocal performance. I plan to start visiting schools as soon as I get back to the states. A short list I've compiled so far include:</p>
<p>Oberlin college
university of north Texas
University of Cincinnati conservatory of
University of south Carolina
San Francisco conservatory of music</p>
<p>Any other suggestions are very welcome. I plan to visit all these school in July except California... kindof way out of the way.</p>
<p>Honestly the biggest factor is my ability to pay for school again. The pockets are kindof dry.</p>
<p>Also, should I do undergraduate studies or find a school with a post baccalaureate program (more desirable) and go for my masters and if so which schools would provide the transition I need? Or should i go for an artists degree in performance?</p>
<p><em>sighs</em> thank you ifbyou managed to read through all this.</p>
<p>musica, FAB video! Joyce - major talent, fabulous career and high integrity. All VP and prospective VP students/parents should watch these videos. So good of her to take her time and help students out.</p>
<p>Thank you for that. Lol i guess it is ok to feel like i am. I will definitely watch more of her videos. I should start sending emails to coordinate visits… to find a good instructor.</p>
<p>Alright, let’s sort this out: funding through government loans for a second undergrad degree is almost non-existent, but you can find money through schools. Then, be very realistic and determine whether you have the necessary voice training. through private study, to be a viable candidate for a graduate program. If you have not been studying privately then it’s going to be impossible for you to get enough solid training and need repertoire under your belt to begin auditioning this winter- would you consider a gap year and then applying for an Artist’s Diploma or Certificate? No matter what, you’re going to need the languages: Italian, French and German, as well as the diction classes in those and English. For a grad degree you’ll also have to catch up in theory and music history.
Can you explain why you’ve chosen the schools on your list? Oberlin has no graduate voice program (they had a few 5th year grad students who came from their own undergrad school), is highly competitive and isn’t know for looking favorably on non-traditional students. I don’t mean to be a wet blanket, but I don’t think that you have a shot at CCM; their grad program is one of the most sought after in the country, is very small and those that get in have not only fabulous auditions but tremendous recommendations from vocal professionals and teachers. There are pluses and minuses to UNT and SF, and I don’t know anything at all about South Carolina’s program.
Can you tell us more?</p>
<p>No, thank you for your questions and input.</p>
<p>My musical background is as follows:</p>
<p>Piano for 4 years around the age of 8 to 12 and I started playing again a couple years ago individually. I have been in choirs since before I can remember. I can sight read and sight simple pieces near perfect which helps me with more difficult pieces. My music theory is beyond a beginner level and it is truly he’d to gauge where it would be at the moment.</p>
<p>My private vocal training began about 2 years ago with my university’s choir director. Since then it has been hard balancing my engineering work with practicing my music and pieces individually. Usually I practiced late at night in the chapel… I also am participating in a master class in Italy which is about a month long to work on my vocal technique and italian diction. Most of my foreign experience has been with italian.</p>
<p>My school selection? Well I am from Ohio so it would be nice to be in a familiar area. Texas: I have aways wanted to live there as well as California and Florida. Coming from a smaller university in the middle of no where I want an experience closer to the city and civilization!</p>
<p>An artist diploma is very plausible as well but I wanted a more broad experience. This is all simply foreign territory for me. I have been researching for almost a year now and feel more lost than I began. </p>
<p>Get as many assessments as possible. Make a laundry list of “issues”. You already know that your languages are sorely lacking. Have you had much music theory? How are your sight reading skills? What sort of technical issues might you be experiencing? Self evaluation is not enough…you need to sing for as many professionals as possible in order to get a fix on what you need to do next. Just picking a school based on location or some arbitrary ranking is not going to do it. (but I can tell you already KNOW that )</p>
<p>there is an amazing school in Philadelphia American Vocalist Academy or something like that…free tuition only for the best of the best in the world. Get in there, or consider getting an engineering job in an area with an affordable and really great opera college program and take lessons and courses until you are ready for a real graduate program. ?? My understanding is that professional opera is a long shot and hopefully you are one of the best of the best and make it. If you have an amazing voice, keep singing but I don’t know if I would get a second undergrad degree at any of those expensive schools! If rich it would be fun!</p>
<p>You mentioned that your funds were a little on the low side right now.</p>
<p>Re: San Francisco. I have a daughter there and it is NOT inexpensive even if you were to get a good scholarship. </p>
<p>Not only would you have a large school bill (even if you got a good scholarship…cause I don’t think they give out full rides…) it is very expensive to live there…DD pays $700/month to live in the living room of a one bedroom rent controlled apartment…roommate pays more since she has the bedroom.</p>
<p>I do not advise going into a lot of debt for a music degree (or just about any degree for that matter)… I currently pay $200/month for the $20,000 loan I took out when I got my nursing degree… (I’ve been paying 6 years…I think I’m down to about 12K left on the loan now)…so if you figure about $100/month for every 10K you borrow it can add up fast.</p>
<p>Yes I have seriously considered that too. A friend I know has being doing that. Most of my job offers have been paper mills in the middle of no where though lol…</p>
<p>AVA is the Academy of Vocal Arts and is not a viable option in this case. Only the best of the best are considered there and those are almost always students who already have undergrad and graduate degrees in VP and have done one or more Young Artist programs- they come there from HGO, Merola, etc.
I have been noticing that even smaller state school VP Masters programs are now stating that applicants possess an undergrad degree in VP- this is to keep students moving through and not have them stuck taking classes that they should have taken before. Artist Diploma spots are being filled with grad students looking to polish their repertoire before heading out on YAP auditions. I can think of a couple of schools which might be possibilities if you have a really promising voice (not finished, but with noticeable ability) and are willing to take the time needed to make up the classes you need (that can mean 1-2 semesters immersed in music theory and extensive language classes as well as diction where you must learn IPA) and have the ability to pay because there is not a lot of scholarship money available in this situation.</p>
<p>What about working with a really good teacher and coach and picking up the theory, etc with classes along the way. There are lots of roads to Rome. I know someone who is doing a very similar thing and it is going very well. Depending on what voice fach you are that could work in your favor.</p>
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lol…</p>