<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>I’ve been there too. And I decided on BoCo for VP for this year! You just have to think ahead to what you want to do! Musical Theater is preparing you to be a triple threat in a very competitive world. Consider your own personal love for dance and acting as well and NOT just voice. Also consider future performing opportunities. Generally, MT’s graduate with their BFA and there is no grad program to go into (Though BoCo does now offer an MFA in MT) and jobs are hard to come by. Voice is preparing you to be either an opera singer or a performer who’s main skill is singing. Plenty of famous Broadway people have done VP (Kristin Chenoweth, for instance). And, also, with a BM in VP, you can go to grad school afterwards and get a job teaching at the university level if you don’t get hired performing.</p>
<p>I tend to disagree with VoiceTeacher’s post above. MT’s are a dime a dozen, and after a short 4 years of training in three areas, you are forced out into a world of 409573406 people audition for the same roles as you. With VP, you have many options, from grad school for continued performance studies, or grad school for pedagogy. Both of which would allow you to teach at the university level (good money) if you don’t get a job performing.</p>
<p>But most importantly, if you get a degree in MT, ALL YOU CAN DO IS MT. You would never be taken seriously as a musician/performer at ALL in the VP world. With VP, you’re leaving your options open for opera, musical theater, or teaching. The smart choice is VP if you ask me!</p>
<p>I hope I’ve given you some insight, and hope to see you at BoCo this fall if that’s your choice! Good luck!</p>
<p>Not weighing in one way or another on the VP/ MT major discussion… just wanted to clarify that you can go to graduate school to get an MFA or a Phd after receiving a BFA… you also could audition for MM programs in voice/ vocal pedagogy. There are not many Musical Theatre MFAs, but many former BFAs who pursue MFAs do so in acting or directing.</p>
<p>For university teaching an MFA (theatre/ musical theatre), DMA (music), or a Phd (academic areas of music and theatre) is a “terminal degree” … the degree needed for most tenure track university teaching positions. An MFA takes approximately 3 years… a DMA requires an MM first, so it will generally take 5 - 7 years to complete. A Phd also generally takes 5 - 7 years to complete. </p>
<p>I would not say that with a MT degree that all you can do is MT any more than I would say with a VP degree that all you can do is classical voice. Different paths will suit different people. Follow the educational path that you feel will help you meet your short term educational goals and set you up for long term possibilities. A student who really wants to be in a VP program may not develop as well in a MT program… a student who really wants to be in a MT program may not develop as well in a VP program.</p>
<p>Kat: / Follow the educational path that you feel will help you meet your short term educational goals and set you up for long term possibilities. /</p>
<p>This is very wise advice. I think this is a good guide as my D begins the audition cycle in the fall!!!</p>
Good luck!</p>