I am a non-musical parent with a couple kids who really love music. My D likes to sing but the choirs and groups she sings with do 95% of one of these three genres: either contemporary popular songs, holiday / religious hymns or musical theatre pieces. Choirs and music groups in our immediate area all seem to primarily sing these genres.
While I have started to look at conservatory / college / university Voice major programs, they seem to be 90% the other way: Classical music / art songs and Opera primarily and some Jazz (obviously there are a few well known exceptions like Berklee, Belmont, USC, Tisch that have a popular music track but there are few of them; also, we are not finding musical theatre programs that seem particularly strong in voice programs; Ithaca may be one that does but again, their music focus is only Classical and Jazz).
For those in the “know,” does this divide that I perceive exist elsewhere (between what is being sung locally and what is being taught in conservatories / colleges and universities) and if so, why is this? Also, what recommendations do you have for building up classical and jazz voice skills for aspiring singers? My D absolutely loves her singing in the choirs and does not want to give that up but I don’t know how to supplement what she does so that she could be a viable applicant for a “classical or jazz” voice major at a conservatory / college / university.
Hi Twelfthman. You did not say how old your D is so we don’t know how far away from college she is now. The first thing you need to do in any case is find a private voice teacher. If you live near a college or university with a music program you might find one there. You could get recommendations from chorus directors, church choir, or mabe best, others who have had children go into performance in college. The private teacher helped our D understand her voice and the direction she should take after exploring several genres. Get her a sample lesson to see if the teacher is compatible and don’t be afraid to keep looking if the first one doesn’t seem to be a fit.
I have 2 kids who studied (or are studying) voice in college. One in musical theatre and one in classical voice performance. I second the necessity of a private vocal coach. It is almost impossible to get into either type program without private instruction, not just for voice technique, but also for song selection. There are many college programs that combine classical training and musical theatre, although most musical theatre programs are BFA, not BM. My S couldn’t decide which direction he wanted to go for a while when he was in HS and really liked Oklahoma City University because it offered a BM that combined musical theatre and classical. Ultimately, he chose straight classical training, but combined programs do exist.
There are many musical theater programs that are very strong in voice and which include training in all types including classical. However, maybe the bigger question is whether your D has ever participated in MT or if she enjoys it. Both MT and Voice programs can be extremely difficult to be accepted to, unless they are non-audition. Even then there might be other criteria that still makes them competitive. If your D is really interested in voice or in some program that involves singing, just make sure she is trying different areas to see what interests her most. If she really is interested in voice programs, she needs to be taking private lessons and to be exposed to different styles. She would need classical experience to audition for any voice programs. If she is interested in MT, than she would definitely need some dance experience as well. Take a look at the Musical Theater Forum for information on that area. Good luck- this topic can be very overwhelming but there is a lot of information on these boards.
Thanks for the helpful input.
Our D is in middle school so we have time (our son has applied to colleges this year so as we looked for good fits for him, we had our D in the back of our mind as well.) We will try to find a private voice teacher that is a good fit and want to ensure she continues with exposure to Musical Theatre but give her an opportunity to try Classical and Jazz pieces as well. As one of you said, the private voice teacher should help her “understand her voice and the direction she should take after exploring several genres.” How will I know whether the private voice teacher is pointing my D in the “right” musical direction or not. I don’t have an aptitude to assess the advice we are being given… Is it mainly based on what my daughter enjoys the most?
Our D has danced for 7 years and has been in a couple of Musical Theatre productions and has really enjoyed the experience. Our D has not done anything related to classical music or jazz yet. It’s too early to tell what she will want to study after high school, but I would guess it will be either a BM in Voice Performance at a conservatory / college / university or a combination of music and musical theatre. What I have no idea is whether she will lean toward classical, opera, jazz or popular music.
If anyone has suggestions on the other Musical Theater programs that are very strong in voice (like Oklahoma City U), please let me know. I will check to see if I can find an existing thread on this topic (as well).
Thanks for the advice so far.
There is a musical theatre forum on CC which I found very helpful when my D was applying (6 years ago).
Have you looked into St. Olaf?
3rding a private voice coach! Made a huge, huge difference for my daughter!
@Twelfthman- I just sent you a PM