Help Choosing College for Musical Theatre or Vocal Performance

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi there,</p>

<p>I've been very fortunate to have been admitted to some of my top choices of all the colleges I have auditioned for; however, I am not sure where I want to go. It has always been my dream to be a musical theatre major, but I also auditioned for vocal performance, since classical voice has always been my training. </p>

<p>For Musical Theatre, I have been admitted into the following:
1. UCLA
2. The Boston Conservatory
3. NYU Tisch (Waitlisted)
4. Pace University (Waitlisted)</p>

<p>For Vocal Performance, I have been admitted into the following:
1. The Boston Conservatory
2. University of Southern California
3. Carnegie Mellon University
4. Berklee College of Music
5. University of Michigan (Waitlisted)</p>

<p>While I really want to do musical theatre, it worries me that UCLA has a BA program instead of a BFA. And UCLA does not offer voice lessons for the first two years. Boston Conservatory has a BFA, but I don't know if a conservatory life is the right college experience for me. Being surrounded by artists alone, I feel like I would grow tired of my peers. </p>

<p>If I were to get a BFA in Vocal Performance from Carnegie Mellon, or a BM in VP from BoCo, USC, or UMich, would musical theatre still be an option for me as a career? No, I would not have the same acting and dance training as musical theatre majors, but I would still take classes on the side.</p>

<p>Where do you recommend I go?</p>

2

<p>I am no expert on music, but it sounds like you need to pick the school that is the best overall fit for you. If UCLA doesn’t offer the right options, and Boston Conservatory isn’t necessarily the environment you want, I think the vocal performance degree may be preferable. You should look into the individual schools for vocal and see if they would allow you to be in musical theatre productions and take many classes on the side. Also consider that they are all in completely different parts of the country - where do you want to be? I hope this helps.</p>

3

<p>I suggest you post on CC’s Musical Theater major forum, where I suspect you will be advised that there are many successful performers who didn’t graduate from BFA programs and where you’ll also get lots of good advice on all your options. I’ll mention that Berklee is a very different school from the others, one that is perfect for some, but not a good match for many.</p>

<p>(This musical theater nerd is appreciating the Drowsy Chaperone reference, btw.)</p>