One goal I have is to be a performer hopefully one day, but one of my main goals I want to do is teach musical theatre/theatre/music at a place like the Beck Center of you know what that is. Anyone else want to do something like this that can give me info or colleges that offer good degrees for this. I’m going to be a senior in high school and I live in Ohio. I started voice lessons 3 weeks ago and I started dancing in January of this month, just jazz. I am a male baritone.
I believe that BW (which is quite near you and VERY involved at the Beck) has a theater education major.
Are you wanting to stay in Ohio? If not, check out this older thread- a little different than what you’re asking, but it has some suggestions that could also work for you:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/theater-drama-majors/1263454-directing-theatre-education.html
Others schools that I believe have theatre ed majors are NYU Steinhardt, Ball State, and Emerson. I could definitely be wrong, but I don’t believe that BW has one. You may want to look for BA Theatre programs where you can choose a concentration in education, too.
@theatekidforever - Sounds like you are off to a good start. Are you thinking of getting a BA in something like “Theater/Music Education”? Or are you more interested in honing your own performance skills while in college? If you are truly interested in teaching and it’s at all possible in your schedule, you might try to get some “teaching” experience now. Perhaps look for venues where you can be an assistant on Saturdays, in the evenings or over holidays/breaks, helping at kids’ camps, classes, community theater performances, etc. I’m no expert on the teaching aspect of MT/Theater/Music, but my guess is that to be successful you may need quite a bit of experience under your belt and at this point in your life working with younger kids is a viable option. I don’t know what your local situation is, but in our area places like CCM Prep and local dance studios might give class tuition breaks for older students that help out with younger ones. Working with younger ones now will give you experience with dealing with groups of students and getting to know what goes on behind the scenes in the theater/dance/music world - perhaps giving you a better feel for what yo might want to do post-college.
Again, I’m no expert, but my guess is that most places hiring professional theater teachers are going to want people with performance AND teaching experience, often accompanied by a masters degree of some sort - especially if you want to teach at the high school or college level and beyond. My non-expert advice is to look for colleges that interest you for their MT/Theater/Music programs - either BA of BFA - and then look towards a Masters at some point after you graduate from college. If being a “performer” is not your primary goal, a program offering a BA in Theater Studies with an “education” component may be what you are looking for and more Ohio schools offer that than ones offering strictly “MT” or “Acting” programs. Perhaps look for programs that have a close affiliation with a children’s theater program, theater camps and/or a theater/music “prep” academy/conservatory, where you might be able to get assistant teaching/intern positions while you are in school. You can then also look for summer internships, either in your hometown or elsewhere in the country. Others on this forum have spoken of getting Theater Administration minors and I believe there can also be an Education minor or double major - most probably with a BA, but CAN be done at some BFA programs if you are diligent. Look through the threads that are “pinned” to the top of this forum for the big list of schools and programs. Many people on this forum are focused on the BFA track, with its emphasis on performance skills, but there are also folks on here who are interested in the Education/Children’s Theater aspect and I’m sure they can give you more information about specific schools/programs.
We are also in Ohio and my S is a sophomore in the MT program at Wright State in Dayton. At least a few of the upper classmen in the MT/Acting/Theater program have pursued summer and school-year employment/volunteer positions with WSU’s MAPP program and other venues in the local community theater scene. Some have continued that interest with competitive summer internships at children’s theater camps/intensives/performance venues in different parts of the country. Some of the CCM (University of Cincinnati) students do the same sorts of things locally in the Cincinnati area and at CCM’s Prep Department.
Other things to look at when considering college are your GPA, ACT/SAT scores, financial situation and how far you want to travel from home. Are you only looking in Ohio? The more you can share, the more folks will be able to offer advice for your specific needs. Good luck.
I’ve worked at a theatre camp at this church I’m currently performing at for kids grade 1-6, I liked it. I’m not sure yet if I want to work at a school. I was looking at working at a place that teaches classes and lessons. But, I still want to be able to perform when I can, I love performing. I got a 24 on the ACT and I believe my GPA is a 3.6/4.0 I was wondering if it was possible to major in MT and do teaching I was looking into Kent State earlier
You may also want to consider summer internships. There are some wonderful children’s theaters around the country that seek teaching apprentices or interns to help with their summer camps. And it seems like a few of the summer stock theaters D auditioned for asked if she would be willing to teach classes in addition to performing in their summer shows. So those would be great opportunities to seek out during the summer while in college.
I have no personal experience with Kent, but S knows a couple HS classmates who are MT majors and really like it there. Your GPA and ACT score should be good enough to make you eligible for some nice programs. No matter what you decide to major in at college and no matter what school you end up at, don’t feel that whatever decisions you make now, or next spring will lock you into a path for the rest of your life. Look for a program that is a good fit for YOU as you are, with your particular interests. Theater students can get all kinds of experiences and exposures that shape their paths while they are in school, as well as after. Try to visit the schools you are interested in this fall if you can. Do any of the ones you are looking into require auditions? I THINK Kent State does to be an MT major. Some schools like Baldwin-Wallace, Wright State, Otterbein and others require auditions for MT/Acting, but perhaps not for Theater Studies or Theater Ed, if offered. IF you are looking to apply as an MT major to a program that requires an audition, you will want to prepare for that and get your application materials in as soon as possible. It’s generally not so much of a rush for Theater Studies/Education.
Sorry I cannot be more help with the Education aspect. My own S was so focused on the BFA track, that that is all I am familiar with except through hearsay.
We just ran into someone today who went to Ashland and now is on the board at a local theatre like Beck and teaches classes there. We didn’t look into Ashland, but she spoke highly of it.
I’ll be starting at DePaul next month as a BFA Theatre Arts student with a Directing Concentration - but I know there’s a Theatre for Young Audiences concentration, too, which is mostly just theatre ed. Something to look at!
Other Ohio schools worth checking out: Ohio Northern, Bowling Green, Muskingum (offers MT minor and is highly connected in the Ohio summer/year-round theater scene). You might also want to look into Northern Kentucky, Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan (all three may offer in-state tuition to Ohio residents) and Michigan State University
When the time comes, consider auditioning for programs like Missoula Children’s Theatre. Look up the movie “The Little Red Truck” to learn about their program, which brings theatre to children in rural communities. The young actors drive the truck and, direct and stage the shows in small towns across the West. Really cool for someone interested in theatre education.
^ Seconded! There are quite a few people in my department who have gone on tour with Missoula and Prairie Fire, and they’ve loved the experience.
@theatekidforever if you PM an email, I’d be happy to forward to a Kent MT student I know who may be able to provide you solid input.