<p>I am currently an undergraduate student studying creative writing, music composition, and theatre. I love all three of these areas, so I thought that studying Musical Theatre would be a perfect graduate school option. However, I only know one school that has such a program: NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, which is incredibly selective. I need back-up plans. Does anyone know of any other schools with programs like Tisch's Writing for Musical Theatre program?</p>
<p>I would also be willing to consider some kind of Writing for the Media program, like for advertisements, commercials, programs, etc. While I would just consider Playwrighting, I love Music Composition so much that I wouldn't want to abandon it....</p>
<p>BoCo created an individual major track for a Music major (conducting, composition) with a passion for MT, so you might want to talk to them about it.</p>
<p>I don’t know if what Skwidjymom mentions is on the graduate level or not. </p>
<p>futuretome, you are right that NYU Tisch’s Graduate Program in Musical Theater Writing is a one of a kind program. Certainly try for that. </p>
<p>Another option is to study music composition on the graduate level. Find a graduate music composition program that allows for you to write for the genre in which you are interested. There are also graduate programs in dramatic writing, but these would have less in the way of music composition. Another option that is not a graduate degree would be to apply to a program such as the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop. It is for two years.</p>
<p>My daughter is a musical theater composer/lyricist/librettist, but her degree is a BFA in musical theater (performing). There are many others who go into that successfully who are not trained formally as MT composers, as she is not either. </p>
<p>My D has another friend who switched out of the BFA in MT program she was in (at Tisch) into NYU/Steinhardt for music composition and he is a MT composer, so a degree in music composition may be one avenue for you. </p>
<p>Just saying that it is possible to become a MT composer/writer without a degree in that specialty as my D has become. She recently was commissioned to write a new musical for a very well known theater. There are ways to get into the field without a specialized degree. There are also others who have a BFA in MT, such as Pasek and Paul, as my D has, who have gone onto writing musicals successfully. I’m mentioning this only because there is just one Graduate Program in MT Writing and while many new composers have come from that program at Tisch, many don’t have formal training as MT writers, so you might have to look into other avenues to that goal.</p>
<p>Okay, cool, looks like I have some more options now. Thank you both for your help! And I’ll consider studying Music Composition on the graduate level, but oddly Writing has always been my thing before I found out I love Musical Theatre Writing too, so I’m having trouble balancing my interests heheh… Thanks though, I’ll consider all of that!</p>
<p>it seems to me that musical theater writing might be getting harder to define these days, anyway. The genre is so open to all kinds of musical influences. One of my favorite shows over the past few years was “Passing Strange,” for example.</p>
<p>I really liked “American Idiot,” which of course transferred a rock album to the stage. And, Bono wrote the music for “Spiderman,” but this was a total bore, IMO.</p>
<p>Well, that’s the tough part because other than Tisch’s Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program, most other grad programs are either in music composition or dramatic writing and not both. As you know, in writing musicals, there is the composer, the lyricist, and the book writer. My D (so far) has played all three of those roles in creating original musicals, but often a musical will have separate people do those aspects of creating the musical. So, you might have to pick one area for grad study, or get into Tisch, or as I wrote, apply to get into something like the BMI workshop. While I know people who have done BMI, I just discovered another option of that nature online that I have never heard of but maybe you can explore it further…The Academy for New Musical Theatre, which offers professional programs in this field. It is in North Hollywood, CA, but I have no clue the reputation or anything, but it may be of interest! But look into BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop too. I think being in NYC as an emerging MT writer/composer is likely better than networking in LA.</p>
<p>And you likely don’t want to hear this suggestion, but as my daughter and many I know who are emerging MT writers/composers who were not necessarily trained in it, are doing is to just write musicals, get them workshopped and produced and so on. If you are good at it, you can go far without having a specific degree in MT writing/composing. You say you have a background in creative writing, composing and theater and that can take you far as a MT writer/composer if you have the talent, even if you don’t get a specific grad degree in MT Writing (which I only know Tisch to have).</p>
<p>SDonCC…my D LOVED Passing Strange, and also liked American Idiot. </p>
<p>I also agree that many contemporary MT writers/composers, including my kid, are writing music that is not the traditional MT style. Pop/rock is common in many new musicals.</p>
<p>I think it’s too late to apply for this year, but I recently got an e-mail notification for a summer workshop that might be of interest to you at some point (I think Pasek and Paul attended one year). Here’s a bit of info from this year…</p>
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<p>The American Music Theatre Project in association with the Johnny Mercer Foundation produces a week long songwriting intensive for emerging songwriters and writing teams each summer on the campus of Northwestern University. Now in its sixth year, the Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project hosts the nation’s most promising songwriters across all genres including musical theatre, pop, country, Latin, rock, and contemporary pop.</p>
<p>Master teachers for the program have included Amanda McBroom (THE ROSE), Lin-Manuel Mirana (IN THE HEIGHTS), and David Zippel (CITY OF ANGELS).</p>
<p>The 2011 program will take place from June 19 - 25, 2011 and will be led by master teachers Craig Carnelia (SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS), Andrew Lippa (THE ADDAMS FAMILY, THE WILD PARTY) and three-time Grammy winner Lari White (GREEN-EYED SOUL).</p>
<p>This is a wonderful program and yes, it is too late to apply for this June. It’s good to suggest. I was gonna mention it but it is just one week and so I mentioned BMI’s workshop which is two years long, given the OP’s inquiry.</p>
<p>In case it’s of interest to anyone, I just noticed that the 2013 Johnny Mercer Songwriter’s Program is accepting applications through March 15th. </p>