<p>Oh, goodness, yes, I am not at all criticizing people who choose to take on debt, or students who cannot get through college without some debt. I get that that is a reality. (In fact, I am sure it seems ironic that my own kid is at arguably one of the most expensive MT training programs in the country, and I am writing this. Suffice to say that the financial aid package offered was much better than we had imagined it would be, and that I am fortunate enough to work for an employer with very generous tuition benefits for the kids of employees. Otherwise, frankly, ain’t no way my kid would be at Tisch.)
I just wanted to chime in because I well remember when I was in your guys’ shoes, and <em>the</em> goal was for my D to get into the very best MT training program that would take her. That seemed like the ultimate. (Laughing at myself now … a little, anyway.) But now that she is three-quarters of the way through a program, a different reality is kicking in, which is how she will make the transition between school life and “real life,” financially, next spring. I guess in my long-winded way, I am saying that it behooves us all to look ahead financially, not only to what school and how much that will cost, but to the fact that our kids may require some “funding” at least initially, and plan so you can do that if you are willing.</p>
<p>wow, what a great thread this is.</p>
<p>^^^Agreed SDonCC</p>
<p>Love this thread & sorry it is old. What happened to the kids? DD had people she knew that were stars in their own school but never auditioned anywhere else! So when they auditioned at Julliard and Berklee they did not get a look. Their aim was so high that they did not bother to have a safety plan & now they are not in COLLEGE & still live at home. </p>
<p>I’m not sure which kids you are wondering about. Mommafrog’s daughter must be a junior at Ball State by now. Some of the others have kids that have graduated. Reading the now almost 3 year old posts I want to say, “oh young halflokum… there is so much I could teach you.” </p>
<p>Isn’t the OP GertrudeMcFuzz “at bat” this year with her daughter or am I a year off? This was a good thread. I had forgotten about it.</p>
<p>BTW, the walk on that young halflokum asked about is now a sophomore in MT at Tisch.</p>
<p>Oh my - it is fun to see this thread resurrected & consider how much has happened since. Yep, my D is “at bat” right now, but is auditioning for Vocal Performance rather than MT. As a direct result of this thread & all the great advice we received, we went out and got her a NATS-member classical voice teacher who she is still with. We’ve planned out all her applications with a big emphasis on affordability, so hopefully she won’t end up with any debt. She had a brief period of practicality last year when she decided she would major in Chemistry & do music on the side, but she realized that she would be absolutely miserable watching the music majors & wishing she was one of them. Thanks again everyone for the great advice that was provided here!</p>
<p>I can tell you what we did with my D. We have a local theater group that has three founders/performers that have been in the MT business for years. They offer a one week music theater intensive training program every summer, and we had our daughter take that. At the end of the week I sat down with the three principals and asked then point blank for an objective appraisal of my D and whether her pursuit of an MT degree/career was something we should do. They all said yes. We then also had a friend of my wife’s who directs the stage shows for, shall we say a major theme park in the US, interview my D, listen to her sing and do monologues. at the end of that he looked at me and said: I know what question you’re going to ask and, yes, she has the ability. </p>
<p>To me, these were invaluable. Go to professionals with a long history of success in the field, and ask them to be brutally honest. </p>
<p>Its definitely important to know if a student has talent before pursuing a degree and career in this field. But equally important is whether they have the passion and tenacity to endure an intense college program and then the extremely competitive work environment they will enter after they graduate. They will need to be able to live frugally. Manage their money so that they can survive during those months they are looking for their next role. Which may mean they need to be willing to do all sorts of flexible, part time jobs that will still allow them to audition. I guess I’m just trying to say talent is just one piece of it. I have seen a number of kids who have left their schools or programs after a semester or a year because it is so much harder and more intense than what they thought it would be. I’ve also seen working actors who have to continually reinvent themselves to survive. We have one hometown girl who had several major roles in Broadway shows who at times has been hawking purses she makes and other things to make it during those times she was without a role. She has explored country music, sitcom television, webcasts and all sorts of things. She has pieced together a nice career but it has not been easy even after she landed some big Broadway roles. Its just good to make sure your student is going into their college program and in this profession with a realistic view of what it will be like. At the end of the day, it sometimes is the person with the most passion and tenacity that survives in this field, not necessarily the most talented. I’ve seen lots of talented kids who couldn’t take the intense environment and competition. And I’ve seen those with seemingly less talent thrive because of their drive and determination. So yes, they need to have talent. But they really need to be passionate that this is what they want to do.</p>
<p>DD was surprised at the kids who left school or changed majors because music is too hard. Also vvnstar… some of her friends went to NYC & ran into a local boy who just graduated from a top theatre program…he was a street performer!</p>
<p>^^Which if you ask me is bold and very OK and I assume that is what you mean. He is living his dream in NYC and may have many other things in the works concurrently - or not but in any event, he’s there. It takes guts. </p>
<p>Yes! It is tough & he does whatever he can. He has been cast in a couple of shows. </p>
<p>Hi all - just to bring this thread full circle & emphasize how much a kid can change & develop over the 4 years of high school, I thought I’d share the final outcome. D is now a freshman at Temple U on a full tuition scholarship. She changed her major from Vocal Performance to Music Education & now has aspirations toward teaching, choral conducting & participating in a professional choir, such as a Master Chorale. She just auditioned into one of the a capella groups on campus and is having the time of her life. Again, I credit CC & the wisdom we found here with this amazing outcome. Hope I can help others coming up in future years the way y’all have helped us!</p>
<p>Very interesting thread. We’ve been going through some of the same thoughts expressed in this thread. S is a junior in high school - very much involved in music and theater for several years. However, all of this has been in school. He’s worked his way up from small roles to the lead roles in the school musicals, has recently started taking part in plays as well. Does very well (I am his mom after all!) and has been told he has a great voice and “presence”. Has already been cast in several roles for the winter play and is expecting a good role in the spring musical as well.</p>
<p>He’s a smart kid (great GPA and SAT/ACT scores) and has always thought he would do something else as his major (political science/international politics etc) but still continue to be involved in theater/music. Recently, his directors and college counselors have been suggesting that he try the gamut of theater applications - now, the kid is really confused! And so am I.</p>
<p>How do we decide if he should really apply as a theater major/MT major? Or forego this and just try and find a school where he can participate in theater?</p>
<p>This business is unbelievably difficult and heart wrenching at times. I would say that if this is not his passion, he may want to major in something other than MT and participate in theater on the side. This is an incredible commitment emotionally, financially, and physically. Not something to pursue if it’s not a true passion. JMHO</p>
<p>I will pass on advice my D received multiple times as she became serious about pursuing this career. “If you can see yourself doing anything else… Do it.” The business is a marathon, not a sprint. The point I’m trying to make is, that he shouldn’t choose this path because others think he should, but because it’s the path he is passionate about pursuing. If he’s not sure… A BA program might be a better fit. </p>
<p>Its hard to say @arisamp in my son’s case there was truly no other path. There is no back up plan, he can only see himself in theatre one way or another. I don’t think its something to be talked into, most try to talk them out of it :))</p>
<p>Research programs and see what appeals to him. My S attends Otterbein, BFA MT with a dance concentration (basically a dance minor) its very conservatory like. He has no “normal” core class, like math, science or english. He dances every AM for an hour, some days longer, then has Teens on Screens, stage make up, theater fundamentals and acting/movement class is a few hours a day (can’t remember how many) . A true liberal arts program would have the “normal” classes. If he’s not 100% a BA may definitely be a better choice. </p>
<p>
I’ve made this point before, but this seems like a great time to remind people that choosing a BA does NOT mean that a kid is less than 100% committed to becoming a professional MT, and choosing a BFA MT does NOT mean kids will graduate to become professional performers. </p>
<p>D’s BA (at Northwestern University) MT Certificate program has many kids who are absolutely, unquestionably, 100% committed to performing professionally. Conversely, for example, we know several kids in UMich’s BFA MT program who do not plan to, or have already not, become performers. Kids choose BA/BFA for MANY reasons not related to their level of commitment to, or talent in, the profession. </p>
<p>Thank you @MomCares…my daughter is in a BA in theater and absolutely committed to this as a profession. When I suggested a BA I meant that the BA should be in something other than theater… :)</p>
<p>No worries - I just like to periodically remind people that BA does not stand for BAckup plan or BAd actor. ;)</p>
<p>While I’m sure nobody on this forum believes that BA means “backup” or “bad,” it’s certainly true that a BFA is not a good choice for somebody who isn’t a zillion percent sure that this is all they want to do in college. We all know many, many examples of wonderful careers built on a BA, and we’ve also heard the stories about kids who get into BFA programs and realize it was the wrong path. I think that’s all MTMajorCook was saying, and it’s crucial advice.</p>