<p>Hello Everyone!</p>
<p>I am an incoming member of the Steinhardt MT class of 2015 and I will be heading to school in just a couple of weeks. I have realized how little people post about Steinhardt and I had a lot of questions going into auditions and making my final choice. I would love to answer any questions that anybody has about the program (I’ll be learing about it along with you guys) and just keep you updated on how things are going!</p>
<p>Thanks!!! And have a wonderful year!</p>
<p>Thank you so much for offering to inform us about the program. I hope you’re having a good year so far. I was just wondering what kind of dance/acting training the MT majors receive. After viewing the curriculum on the website, it did kind of seem like they didn’t have many dance classes as a requirement. Are you finding the dance training to be adequete? Do you know if there’s opportunity to add more dance/acting classes to your schedule? Thanks again</p>
<p>When you’re looking at the curriculum, it can seem like there isn’t a lot af acting classes, but they’re kind of hidden under other names. We take Acting 1 and 2, and there is talk about adding an Acting 3 class. We also take Speech and Diction both semesters our first year, which is basically a Stanislavski meets Linklater class where we look at text from a voice and speech standpoint- right now we’re working on a Shakespeare sonnet. We also take Song Analysis starting sophomore year, which is basically acting the song, and we take Scene Study either sophomore or junior year, I think. The acting curriculum here is kind of mixed in with all of our other classes, so we don’t have as many classes specifically for it, but rather we focus on it in all of our other classes as well as what the class is actually for.</p>
<p>This program doesn’t have as much dance training as other programs do. Freshman year we take this AMAZING class called Theater Dance Workshop, which is a combination of Pilates and yoga and a study of all of the styles and techniques of theater dance, and we take it both semesters this year. Our professor, Johnny Anzalone, is such an amazing dancer and teacher (he was in La Cage and Cats for a number of years on Broadway) and he pushes us really hard- I have never been so fit in my life. We are also required to take beginning ballet, modern, and tap, but I think we can also get into higher level dance classes if we have room in our schedule. A lot of students also take classes at Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway a lot because they are so easy to get to- you can get packages of 10 or 15 classes for a lower overall rate. I think some of our dance teachers also teach at BDC and Steps, so that is really convenient</p>
<p>Thank you for clearing that up. Sorry I didn’t see it until now. And now I understand that the classical VP students take have a similar curriculum to the MT students. What is the overlap? Can classical voice students take an MT class and be cast in musicals? Can the MT majors work on classical repertoire, and take classes that are for the classical VP students? I’m trying to decide what path is best for me in college, so your answers are very helpful!</p>
<p>For the first two years, MT and classical students take all of the same classes, except sometimes MT students will start taking MT History sophomore year. Those classes include Music Theory, Ear Training, and Keyboard classes, Voice and Speech and Acting, Dance, Song Analysis (Acting the Song, basically), Vocal Production and Music Business, Music History, and Italian, English, German, and French Diction, where we learn the IPA and how to sing properly in each of those languages. We also take whatever GenEd classes we can fit in. Because of our diction classes, we all have to sing classical repetoire in all of those four languages in our voice lessons, one language in each semester of the first two years, to perform in class. MT students focus on mostly MT technique and Classical students focus on mainly classical technique, but I know that the Classical students will work on MT rep, and I have at least 3 English art songs that my voice teacher has given me to work on that aren’t required for my diction class, so there is a lot of wiggle room depending on what your voice needs and the rep that sounds good. Also, when you take Song Analysis sophomore year, Classical students sing MT songs a lot of the time, and MT students are welcome to sing classical pieces, although that doesn’t happen as much.</p>
<p>Once you get to Junior year, the concentrations start splitting off. MT students start taking MT repertoire as a class, and Classical students take rep classes for all of the different languages of classical music. You can’t take MT rep if you are a Classical student, or vice versa, unless you decide to change concentrations permanently, which is very possible, if you change your mind about what you want to do. Also, Classical students do a recital both their junior and senior years, while MT students do a senior recital and then Showcase at the end of senior year. </p>
<p>As for shows, all students, MT and Classical, Graduate and Undergraduate audition each semester for any and all of the shows that they want to for the next semester (except for freshmen their first semester). You are always required to audition, but you can choose what shows you want to be considered for, if any. I am not auditioning for the musical this semester because we would have to come back 2 and a half weeks early from winter break, and I would much rather be home for longer- plus I would have to spend about 500 dollars to change my flight. In the fall semester, there is a mainstage musical in late September (Sweet Smell of Success this year), a chamber opera in December (Cendrillon by Pauline Viardot), and three smaller shows that can be either MT or classical (this year they were Company, the second act of the Marriage of Figaro, and a Kurt Weill revue) that are on a smaller scale. In the spring semester, there is both a mainstage musical and opera (this year The Most Happy Fella and Street Scene). There is also a new MT work (Poolboy by Niko Tsakalakos) and an MT project called 4@15 where 32 students are divided into 4 groups and a composer writes a 15 minute musical specifically for them. This year, a composer who also works as an accompanist for a program wrote a short three part opera that he is putting on with Steinhardt students. The Players Club, which is the VP program’s student theater club, also does a big musical (Children of Eden) which they cast after all of the program shows have been cast, and is a really great opportunity for underclassmen who don’t get cast as much. It is still a full-scale production, and they bring in an outside director and everything. </p>
<p>Overall, this program is really good for someone who wants to major in either Classical voice or MT, but still has a strong interest in the other and doesn’t want to have to decide between them quite yet.</p>
<p>I hope this answers all of your questions- let me know if you have any more!!</p>
<p>Bump. ANy word on what the productions will be for 2014/2015? Just curious!</p>
<p>They generally don’t decide on or announce the productions until the very last minute. There will probably be a musical that will require students to come back to NYC early (in August). Auditions for that show will be at the very end of the semester. Not sure if they have announced that show yet even though it is usually performed in early October or so. Older D graduated from the program in 2012, but still comes back for many of the shows.</p>
<p>@uskoolfish: Thank you. I guess Freshman can’t audition for the October show since it starts rehearsals before they come for orientation. I don’t know who is more excited, my D or me!</p>
<p>Congrats to her. My younger daughter is at NYU, too. She’s a studio art major at Steinhardt…but she is taking voice lessons with a member of the vocal performance faculty.</p>
<p>Steinhardt just announced that fall musical will be Man of La Mancha. Princessjpmom, I sent you a message yesterday. My d is KSwag10.</p>
<p>Yeah! What an awesome show! Can freshmen audition?</p>
<p>Nope, auditions are in the spring before their first year. But there will be auditions for a number of other opportunities right before Christmas break.</p>