My d has not been invited to audition from per prescreens. Any thoughts? I don’t want her be discouraged for the live auditions that do require prescreens.
oops - I meant to say “discouraged from the live auditions that DO NOT require prescreens.”
Post this in the Musical Theatre forum. You will get more responses.
I can’t figure out how to ask a new question in the Musical Theatre forum. Am I missing something obvious?
@theatremom603 ,
Scroll down past the list of schools and the featured threads until you see the big orange box that says New Discussion. Click there and post your question.
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may I ask which schools? Some of them are so highly selective, she should know the majority of those who apply may not pass the prescreen or get to audition. So she is not alone in not being passed on from her prescreen. And remind her, you just need to get into one program. So take this opportunity to analyze your list of schools, make sure you have a non-audition safety on there. and also include some schools who may have slightly better odds of getting in. most of all, if this is truly her passion, keep working hard and keep after what you want. And remember, if all doesn’t go the way you want, you can always audition again the following year.
Another suggestion: you may want to let someone knowledgable in the field evaluate both her prescreen video and live audition material just to see if they can pinpoint what might be working well and what you may want to tweak before the main audition season. Getting some pointers before she starts auditioning can give her a boost of confidence.
Don’t let her think this part of the process tell anything about her talent or abilities. Many schools, including tippy-top CMU and, new this year, Baldwin-Wallace, don’t do pre-screens anymore because they don’t trust that the process filters through the best students. Like @vvnstar, I’d recommend having teachers or college contacts take a look at the pre-screens and see if she needs to make adjustments for audition season. Good luck–it’s a tough process, but maybe this early reality call will make her more determined to kill it at the real auditions.
We are recording the songs for my daughter’s prescreens this Friday. I have reviewed all the requirements and know that we need to film 16 bar and 32 bar recordings for her MT classic and contemporary songs as well as 2 full art songs for a VP application. However, Michigan clearly states to introduce the piece at the beginning of each recording while Indiana wants one intro video stating all the pieces she will be performing. For all the other schools that do not have a defined method of song/monologue introductions what is the preference? I am planning to have her record each with and without an intro, but I would appreciate any advice from those who have already been through the submission process.
We recorded each piece on its own. Then we recorded separate intros to each piece (songs and monologues). For one school, we recorded a list of all four pieces going to that school. Then, depending on requirements, we edited the intros into the start of each piece. It’s a huge hassle that they all want a different format, but that’s how we handled it.
I think we had 20 or 21 separate video pieces to meet all the requirements… Incl monologues (x3), songs (at 3 different cuts per x3), slates, dances, why (insert school)? videos, etc.
My child and I have brainstormed on this topic - what if? What if you don’t get in via prescreens? One thing she has said is “maybe that’s a sign I shouldn’t be doing this and I should think about something else.” That’s certainly one way to look at it. Another is “those just aren’t your schools.” Perhaps a less competitive environment would be better for her working on her skills and craft. And another thought is “their loss. I’m going to rock the schools for whom I audition live.” I prefer that perspective. Make sure she’s really prepared for her live auditions. Does she have a non-audition safety school? I would absolutely make sure she has a school she likes, that she could easily get into academically for whom she doesn’t need to audition.
Re: filming multiple pre-screens. Make a list or spreadsheet which shows each school to which you are applying that requires a prescreen and break down each of the video components they require (i.e. 16 bar pre-Golden era, 16 bar contemporary up tempo, 30 second dance segment, slate for Michigan, slate for CCU, etc…). Then make one comprehensive list of all of the segments you need to record. This will alleviate confusion, help you avoid forgetting to record something that is needed, and ultimately save you time during the recording process. We found it easiest to record all the singing portions at one time, all the monologues at one time, and all the dance at one time rather than move back and forth between them - except for the schools who required you record everything in one take. After you have all of your segments recorded, use your original spreadsheet to help you organize and edit your clips per each school’s instructions.
I agree it is frustrating that none of the schools seems to require the exact same things. It can be tempting to just send each school the same video. But I highly recommend you follow the instructions that each school gives. No sense risking not passing the prescreen just because the material wasn’t submitted in the format requested.
@SongnDanceMom - if I remember right (it’s been 3 years, hopefully others more current can chime in) for some schools, when you actually go to upload the prescreens at Acceptd, etc., that is where you get specific instructions about intros. We found it frustrating and had to do one or two additional recordings to meet the requirements. I think some wanted it in a written format and others as videos. Just allow yourself plenty of time in the uploading phase.
@songnDanceMom, yes, it is still like that. You don’t find out for sure exactly the format the schools want until you try uploading. I recommend going into acceptd, putting in all the info you currently have, clicking on “upload” and seeing what they ask for. You can always save your profile and go back to it later.
I remember that uploading took FOREVER. Literally an hour in one case. Don’t let it panic you…
Thanks for all the good advice. Her pre-screen schools were Michigan, Shenandoah, Syracuse, Texas State, Ithaca and Indiana. Ugh! She has 7 auditions lined up for non-prescreen schools. So frustrating. I just want her to end up in the place she will be most happy. I’m trying to find some non-audition schools - but having a hard time pin-pointing which would be a good match for her.
@theatremom603 - your d’s list includes some of the hardest prescreens to pass and all/almost all of them are among what many/most would call the “Most Competitive” schools for entry (to borrow a term from CollegeData.com). If you have not done so already, you may want to include some schools on the list that are not posted at the top of this forum to balance things out a bit.
Thanks for all the recording advice. It is definitely good to know in advance that the uploading can take a long time. I have the spreadsheet of all the requirements and the checklist of what I think is needed, but tonight I will go on Acceptd and get the information for each download requirement. That is the piece I am missing. All this planning and it seems like we are late getting this done. We are doing songs on Friday and will do separate sessions for monologues and dance. We have 6 schools for MT (Illinois Wesleyan, Indian, Ithaca, Penn State, TCU and Michigan) and CCM for VP. I am grateful to have this forum as a resource. The genuine knowledge, support and enthusiasm of the posters is much appreciated!
@theatremom603, I believe there are schools at Unifieds that will let you audition on the spot if they have availability. That might be one way to find out more about other schools your daughter might like and are a good fit. I know of at least one kid who got into a great school just by turning up at Unifieds and auditioning for colleges that had spots still open. You can also browse programs in Acceptd.