<p>Which one is better for a broadway career? Most performers are split and I need help choosing. I know Voice teaches you operatic singing as well, but I just need help.
Thanks for any advice</p>
<p>Some of the decision depends on the kind of college training you prefer to experience. </p>
<p>But if your career goal is professional musical theater, it makes more sense to major in musical theater than in voice. A MT program will train you in voice, acting, and dance. All three skill sets are important for a MT performer. Just training in voice is too limited. Further, most Vocal Performance programs focus on classical voice. While that is good training for any kind of singer, it should not be the only kind of vocal training. A MT performer also needs training with MT repertoire, not just classical music. If you want to specialize in voice, but go into MT, you may wish to examine BM in MT programs which train you in voice, acting and dance but are more heavily weighted in voice/music training than acting and dance and not as equally balanced as BFA in MT programs. Also BM in MT programs usually include some classical music training. But if your goal is a MT career, I would suggest either a BFA in MT or a BM in MT and not a BM in VP.</p>
<p>Having a BM in music served Audra McDonald fairly well 
Seriously, you can find MT people of both backgrounds, as well as other diverse paths that trained in neither. If you want to look at vocal performance, not all of those are created equal in terms of letting/encouraging you to pursue MT opportunities as well. Also, some VP programs include acting and movement classes. Check out the curricula at schools you may be interested in, in both majors. Once you see how you will spend your class time, your choices may be clearer, or you may choose to do what some former CC’ers have done, and audition for a mix of MT and VP programs.</p>
<p>Great advise above. My D auditioned for both MT and VP programs. Going into the auditions she was leaning toward VP. But after just a couple VP and a couple MT auditions she knew she wanted to go the MT route. She described the auditions as follows: VP is more serious and one dimensional; MT is more fun and has more variety. This opinion was strengthened as she continued through all her auditions. So she decided to go the MT route because she felt she would enjoy her college experience so much more. I suggest you look at what you want to be doing/studying every day and go that route. You will be happy, and that will lead you to be successful.</p>
<p>^^^That is what I think too…to try to figure out what you want to be doing in college and go with that. I also had an advisee the past two years who was not sure between MT or VP. She had done a great deal in both areas. She applied to both. But as the audition season wore on, she cancelled her MT auditions and decided she really wanted VP and is going to go to a well regarded VP program. And yes, some VP programs have some acting and dance/movement and so you have to examine the curriculum closely.</p>
<p>If you want to go the MT way but with some opera opportunities, look for programs that train a crossover singer. I will be a junior in a BFA MT program and while we do focus on MT rep, we also have many opportunities to participate in opera (through workshop and blackbox productions). The program I am in focuses on developing a well rounded crossover singer. There are many different programs out there!</p>
<p>This is such a good question. Famousactress, I can think of OCU as training “crossover” singers - any other schools that come to mind? Has anyone tried a MT BFA with a minor in Voice Performance (assuming one had some extra room due to AP’s, etc)? Or are there schools where the drama dep’t and music dep’t get along well enough that one could take solfeg, Italian Diction, or whatever, in addition to one’s MT classes (assuming again the liberal arts requirements have been tested out of)?</p>
<p>University of the Arts has a VP program with opportunities for great diversity. It is through the School of Music and while titled a 'jazz studies" VP program, there is a strong emphasis on what the school labels as “traditional vocal technique”, there are mandated courses in Italian diction and several electives in opera and opera staging. Several of the voice instructors have opera performance backgrounds. In addition, there is a MT minor available to VP students through the School of Theater that provides acting, dance and MT performance training.</p>
<p>My D had the same dilemma and auditioned for both types of programs this year. When she looked at the women who had career longevity in the business (Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, Kelli O’Hara, Christiane Noll, Judy Kuhn, et al.) they were all VP majors. Having said that, I agree with much of what Soozie said. I think the real key is getting fabulous vocal technique wherever you train, so you both know your voice and can protect it for career longevity. The casting director could care less if your voice lasts for another show. He or she just want the sound they want for THEIR show. I think that is one reason the VP majors have traditionally had more career longevity. They have secure technique and know how to take care of their voices for the long haul.</p>
<p>But honestly, for someone mostly interested in MT and not opera, one needs training in acting. The voice is important but not the only thing. Also, many contemporary musicals are of a style that it is not enough to be able to sing only legit. Today, a trained MT performer will do best if able to sing both legit and pop/rock, given the musicals being produced.</p>
<p>Yes, you can enter the field of MT from many avenues, no question. </p>
<p>If someone feels CERTAIN that MT is what they want to do, it makes more sense to either do a BFA or BM in MT and not VP. If one is leaning more toward a career in opera, a VP major is more suitable. If one is unsure of a career path, then do the kind of college program that interests you the most. </p>
<p>Also, didn’t Chenowith and O’Hara have BM degrees in MT? That does involve classical vocal training as well. I may be mistaken but OCU constantly touts these graduates from their program and I thought they were marketing the BM in MT degree when they do so. Please correct me if I am wrong.</p>
<p>I always thought Chenoweth was a VP, but I just looked it up and she did her undergrad in MT and then got her Master’s in Opera Performance, both from OCU:
[Oklahoma</a> City University : About OCU : Alumni Profiles](<a href=“http://www.okcu.edu/about/alumni.aspx]Oklahoma”>http://www.okcu.edu/about/alumni.aspx)</p>
<p>And if you scroll down, you will see that Kelli O’Hara was an opera major - I always thought she had been an MT! :)</p>
<p>Thanks, Coach C. The reason I thought Chenowith got a BM in MT is because that program mentions her name constantly in all their publicity about the program.</p>
<p>I see that Kelli O’Hara’s degree was in opera, however. My mistake. When OCU reps talk about the MT program, they bring up Kelli O’Hara as a graduate often.</p>
<p>I don’t have a deep knowledge of how other programs work with regards to the MT/VP situation, but at OCU all students study classical voice. For the first two years the VP/MT programs are pretty much the same, the last two years they begin to differ more with the MT students taking more dance and acting and the VP students taking more music courses.
Everybody in both programs are required to audition for all operas and musicals and there is tremendous cross casting. If a VP students wants to take more acting and dance they can. They also have a lot of students who get a double degree in both, it takes 5 years.</p>
<p>The key is technique regardless of the style of singing. Most agree that classical voice or bel canto is the foundation for healthy singing. Women, in particular, are being asked to do so much that is potentially damaging to their voices these days. As one MT professor put it to me, the voice is quite resilient and won’t begin to show damage immediately. The goal is to ensure a vocal career beyond age 30.</p>
<p>I totally agree that the technique of classical singing is the foundation for all singing. (likewise for piano…learning classical piano…and for dance…learning ballet). So, that technique is the foundation even for a MT singer. Those who strictly study VP mostly study classical voice only. Those who are in a BFA in MT or a BM in MT study bel canto and legit voice and classical technique but also the full range of MT styles. </p>
<p>In today’s MT world, while you need classical technique to have a healthy voice, it is hard to get by with only classical voice, as so many musicals use popular/contemporary music styles. It helps to be able to sing both legit and belt, for instance. My D wrote an original musical that was recently cast by a major NY casting agency and no actresses were considered who could not demonstrate or did not have a history (credits) of rock/pop/jazz/soul/belt singing. This included numerous Broadway actresses who were being considered.</p>
<p>I totally agree that one must have a variety of vocal styles to draw upon to be competitive, but they all must be based on solid technique. That technique can be developed in different types of programs, but one must really look at the vocal component of each program.</p>
<p>As for your D, how seriously cool! Can you share with us the info about her musical? Is there a website? You must be incredibly proud!</p>
<p>Anne, totally agree on the basic vocal technique. But for someone who is certain they want to do MT, it helps to work on MT repertoire and not only classical works. Further, no matter the program, acting and dance training are necessary as a MT performer cannot rely only on the voice. So, yes, someone would have to examine the curriculum to see if it meets their MT training goals, no matter the name or type of degree. </p>
<p>Thank you for the positive note about my D’s musical and the interest in it. I just am choosing to hold back in giving specifics as there is publicity in the various theater publications and her name would be readily known on this public forum if I gave any information about it. But yes, this is an exciting time for my D whose main area of interest/talent is performing but she did write a musical and it has been selected for something and it involves people of significant experience. I’m sorry to be so vague but for the purpose of this forum, for now, I am choosing to be.</p>
<p>soozie, as I’m sure you know many of us on here have followed your daughter, from her
early entrance into college, her car accident and even when she lived in that “swanky” apartment in NY. We are very proud of her and look forward to hearing more about this current success. I do understand why you wish to keep things private on CC at this time, but would love to know more!</p>
<p>srw, if you have known me a long while on CC (as you have, and others), feel free to click on my name and send an email. It is not as if any of this is a secret, but this is a public forum that anyone can read, and as soon as I say where the musical is or the name of it or anything of that sort, it leads to her name given the current articles in theater publications and all the google hits, etc. I am happy to tell anyone I “know” though. :D</p>