Hi all. I’m beachymom, and my kiddo is a sophomore in high school. Reading through the magnitude of posts on the BA and BFA MT programs - choices, auditions, geo locations, cost factors. Wow - it’s a lot! My son is 16 and we are already beginning to look at possible options in an effort to prep and (possibly, hopefully, haha) save ourselves a wee bit of sanity during his final 2 years of school. Background info - he’s always loved the arts, and jumped into the world of musicals (school productions) last year - performances included Peter Pan and Into The Woods. He’s hooked. Big time. Vocally, he’s a baritone/“baritenor”, but can pull off a wide range with a fair amount of ease. (Although in All County, he’s was placed as a tenor in both 9th and 10th grades,) We have not done private lessons - dance (they are needed, for sure), voice or acting - as of now, he’s only received instruction from the fabulous chorus and drama teachers. Academically, he’s taking a difficult course load (honors and AP classes), and get averagish grades - mainly Bs although his transcript will have a couple of Cs and a sprinkling of As, but does get extra GPA points for those who accept a weighted GPA. SAT scores look like they should settle around the 1100/1600 mark. He’s not an athlete, but loves the school spirit associated with activities, even sports. Pretty normal kid - great heart and great face (biased mom ;)), tall and lanky (6’1" and still growing), and into his friends and girlfriend. But he will put all that aside to rehearse. And rehearse. And rehearse. And set build. And build again. Etc. etc, etc. I truly think that he’s found his passion. So what should our focus be right now? Do we pour into the things that come more naturally such as singing, and even acting? Or do we focus money and lessons into the “dance deficit”? Do we spend the moohlah for a space at a great summer program that is more generalized to MT? Or really focus on the private lessons? Are there certain schools that want only seasoned and trained dancers vs those that take newbies? Certain colleges and universities that are more fond of MT newbies in general? I’m really looking forward to hearing your valued thoughts and opinions. Thanks a million. Really.
Here are some past threads that may help:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1550577-when-should-i-start.html
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1772238-coaches-p1.html
The Featured Threads section is also worth perusing:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/categories/featured/musical-theater-major/
Only advice I have is to take a deep breath and understand that if your son wants to pursue MT, there is a program out there for him. Only you can decide where to spend your money - we hired an audition coach b/c it was too overwhelming for me, pesonally, to get organized about it on top of other responsibilities (though D has done a lot of legwork herself and it isn’t essential to have a coach if you are a detail oriented person). Sending him to a summer intensive might help him see if he really wants to pursue MT as a career or just as a hobby before he goes down the college audition road…not all of them are ridiculously expensive, especially if you find one nearby that doesn’t include lodging. My D did TXMTW and it definitely solidified the idea for her. She has always taken private voice, but dance was offered at her school (not advanced, mind you, but enough to help her feel comfortable as a “mover”) and we relied on her school theatre directors and some community theatre opportunities to hone her acting skills. So far she has felt well prepared for the “audition season.”
Lots of good resources in the links posted above. Be sure to step away when you feel overwhelmed by information overload. You don’t have to do everything that others have done or suggested - you just have to do what works for you and your S…
Looking at your list of questions, here are some ideas (in priority order, but note that I am not an expert and these are just ideas):
- Read Mary Ann Dennard's book: *I Got In*. It is available on Amazon. This is a solid, succinct introduction to the process and will help you know what questions to ask along the way.
- Take private voice lessons with a voice teacher who knows a lot about modern Musical Theatre and healthy pop/rock singing (a huge emerging trend in MT).
- Take as much ballet as you can fit into his schedule, at least enough to understand the basic terminology and positions. Jazz and a little tap would also be great if time permits. It can be really hard to fit dance in around an active high-schooler's schedule.
- Think about using a college audition coach during his junior and senior years, especially for help with finding and selecting appropriate monologues, monologue coaching, and guiding you through the audition process. Mary Anna Dennard and MTCA are both highly-respected nationally-known coaches/coaching services; there are others including many fine local coaches around the country. Just make sure the coach is up-to-date on the college audition process for MT. Many great local acting and voice teachers are not very up-to-date on the college audition process. Be wary of anyone who says, "Oh, he's great, he will get in everywhere."
- Summer programs are great, but are expensive and relatively limited in terms of actual duration. Programs that mostly focus on preparing a musical might not be the best choice vs. those that focus more on college audition prep and a showcase. Given the expense involved, I would personally recommend hiring a national audition coach vs. going to a summer program if financial resources are limited. However, many students would not trade their summer program experiences for anything, so your mileage may vary.
- Trying to determine the nuances of various programs is very difficult vis-a-vis, "they will take newbies," or "they prefer accomplished dancers." For every declaration I have heard such as, "that's a dance-heavy program that only takes slim builds and toned bods," I can point to a student they took who did not fit any of those attributes. I think its easier to think about, "is the overall experience offered by this program what I am looking for?"
Since your son is relatively new to the process, and a sophomore, I would recommend trying a college program this summer. Coaching is an excellent and focused use of $$ when preparing for actual auditions, but you may want to try to decide if this “hook” has to do with actually studying various elements of theater - or being in shows. They are two very different things. I have known kids who have been in dozens of productions, got accepted to great college programs (b/c they are talented) and then leave b/c they didn’t understand that there was going to be actual classwork involved. This is especially true if his experience has been limited to school shows…in my experience they are not a really accurate reflection of the college (let alone professional) world of theater.
Here is a thread with info on a wide variety of summer programs
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/122525-summer-program-big-list-data-info-keep-adding-p1.html
@beachymom In my opinion, the best thing to do right now is to find a really good private voice teacher who can teach MT vocal technique for the male voice. The other thing I would highly recommend is to have him apply to national level MT summer programs (or at least major regional programs) for this summer or next, preferably this summer if you can afford it and get those applications done (deadlines looming).
The voice lessons will give him the tools he needs, and good technique takes a while to hone. The summer programs will be fun, he will learn, and most importantly he will see what it really means to major in MT and what the talent level is nationally.
You all are fantastic. And prompt! Thanks so much. @EmsDad - ordering the book today, and look forward to reading it! We don’t live in a particularly “cultural” area, but it ends up that we do have a local university that offers an MT program! I’m going to contact the folks at Coastal and see if they have resources for voice lessons specific to the types you all mentioned. I’m not sure that we can swing (or get into due to deadlines) a summer program this go 'round, but will give it a go. Thx guys. Keep the ideas rolling. It’s appreciated.
Oh, and @toowonderful - you are exactly right. He loves rehearsing, set design and performing, but neither he (or me for that matter), know the ins and outs of an actual program. So I’m not sure where his “hook” is…
@beachymom … there are lots of summer programs that are non-audition. My D did both Indiana University’s Midsummer Theatre Program (a two week program) and Berklee’s Musical Theatre Intensive (one week) & both do not require auditions. I just checked the price for IU, and while it went up ($1700) it’s all inclusive and includes room & board … and truthfully, it’s a great way for theatre kids to immerse themselves in both a program and a college experience at a fantastic school.
Also, I think both voice lessons & dance lessons are must have investments for serious MT kids who are looking towards auditioning for college programs.
And I will echo hiring an audition coach. It is by far my biggest regret for my own daughter - she’s a college freshman MT BFA student now. I thought I could glean all the necessary information online to have a successful audition seasons … I couldn’t have been more wrong. The audition process for MT is like no other - most high school guidance counselors don’t have a clue, local voice teachers & dance instructors may not have current information … if I could go back in time the coach $$$ would’ve been well spent and I would’ve gladly forked it over. Those audition coaches have their fingers on the pulse of what those schools are looking to see and where your child will fit.
Btw … welcome! 
Hi @KaMaMom and thanks for the camp info. I’ll google the IU program tonight! Just emailedthe theatre department at CCU, so hoping to get some voice teacher recs soon.From what I’ve read here on College Confidential, the audition process is daunting, so we will go ahead and plan for a coach.
@KaMaMom As a mom going through the process right now, I would have to say that the fact that your D is currently a freshman in an MT BFA program means that you DID have a successful audition season. Congratulations to yo and your D!
@beachymom Also take a look at OCU’s 3 week HS MT summer program. The price is reasonable (for what you get, and compared with some other programs), and it is taught by the actual college faculty, so it is a great taste of what it really means to major in MT. The early bird deadline has probably passed, but I think he can still apply for the summer. The program is mostly rising juniors and seniors from all over the country. You do need to make an audition video, but that is great practice for the future!
@elsacc OCU - can you remind me of which school this stands for? TIA!
FWIW, we are in South Carolina, on the northern portion of the coast. I’m not sure if that sparks anyone’s thoughts on training or programs… Admittedly, I still need to read through the summer link that @toowonderful posted.
@beachymom Oklahoma City University – this would be an excellent choice for summer before 11th grade. I’m sure there are some other great options (maybe Coastal has something?). But just note that some programs are more geared to rising seniors and college audition prep, some programs are extremely expensive, some firm deadlines have passed, and some programs are more camp-like (which can also be great, but not as realistic a preview of majoring in MT in college). The OCU program requires an audition, so definitely look through the list for some additional options. There are more options available for summer before senior year, but many folks on this board advocate working with a coach that summer and doing a summer program earlier.
@emdpraze … true! =))
But the reason she is … is because of this very board. And that is wholeheartedly, the 100% unvarnished truth.
The reason I’ve stuck around is to pay it forward … I will never be able to repay the parents on this board personally for all they did, so hanging around here is the closest I can get.
The recent thread about Performing vs Training would probably be a good read as well. Good luck! I’m grateful to this board as well. So much great information, so many helpful people!
@beachymom You might want to try sending a PM to AlexaMT. She is a Coastal Carolina grad, an incredibly sweet and generous young woman. She might have some SC info for you. And, yay for SC! We are at our place in Hilton Head at the moment and loving every warm minute of it.
I have an actor friend who works and teaches in Charlotte so if you have any interest in that area, let me know and I’ll see if I can put you in touch.
@beachymom - if you are wanting something closer to home, I would check out TPAP (The Performing Arts Project) held on the campus of Wake Forest University in North Carolina. Although our D has not attended, it has been highly recommended to us by a number of people. And I know those here on CC who have attended have found it extremely worthwhile.
Thanks all!! You rock.