<p>Hello all,</p>
<p>Sorry, it posted before I could finish.</p>
<p>Anyways, I am a junior in high school and I’m still trying to decide what to do with my life and where to go to school and the like. Musical theatre is my passion, but I don’t have the dance experience to make it into a leading MT school. The schools I’ve been looking at have been either strictly classical, or strictly classical OR musical theatre. What I would really like is a school where I could train to be a well-rounded singer. Not just an opera singer, jazz singer, etc. I would really like to learn how to sing different styles, including musical theatre. The two schools that have my attention are the Cincinnatti Conservatory and Columbus State University, in Georgia. </p>
<p>Does anyone have any recommendations?</p>
<p>You might also look at OCU. They are one of the few schools that permit an MT/VP double major, to my knowledge.</p>
<p>In my experience, it’s difficult to find a situation where you can learn several styles of singing. Many MT schools do use a classical technique to teach proper breathing, etc., but you will definitely not be studying opera or jazz in a MT program. Music programs also generally have a specific focus, i.e. jazz or classical, but generally not both.</p>
<p>Posideon, University of the Arts offers a BFA in vocal performance through its school of music that could be of interest to you. While jazz serves as the core, the voice program within the School of Music is diverse. There are several courses available in opera staging and performance. Also, there are several voice teachers both within the School of Music and School of Theatre Arts who are trained in and have performed classical repertoire (including performing with professional opera and light opera companies) and students can receive varying degrees of classical training from them depending on the student’s interests and the particular teacher. In addition, there is a musical theatre minor available to vocal majors which includes classes in MT technique (as well as acting and dance). VP students can audition for the musicals staged by the theatre department. I think it would be fair to say that the program in the School of Music is jazz oriented with many opportunities for classical, musical theatre and to a lesser extent rock. If you take the time to really dig into the website, including the sections on curriculum, electives and the MT minor for vocal majors, you may find it to provide the diversity you are seeking. The programs within the College of Performing Arts, which houses the School of Music and School of Theatre Arts, are excellent and very well regarded by professionals in the music and theatre industries.</p>
<p>Posideon – do you want to pursue VP/ MT because that is your interest, or because you do not think you will get into a BFA MT program with your current level of dance experience? There are some BFA/ BM/BA programs that do not require a dance audition. There are others where you may be required to dance, but if you are a very strong singer and actor being weaker in the dance area may be okay… much in the way that a very strong dancer/ singer may be “forgiven” being a little weaker in acting, etc… </p>
<p>I encourage to think about what kind of educational experience you are looking for and to put together a varied list of schools that will meet your needs. This board is a terrific first step to get information on many different programs! Good luck! :)</p>
<p>Look into NYU Steinhardt’s Vocal Performance program. You specialize in either MT or Classical Voice and get a BM degree The same voice teachers work with both programs, using a classical approach. If you are a MT major you will include classical pieces in your repetoire. D loves the program!</p>
<p>^^ This is the repetoire list by senior year for students in the VP program at NYU Steinhardt specializing in MT:
Art Songs and/or Arias in a foreign language- 4
American Art Songs and/or Arias- 4
British Art Songs and/or Arias- 4
Songs written prior to 1939 (Kern, Berlin, Gershwin, Arlen,<br>
Coward, Porter, Romberg, Sullivan) - 12
Songs written between 1940 and 1960 (Porter, Berlin, Loesser,<br>
Rodgers & Hammerstein, Lerner & Loewe, Hague, Rome,
Bernstein, Rodgers & Hart) - 20
Songs written between 1960 and 1975 (Bock & Harnick,<br>
Schmidt & Jones, Leigh & Darion, Herman, Kander & Ebb)- 10
1975 present (Yeston, Sondheim, Schwartz, Brown- 10</p>
<p>Although clearly the emphasis is in MT, classical arias/art songs are a part of the mix. Also, as you work with your voice teacher, I’m sure there is some leeway as long as your book includes enough MT pieces.</p>
<p>If you are very interested in the BM route you may also want to look at the BM Music Theatre program at James Madison University through the School of Music. I coordinate the Musical Theatre Concentration through the School of Theatre & Dance… but the students in the two majors are completely integrated in Musical Theatre, Dance and Acting Courses, take many of the same supplementary Music and/ or Theatre Courses, and are integreted n the casts of musicals, many plays, and to a lesser degree in the operas. </p>
<p>PM me if you have specific questions.</p>
<p>I believe that FSU and Otterbein also give students the option (or place them) in a BM or BFA, or (maybe) BA track depending on their strengths and interest.</p>
<p>If I am reading your post correctly you love MT but feel your dance skills aren’t up to the competition to get in a BFA. If this is the case, OCU also came to mind like the poster above. I believe they have no dance audition for the MT program and they have excellent vocal options.</p>
<p>I believe that it’s important for you to be part of a large music program. My daughter loved mt but selected a good liberal arts school with a beautiful campus and a generous vocal performance scholarship. It took her a year in college to figure out her direction and she had to transfer, her school offered great theatre but classical voice only and dance for majors only. But, as was previously said, if you a very strong singer, good things happen. She also took four semesters of music theory, sight sings very well and plays piano. So being strong in one area helped her. She will be in Broadway Theatre Project this summer to improve her dance skills. It’s hard to transfer but not impossible. Avoid it if you can, however. I suggest that you begin now to learn to dance. Movement is terribly important and so is fitness. It doesn’t matter if you are the worst in the class, if you can tell yourself that you are a strong singer.</p>