<p>My son will soon be applying to grad schools for vocal performance. I would like anyone's input on good schools and vocal coaches for this. He is a tenor and location does not matter. Thanks!!!</p>
<p>Your son should be looking for the teacher(s) he wants to study with first, before settling on a particular school, this is paramount and very important. Then once he finds a or some teachers he likes and visa verse, then he needs to look at where he can get the most money. At the grad level, this is important for several reasons. Then look at performance opportunities.</p>
<p>Been through this with my tenor son.</p>
<p>Agree with srw. For graduate school there is not much of a role for Mom anymore. He needs to use his current teachers, his network that he should have developed through other performers, grad students, summer programs, and research to find the places best for him. He can also research on the New Forum for Classical Singers where there are a lot of discussions about teachers, but take them with a grain of salt, too. Teacher(s), performance roles and money need to be considered.</p>
<p>Hey, give momoftenor a break! She didn’t say she was doing the search for the son or that the child wasn’t doing any of those things. She merely asked for “input” - possibly in order to provide additional data points for her son to consider or to increase her own knowledge of the field.</p>
<p>I am not doing the work for my son, I just really wanted some input on where to guide him. He is working very hard at this and wanted to give him some guidance. Thank you stradmom for your backing. This is all new to both of us and I really thought this forum would give us some insite not rip me apart for trying to help.</p>
<p>I don’t think anyone is really trying to “rip you apart”. It’s just a reality that when or if he is ready for grad school there is just not a lot we can offer as far a generic guidance. The guidelines for finding the right school are extraordinarily specific to your sons needs. Most important: a good teacher. And a good teacher specific to what your son requires at this point. Does he have any specific issues that need to be addressed? Does he have a specific style of music he wants to pursue? His best bet is to sing for as many people as possible before he starts his search and ask for evaluations and advice from those who know his voice and goals. He also needs to focus on opportunities and money. Grad schools are casting their upcoming operas when they are auditioning potential grad students. D got her best and biggest monetary offers from schools that knew exactly how and where she would be offered specific roles. I know that people get tired of hearing this: Do not go into debt. Follow the money AND opportunities.
Good luck to your tenor!!!</p>
<p>No ripping intended! Whether you or your son do the legwork is not important. I was just saying that finding the teacher(s) first is is the most important part. Don’t look for schools, then try to find teacher(s) within those schools.</p>
<p>Over the years I have done lots of legwork/research for my son. I might find a reference to a teacher that looks promising - pass it on to him - then it is up to him to review info and follow up or not.</p>
<p>In all probability your son probably knows most of what is needed in this process anyway.</p>
<p>I only speak up on this subject because my son has successfully negotiated this area. So I have a little knowledge to pass on that may be of help to others.</p>
<p>momoftenor, I have bumped a thread for you called “Voice teachers - things to consider”.</p>
<p>When the child comes out of high school, it is not a given that the child has greater access to undergraduate admission resources. But once the child is in a conservatory or SOM than the child clearly has far greater access to the necessary resources (connections, knowledge of teachers etc.) for the appropriate graduate school placement. The child has at least four years of resources while the parent, unless in the business, has an internet connection.</p>
<p>That being said, there is nothing wrong with the parent acting as an assistant to their child, just as they may have done in the undergraduate process. The kids are very busy, a little help may go a long way to relieving some of the pressure during the graduate admissions process.</p>
<p>While my daughter applied and auditioned at for undergrad vocal performance at Michigan, we had the pleasure of meeting Stanford Olsen, a tenor and professor at Michigan. He gave my daughter a lesson, let her sit in on his classes, and gave us great, thoughtful feedback both in person and via email. She was subsequently rejected last week from Michigan but we emailed him re: his knowledge of professors at IU/Jacobs School of Music as she’s been accepted there. He not only responded quickly, but gave us fantastic food for thought as well as names of professors that may be well suited for my daughter. His resume is spectacular, but is outshined by his professionalism, kindness, and obvious desire to truly help young people maximize their potential. I’m only hoping one day my daughter’s path will cross his again</p>
<p>susanwconway, congrats on IU and too bad about Michigan. How did you hear from Michigan? E-mail, on Wolverine access or post mail? I did not know SMTD had released any results, haven’t heard anything here yet(D, oboe.) Sorry to intrude on OP thread.</p>