Because I’m technologically inept, we hired a high school senior headed to film school to do the filming. It took a lot of stress off of me to make sure we got everything recorded. I was terrified if I did it I would a) not get a quality recording - it would be out of focus or sound would be bad or b) I would accidently erase important recordings while trying to edit or c)record in a format that wouldn’t upload. Handing over the filming to someone else alleviated all of those concerns. He also edited everything as each school requested and provided D with both DVDs and digital files for each school. He also put the titles on things etc… Stuff like that would have taken me forever!! We paid him $100 in total. He used his own equipment. We didn’t go for a really slick, highly produced, expensive prescreen, but the $100 we did spend was incredibly stress relieving and worth it. D passed all prescreens.
One thing that did help before filming was creating a spreadsheet showing what each school required. it provided a good way to make sure all necessary components were all recorded per each school’s instructions. And it made the recording go very quickly because we knew exactly what we needed to record in what order.
When my S did prescreens, we did it ourselves. Split an accompanist with another auditionee and recorded on our cameras. My S is an excellent editor so it worked. However, I asked a friend (who happens to be professional videographer) to do it for my D in the fall. His rates are extremely reasonable and it takes a load off my mind to know we don’t have to worry about screwing up the editing. One less thing to worry about in this process is never a bad thing!
I think pre-recorded tracks is a must for pre-screens. I think only one school required live accompaniment. My s set up a tripod and recorded himself and edited himself. i bet every high school has at least one kid who could record and edit and b thrilled to get paid $100. And I agree that is money well spent. The editing is needed to get the best “cut” not to enhance the quality of sound.
not to be a pest, but can we move this convo over to the venting thread? I’m sitting with tea waiting to read the backgrounds when I see there are new postings here.
There are prescreen threads, too.
Have not posted all year - my girl was class of 2018… Got some news now…
I’m posting this in 2019 and 2018 - my daughter transferred out of her REVERED and fantastic program at BSU that she misses so terribly. It was a painstaking decision - but she really wanted/needed to attend an MT program on the east coast and closer to home. (We are from Virginia) For any of you parents still struggling with either disappointment, and/or your kid going off to a school that may or may not be the one originally hoped for - 1) It may be the PERFECT FIT after all – most times that’s how it goes - so forward march and be VERY EXCITED!!!, and 2) contact me privately if you could use counsel now (or later next year) and I can run down how things work as you try to help your kid take a different road - if that is what they wish to or need to, do…
So here goes - after that long hard audition circuit last year, and a few great offers (but none close to home - ahhh well one, but BSU beat them out) she joined the program at BALL STATE (go Bill, Andrea, Johanna, Christie, everyone - the place is the bomb.com) and had a superior time her first semester. (One of 12 girls in the MT class…what an honor that was.) For the primary reason of being 10 and 1/2 hours from home (for this particular student), she needed to make an adjustment. So we sort of “forced her hand” to bring her home in January and then she decided to recast her die…
Applied/auditioned this year, at only a few close to home schools on the east coast, and one silly audition (in Boston) for the Berklee College of Music for vocal performance. None of this was planned - as she/we had no plan when we suddenly kind of sort of “kidnapped” her from Ball State the 2nd week of January just as Spring semester was starting… So honestly - the last thing that she or anyone expected was for her to be going back to college (for musical theatre) in the Fall of 2015. As you all know, you have to prepare, plot, prescreen, produce - arrghhhh is there anything worse that auditioning/applying in this sector??? So yeah, just a few auditions - for any local area schools whose deadline she had not yet missed - and one in particular - her initial top choice both this year and last year, in truth…
Of the six she auditioned for - 4 accepts, 1 reject, and the topper - Berklee College of Music (vocal music major) - fat scholarship - you’re a prodigy…blah blah blah blah…
Wow what a difference a year makes? What statistically fantastic results this year!!!
The GREAT news - the very last one to come in - on April 11 - the longshot, the one she wanted, that we told Grandma not to bother praying about - too much academic competition in our area, layered with the fact that they only take no more than 6 girls and 6 boys (we heard) and sometimes Zero transfer students - last year supposedly they took only one - they said at the auditions… (our hearts sunk…) So yeah - we told Grandma - lady stop praying - it’s not happening! She scoffed and said she was doing it anyway…We reminded her of the prior year, that hundreds audition at times for a handful of spots??? That it is a statistically impossible equation.
And then on April 11 - YES - there it is - the impossible came true. And my daughter and I were vacationing with her two older sisters and brother in California - and the news arrives. Oh the party began that night. She is IN IN IN IN IN!!! She and everyone are still pinching themselves and the well wishers - friends, family, teachers and mentors, Ball State friends, MT friends there, and her teachers there - all congratulating her - this is the one she wanted. Everyone has to take their own path.
James Madison University Musical Theatre- - HERE COMES YOUR GIRL!!! Thanks for seeing/hearing her potential to make her the 1 of your 6 (or whatever number) of girls in the new class. Could this really be happening. It’s all too unbelievable. And one hour and 40 minutes from our house… Need I say anything else about that? (Kate…she and our posse is looking forward to this more than anything you can possibly imagine. We are sending you a seriously hardworking chick. The three before her were UVA, Gettysburg, and Va. Tech - all highly successful adults - and they consider HER their idol… So yeah - she’s gonna work her butt off - you’ll see…)
Good luck to everyone in their MT endeavors when Fall begins to all of you students across the globe and their toiling, tired, MT PARENTS!!!
PS: BSU - shout out - she misses you TERRIBLY - Best college/program on earth. She said on January 9 and I quote “I wish I could just lift the whole campus/program and plunk them on the east coast.” Anyone going there is a totally lucky person.
But this Virginia girl is the total luckiest lady on earth now to attend the only PUBLIC University in Virginia with a reputation of academic excellence of top caliber AND with a Musical theatre (via audition only) program, (too bad UVA and Va Tech - get with the “MT program” hahahha). She has made her choice. Go DUKES!!!
Thanks for sharing your story and your good counsel about Ball State @goingplacesmomD! So excited that your daughter has this great opportunity so much closer to home. You are wise people to know when something wasn’t working for your kid – even the distance from home! Best of luck to her in her new adventure – just sorry our girls won’t get the chance to work together at BSU!
@goinplacesmomsD - We live in VA, too, and are totally with you regarding the hidden gem that JMU is. The program and campus are great! Had the pleasure of meeting Kate, and she was extremely kind and helpful. (My son auditioned last year.) I wish the best to your daughter-- if being closer to home is what makes her happy, then she’s at her dream school, for sure.
APPLIED TO: Wright State, Baldwin-Wallace, Cincinnati Conservatory, University of Michigan, Shenandoah, Elon, Western Michigan, Coastal Carolina, Ohio Northern, Texas State, Otterbein
PRESCREENS: Baldwin-Wallace, UofM, Shenandoah, Elon, Coastal, TSU, Otterbein… passed BW, UofM, Shenandoah, Elon, Coastal… did not pass TSU, Otterbein
WITHDREW FROM: Coastal Carolina prior to audition.
ARTISTICALLY ACCEPTED: Ohio Northern, Shenandoah, Wright State.
REDIRECTED: BW, Cincinnati University, Coastal Carolina, TCU, Western, Otterbein
COACH: None
SUMMER PROGRAMS: Take if From the Top MT workshop at Michigan State University (3 yrs),
The Performing Arts Project - Company 3
TRAINING:
Dance (13 years Scottish Highland, 1 year ballet, some swing/ballroom)
Voice (3 years private lessons, 4 years show choir/vocal jazz ensemble, 10 yrs church choir)
Acting (6 years via HS and community theatre)
Instruments (piano, guitar, ukulele, drums, cajon, harmonica, pennywhistle, bagpipes)
THE JOURNEY:
We were able to schedule three auditions before Christmas. Wright State was first… complete with a master class the day prior. We also got to see their production of ‘Hot Mikado’ which was excellent. Then it was on to Baldwin-Wallace, and another great show… “A Chorus Line.” Finally, a trip to CCM.
He heard from all 3 fairly quickly. BW was the first ‘no’, which was hard. He LOVED that program and could really see himself there. CCM ‘no’ came just 5 days after the audition. Ouch. We had expected to hear from WSU in 2-3 weeks, but it was nearly six. When it came it was in a small, thin envelope. I was worried, but it was a YES!
Because of the TSU and Otterbein pre-screen rejections, and because we live in the Midwest, we decided to cancel our Unified reservations and do all auditions on campus. Most schools were within a 4-5 hour drive… Shenandoah is 8, Elon is 10. After the Wright acceptance, S deemed Coastal was too far, and not as high on his list as Wright, so we let that one go.
He had auditions every weekend from the last weekend in January through the first weekend in March, except one, which was a show-choir concert weekend. Those weeks were a whirlwind… UofM (which was a day-trip), Shenandoah, Ohio Northern (in a blizzard), Elon and finally Western.
Acceptances came from the programs where he was able to connect with the faculty. At each, they took the time to ask questions and get to know him, which he appreciated. The Shenandoah ‘yes’ came just 5 hours after the audition, which was a wonderful ego boost! The ‘no’ from Michigan was sad, but my husband and I are Michigan State alums, so, not sad from a sports-fan perspective! LOL.
FINAL DECISION: Wright State!
Wright was his first audition and a friend said, “Geez, the rest were waste of time, huh?” Not at all. Each audition was a great learning experience. He was able to discern what he really wanted by experiencing the various campuses, programs and even faculty first-hand. There is a big difference between a program on paper (on the web) and a program in person. I was SO glad we were able to be on-campus for all the auditions. He is very, very happy with his choice! So am I. I love that he will only be a few hours from home!
LESSONS:
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Auditioning before the holidays was the best thing for us! I highly recommend early auditions if you can manage them. He was able to go into the full-swing of audition season with some ‘experience’ and knowledge of what the process would be like.
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See a school’s musical production if you can. It is (for all intents and purposes) the ‘product’ for a given school. It is the result of their instruction and training. We were lucky to see shows at several schools (pre-audition year as well as this year). Shows can tell you a lot about a program. Honestly, WSU’s ‘Hot Mikado’ was the best show we saw at any school. I think that was a huge factor in my son’s decision.
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Use good spreadsheets/checklists to keep yourself organized. And keep good records of when you sent/received paperwork, audition materials, etc. I used a binder with a section for each school and combined spreadsheets at the front. “The Book” went with us to all auditions. I am more than willing to share my spreadsheets. I’ve been told that they are really good. I color coded everything. I’m a freak.
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Make friends. One of the best parts of the process was the core group of MT Moms I’ve become close friends with through this process. We formed a FB chat group and these friends were a wonderful, more intimate support group through all the ups and downs of the process. My S is the only student at our HS pursuing theatre as a college path, the only one going through this process. No one in my town ‘gets it’. It has been wonderful to have these friends to turn to & laugh with. I know we will be close for years to come!
Congratulations, @MTmom2015!!
Congrats, @MTmom2015! Your son’s TPAP rookie is proud. He’ll love Wright State!
I LOVE YOU @MTmom2015!!! SOOOOOO Happy for your S and I too couldn’t have gone thru this without the tremendous support and friendship!! So happy your S is in driving distance!!! Road trip!!! xo
Congrats @MTmom2015! H and I are both MSU grads, as well. Seeing maize and blue in our house would have been a little difficult to swallow. WSU colors are MUCH better. We’re still not sure if the official colors are green and white (like Sparty) or green and yellow (AND white??). Either way, Go Raiders!
Great story @MTmom2015! Sounds like your son is going to LOVE WSU 
@mom4bwayboy YAY fellow Spartans! I think there is some gold in the offical WSU colors, but we can ignore that and focus on the green!
APPLIED TO: Baldwin-Wallace, CCM, University of Michigan, Penn State, Hartt, UArts, Ithaca, Syracuse, Pace, NYU Steinhardt, Rider
PRESCREENS: Baldwin-Wallace, UofM, Ithaca, Pace, Penn State, NYU Steinhardt, (Passed all pre-screens)
ARTISTICALLY ACCEPTED: Hartt, UArts
WAITLISTED: BW, NYU Steinhardt
REDIRECTED: BW, Rider, Pace, Ithaca
COACH: None, other than her regular voice teacher and a few sessions of coaching with a family friend who is a professional actor.
SUMMER PROGRAMS: None.
TRAINING:
Dance (2 years jazz and ballet, one year Tap)
Voice (6 years private lessons)
Acting (no formal training in acting outside of the productions she has been in)
THE JOURNEY:
We went into this process a little naive about the level of competition. My D is a strong vocalist who can certainly move but clearly does not have the dance training that others have had. She has benefited from an outstanding public HS theater and choral department and from doing local regional theater shows with some amazingly talented people. I can’t say too much about those opportunities without revealing too much personal info, but they really were life-altering for my D.
We began with our first audition in Nov. at BW. My daughter fell head-over-heels fr the program and was hoping to get an acceptance, but ended up on the waitlist. Next up was Hartt in December and she loved it there as well (more than she thought she would, because it was in her eyes “too close to home”) She really connected with the auditors and loved that they took time to talk with her. The acceptance came in January, right before we left for NY Unifieds.
Unifieds were an unqualified disaster for my D. The high anxiety levels, the crowded hallways, the overabundance of stimulation coming from all directions was just too much for her. She never found her groove. She auditioned there for CCM, Penn State, UArts, and Rider. She had done Pace the day before. Pace had gone well but the dance was way above her level so she knew it was a long shot, but she had gotten a HUGE academic scholarship, so we held out hope. She felt like every audition she did at unifieds was a diasaster so we were a little surprised to get a Yes from UArts.
On Campus audition at Michigan went well but D had a moment of panic after the poor showing at Unifieds and switched her songs at the last minute, then had another moment of panic about 20 minutes before her audition and switched back to her original selections. She was really nervous for that one, more than others I think.
Syracuse was her worst audition experience. The auditors never even looked up at her or spoke to her.
We enjoyed each other’s company and although it was stressful and crazy, I don’t regret a single minute of it.
FINAL DECISION: Hartt School - BFA MT
She was disappointed to not get off the BW waitlist, especially after sitting on it and dreaming about it for so long in the process, but she has come around to being closer to home and really loves the Hartt program and their solid combo of acting and vocal training. Because she is “behind” in dance, she can also add additional classes through their community program at very little cost. I am happy to have her so close to home
LESSONS:
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Auditioning early was good for us. D lost a lot of steam after Unifieds.
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I will second seeing a school’s musical production if you can. D was very impressed by Hartt’s production of Rent and it helped her get excited about the prospect of going there.
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Know your child. Unifieds was not the right environment for my D. She was more relaxed and comfortable on-campus. NY is a ZOO. Some people thrive in that scene but others don’t. If you are in the latter camp, no amount of money saved is worth it.
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If you can afford it, find a coach who specializes in college auditions. D had wonderful assistance from her current teacher, but I think that the coaches who deal with schools all the time definitely provide a valuable service. I wish we had known about them earlier.
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Keep your sense of humor and try not to second guess yourself. You can’t possibly get everything right, and in the end, know that it really doesn’t matter. Your child is enough. YOU are enough. People will tell you that they will end up in the right place and you won’t believe them when you are in the thick of each rejection letter arriving, but they are probably right. Believe them.
Congrats to you and your D @gingersnap97 !!! I think we were at BW the same weekend. Our good friend is a Hartt alum and has nothing but praise! Hurray!
Terrific story @gingersnap97 - sounds like she’ll be in the right place.
Congrats, @gingersnaps97! Your D’s experience sounds a lot like my D’s last year… BAL at Hartt!
Hi, what exactly qualifies as “coaching” ? My daughter has a voice teacher; is that coaching? I heard some coaches suggest, dress, hair, color shoes etc. So I see many refer to coaching but what exactly is everyone talking about? Thanks for your help!