My D wants to sing in college, but not major in voice

Parents Forum
1

<p>I'm not sure where to post this, but I'm really looking for parents who've BTDT so I'm coming here.</p>

<p>My D is a HS soph. She's extremely right-brained and it shows in her interests. Outstanding in anything related to the creative arts, writing, drawing, music, etc. She's also an IB diploma candidate in an outstanding public high school. Probably a 3.5-3.8 GPA when it's all said and done. She'll probably take the ACT because her PSAT scores skewed ridiculously high on the verbal.</p>

<p>She's trying to focus on college options, but she's all over the place and so am I.</p>

<p>I'm no stage mom, but I have to say that she's a very talented singer. She's been studying voice since she was 10, and started classical training last year. Her voice teacher assumes that my D will go study at a conservatory, but D is resisting because it is too limiting, and I agree with her. She especially does not want to go through a rigorous audition process.</p>

<p>D is interested in History, Poli Sci, Journalism, etc. Her English teachers tell her she needs to write for a living, and I can see her doing that. Still, she loves to sing and would like to pursue that in some level in college.</p>

<p>I'm sure somebody here will know the answer. Is there a school in the NE ( roughly from Virginia north to the Canadian border and west as far as the Missisippi River) where she can continue to study voice and perform in campus productions without majoring in music? Perhaps as a minor? And, again, no audition for admission, though she'd happily audition for productions as a student. She'll consider anything from a low-key LAC to Big State U. </p>

<p>I guess the bottom line is that at this point in her life she wants a well-rounded education without making a committment to life in a conservatory. </p>

<p>Thanks! If this post is in the wrong place let me know and I'll move it.</p>

2

<p>I don't know if it's serious enough for her, but every college we've visited has at least a dozen acappella groups that students participate in.</p>

3

<p>Every school we visited had at least 2 choirs and several smaller singing groups. These were all small schools, so I doubt she will have any problem singing in college. I envy her, no one in my family can carry a tune.</p>

4

<p>Agree with what's been said. I think every LAC we visited had a cappella groups. Most, if not all, also had multiple theatre productions each year, including musicals, that non-theatre, non-music majors could participate in. I expect they'd be thrilled to have your daughter. Vassar, in particular was bursting with options, though I think you have to take some related coursework, not a major.</p>

5

<p>University of Rochester. Non-Eastman students study with Eastman graduate students, but it's still supposed to be very good training (depending on who you get, of course). </p>

<p>Brandeis has a music major - the performance track is by audition, but non-majors can take lessons.</p>

<p>Muhlenberg.</p>

<p>Tufts.</p>

<p>Skidmore.</p>

<p>Barnard/Columbia.</p>

<p>Those are just the ones off the top of my head.</p>

6

<p>What kind of singing does she want to do? Broadway-style musical theater, opera, classical, pop, jazz?</p>

7

<p>You need to visit the Music Forum. You can ask your questions there and you will also find a wealth of information in the old posts.</p>

8

<p>She'll have lots of options at most schools. This is quite common. You should take a look at Drew in NJ.</p>

9

<p>Vassar is of course great. Majors love it, non-majors sometimes complain about having to deal with intro classes (but alot of people seem to do that anyway). There are voice lessons avaible on an audition basis, and then the choirs, accapella, Jazz band . . . in short ALOT, not to mention a beautiful building and music library (Skinner Hall).</p>

<p>Also, Oberlin is great - its got the conservatory of course, but my sense was that it had a similar vibe to vassar.</p>

10

<p>PMcMScot - We sound as if we might have the same daughter. I spent two years researching a topic similar to yours, but my daughter wondered if she might actually major in voice while getting a second major, or at least a minor, in another area. I wound up creating a list of schools and researching the proportion of credits for graduation that voice majors have to put towards music / voice. It averaged 80% - 90% in most places, but the two which seem to have the least "single-focus" vocal performance options that I found were Vanderbilt and Furman. Their voice majors require just over half the credit hours. It's not uncommon for music majors at those schools to have double majors - at other places it's possible only with a fifth year of study. Incidentally, my D finally went to a university without a performance major, is studying anthropology while taking voice on the side and performing extensively, and is very happy with her choice. PM me if you want to chat more about this.</p>

11

<p>PMcMScot, particularly if your D is interested in doing shows as well as continuing her singing, I'd suggest posting your question on the Musical Theatre major forum under College Discussion. There's an unbelievable wealth of knowledge and helpfulness there!</p>

12

<p>"because her PSAT scores skewed ridiculously high on the verbal."</p>

<p>and this is a problem because.........</p>

13

<p>Thanks for the advice so far! I will move the discussion over to the forums you suggested, but I'll follow up here first.</p>

<p>I'm not sure how to quote previous posts, but Opie asked why her high verbal score might be a problem. A good problem to have, sure, but her math was quite low in comparison. I'm amazed that so many kids can score so well in their Math and Verbal without skewing higher in one or the other! I think she's one of those kids where the ACT might paint a more realistic picture of her abilities. That's all I meant. </p>

<p>As for her musical interests, she's done musical theater and classical and she doesn't have a preference for one over the other. She really likes contemporary music, too, and would have liked to attend Berklee's music summer program but for the cost. </p>

<p>Interestingly, she does like Drew, and it does seem to fit her criteria and I'm sure she'll apply. Vassar sounds great, but it's quite an unrealistic reach, I think. Muhlenberg is another good option, but D sees herself as quite the boho hippie chick so I'm not sure it's for her, but we will cerainly check it out!</p>

<p>For now, her ideal scenario would be a school that would allow her to study within the music department w/o majoring. She loves accapella groups, so she's up for that! I suppose she'd like to leave herself the option of pursuing music down the road.</p>

<p>What's so difficult is that she knows so many "music kids" who are on that track, and it scares me a bit that we expect kids of 17 and 18 to know what they want to do when they're still so young. </p>

<p>So thanks! I'm headed to the other forums...</p>

14

<p>My D's best friend is now at Wesleyan. She sang all her childhood, including in a professional children's choir that toured internationally, as well as in a national award-winning high school choir, but like your D did not want to limit herself to music. She loves Wesleyan for the broad academics - and its many musical/theater groups that let her sing her little heart out whenever she wants :)</p>

15

<p>Thanks, Katliamom! I'm off to check Wesleyan now...</p>

16

<p>My D is a freshman at Tufts. She sings, tours and records with one of their several a capella groups, sings Chamber on the side, though will take it for credit next year and just had the lead in their student-run musical. She is an International Relations major. So, the answer is ABSOLUTELY and most schools have lots of options for performing without the major. Tufts has a gorgeous, brand new, music building. D got a part time job there, just because she loves being around music people.....</p>

<p>As we approach the end of freshman year, it seems she is now a double major. I am not surprised. </p>

<p>By the way, double majoring is quite the norm at Tufts and I imagine at most LAC's.</p>

17

<p>Your daughter may be happiest at colleges that do not have serious professional music programs. </p>

<p>Reason: At colleges that have professional music majors, the music majors tend to fill up many of the slots in performance ensembles. </p>

<p>But at colleges where the only music major is the low-key sort offered as part of a liberal arts degree, there tend to be only a few music majors, yet there are many, many ensembles to fill and shows to put on. Serious musicians who are majoring in other things are very, very welcome in such environments.</p>