<p>No staff emails this session. I’ve talked with my S almost daily, so no big deal for me, but it would be nice to get staff updates as well.</p>
<p>My son had a great time at OCU’s camp in 2005. (I couldn’t believe it when I saw a couple of their Footloose clips on You Tube, when I was looking for the current summer info.)</p>
<p>That was summer before senior year in HS, and I think at least 3, maybe 4, from his camp went to OCU for MT the year following their senior year. They had to audition - I don’t think anyone gets in based on the camp experience. </p>
<p>My son was offered a spot in OCU’s BM MT. It was a very difficult decision for him, as he loved the faculty and really everything about OCU. In the end, he went with the BFA degree at Elon rather than doing a BM program and has been very happy.</p>
<p>My D went to the MT camp in 07. She will return as an MT freshman this fall. Though going to the summer camp does not guarantee anything, it does give the student a chance to check out the school and the school a chance to check out the student. Dr. H was so welcoming to the summer students who auditioned last year. He got up and greeted them warmly when they came in to audition. I know that that must have helped make the audition a little less scary.</p>
<p>My son went to the MT camp the summer between his sophomore and junior year and will be a senior in the BMMT program in Aug. He is also working this summer as camp counselor/stage manager. The camp experience made him much more comfortable at auditions for the program. Although everyone was welcoming whether or not you had been at camp, it just made the surroundings more familiar, and Dr. H. was very warm and friendly just as louisiana mom says.</p>
<p>Well, Sweeney Todd was FABULOUS!!! Truly, I was impressed. These kids, built the set, and learned the entire show in only 17 days. I thought it was as good if not even better than some of the touring Broadway shows that have come through our city in the past two years. </p>
<p>I went to the show Thursday night and DH went to the Cabaret/Show on Friday night (we had our 9 mos old with us and had to take turns watching her in the hotel room! :)…the other kids stayed home with Grandma, but 9 mos is too young for me to leave at home overnight :)). </p>
<p>I thought Thursday’s leads were wonderful, particularly the characters of Mrs. Lovett, Anthony, & Johanna. (but seriously they were ALL good). The Company(Ensemble) sounded incredible…beautiful, strong voices…I really enjoyed this show!</p>
<p>D had a wonderful experience and it again solidified her desire to attend OCU. This worries me a bit, because of the competition in MT programs, it is best not to have one’s heart set on one school. We already have her Fall OCU audition scheduled for Nov. She plans to audition for 7 other schools with a mix of Unifieds/campus auditions. Although D says that if she gets an acceptance to OCU she might very well cancel the other auditions (!!). We’ll just have to wait & see…</p>
<p>P.S. JaysMom, my D introduced me to your son Thurs night. He did a great job in the show and he is a very nice young man.</p>
<p>Good luck you your daughter this audition season, TXKatsmom. She looked and sounded great in the first cabaret video. Please let me know if anything from Sweeney hits Youtube. Just saw my D off to BTP this morning!</p>
<p>Thanks Anne1244 and I will definitely let you know about Sweeney. And good luck to your D in Tampa! She will love it!
My D was off again early this am, too…this time to NYC! She is attending the US Performing Arts program at NDG for a week long casting workshop. (She’ll be staying at the New School). She’s never been to NYC and we felt she better see it before making this huge decision.</p>
<p>Any parents whose kids have returned from session one have any advice for those of us sending ours to session 2 this weekend? Things they wish they had brought, things they brought but didn’t need after all, etc? Packing for 3 weeks is a daunting task in itself. Did anyone take a laptop? I have a Macbook, and don’t want to particularly part with it for 3 weeks if she’s not going to need it haha.</p>
<p>I know everyone is proud of their talented kids who were in the first session, as they well should be! TXKatsmom…what a great experience for your D to attend that program in NYC. Maybe we will see you at auditions in Nov, as my D is wanting to schedule hers for that weekend, as well :)</p>
<p>I can only speak from last year’s experience; TXKatsmom would be more up to date. Definitely bring or buy a blanket or comforter for the dorms. The AC can get really chilly at night and you might have a roommate controlling the thermostat! Also, send all the usual meds, vitamins, teas, lozenges, etc., your child uses during the year to stay well or to recover if he or she gets sick. LOTS of the kids get colds, etc., over the course of the rigorous three week program. Encourage them to sleep as much as possible to stay healthy. It’s a demanding yet exciting three weeks and much more fun if one is healthy and better rested.</p>
<p>KatsMom, we got to visit with your beautiful D as well. She’s delightful! The NYC program sounds fantastic. Would love some feedback once she comes home.
As far as what to bring… my S forgot his blanket and had to buy one because he was FREEZING as night! He also ended up buying fruit to snack on because he said for the first week there was no fruit at meals. For what it’s worth - he did mention to me that, thought he was a little stopped up when he arrived, he took a Claritin and a vitamin every morning and he “was the only one who didn’t get sick.” An umbrella is probably a good idea - they are on foot always. He didn’t take his laptop. There’s VERY little free time. He just called when he had a chance. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>I agree about not needing the laptop. Also, LAST YEAR my D did catch a cold…so THIS YEAR she prepared by also taking a Multi-vitamin/Calcium supplement EVERY DAY and she took Mucinex (plain) when needed. She also said she was much more responsible about sleep this year…and did NOT get sick at all…yay! (She’s learning! :))</p>
<p>If I talk to my D today, I’ll ask if there was anything else she needed/didn’t need. </p>
<p>Well, its official: she loves NYC! She says she can definitely see herself there one day. She had a full day of classes yesterday (9am-5:30pm) and then they were taken to a drama shop (?) to look for plays/monologues and then to a “huge” music store (the Colony) to look for sheetmusic. The counselor who picked her up from the airport is a Tisch (ETW) student from Ohio (lived near Baldwin-Wallace) so they’ve had some good MT college conversations. Her roommate is from Madrid, Spain (interested in straight acting) and one of her suitemates is also auditioning for MT colleges next year. She said none of them had heard of OCU (!!!) which surprised my D a bit. Later, one of the kids was talking about Kristen Chenoweth and Keli O’Hara and my D quickly pointed out that they both graduated from OCU. 
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<p>Sometime during the week they are going to see the Musical, “Passing Strange” Anyone seen it?</p>
<p>TXKatsmom, my D is in ETW and I wonder if she knows your D’s counselor. It sounds like your D is going to have a wonderful experience. </p>
<p>My D also had never heard of OCU (neither did I until I saw it on CC) and none of her MT pals who applied to BFA programs appllied to OCU. These kids came from many states and are now all at BFA programs. My feeling is that the schools the kids have heard of on the East Coast are not necessarily the same as the ones you have heard of in the South. </p>
<p>My D saw Passing Strange and loved it. She is into that kind of thing and is a songwriter herself. It is not a typical Broadway musical, however. I don’t know how many Bdway shows your D has ever seen. One cool thing, in my view, about Broadway, is the sheer variety of art that is presented. For instance, Passing Strange ain’t anything like South Pacific! :D</p>
<p>Speaking of Kelli O’Hara, be sure to check out her video on YouTube promoting OCU. What a loyal alum! Truthfully, I hope the success of classically trained singers such as Kelli O’Hara (she sang “Queen of the Night” at OCU!) Laura Benanti signals a trend away from what I call the “shriek fest” where girls are belting ever and ever higher with complete disregard for any semblance of tone quality.</p>
<p>Soozie, in another thread, you made a comment about OCU attaching the names of Kristin and Kelly to every video on youtube. I don’t know if that is done intentionally by the school or just by various posters. I have not checked it out, but whether intentional or not, I think you have just given a valid reason for doing that–to reach people in other parts of the country who have never heard of OCU. A lot of people associate theater with NYC and that region, and are surprised to learn there are schools in the midwest and southwest who also offer top MT programs.</p>
<p>Soozievt, her counselor’s name is Matt, I think. I can’t wait to see what her opinion of Passing Strange is! :)</p>
<p>Well, good news for OCU. Ray Roderick (Director of Irving Berlin’s ‘I love a Piano’) is one of the program directors for d’s casting workshop. He told my D that he’s worked with LOTS of alums from OCU and says he’s very impressed with them and that they are true “triple threats.” He had nothing but positive things to say.</p>
<p>You are right soozievt…it must be a regional thing that works both ways. I have been hearing amazing things about OCU ever since my D got interested in choir and theater, and until I discovered this board (per recommendation from an OCU staff member), I had never heard of any but a handful of these other excellent MT schools that are on the east coast. The great thing about OCU in these times of economic uncertainties and rising travel costs is that my D (if she is lucky enough to get accepted there) will be getting excellent training, yet will be close enough to home (3 hours) that it won’t kill our family budget for costs incurred traveling home and back on holidays. College itself is expensive enough!</p>
<p>LOL @ shriekfest!! I know what you mean. Belting has its place, but good grief these girls are surely going to ruin their voices eventually, especially if they are doing it 8 shows a week on Broadway.</p>
<p>My D and I saw Kelli O’Hara’s vid on youtube the other day. We were very impressed with her.</p>
<p>Any word from your kids yet? My D called and seems completely happy!</p>