<p>Hi! I have been looking around at colleges for the past few months now and I have had very minimal luck. I am a sixteen year old three and a half octave coloratura-lyric soprano hybrid thing. Classical music is my life and my high school isn't exactly one for classical education. I want to spend the rest of my life singing opera and I want this kind of career with all of my being. I know the expectations I just want to hear feed back from people who have already lived it. I am looking at a conservatory program but I am open to everything. I know this is cliche but east coast is my dream location (really I just want to get out of my dead beat town). I adore music. I adore learning. I have an A average in school in AP and honors courses. If anyone can help me that would be great. I have been taking private voice and piano for two years and have sung in choir for ten. Please help!</p>
<p>Hey Hopeful!</p>
<p>Good for you! It sounds like you know exactly what you are about, and you have the time to prepare and research for the best opportunities. There are many reputable East coast conservatories to pursue. You might think about competing in the Classical Singer competition this year which is a great way to see what is out there. You can enter as many times as you like, and you can visit schools and areas of interest, while becoming better prepared for auditions your senior year. It’s a way to both network and gain confidence under pressure. While it is mostly Universities that host the competition, you can tour the area and visit nearby conservatories. </p>
<p>Keep up the passion and work hard!</p>
<p>You will need to go to grad school and you do not want to incur debt. Debt is a career killer. From the very start, you should be investigating what you can afford. Though the money issue is neither exciting or glamorous to a young singer, it is essential that you learn exactly how expensive this path is. If you are interested I will PM you a link that breaks down the process quite well.
If money is no issue whatsoever…congrats!</p>
<p>I agree with setumommy–get out and audition for any competitions that you might find (such as NATS) and possibly go to a summer program geared towards high school singers. Get a feel for where you stand in the vast soprano talent pool. Good luck!</p>
<p>I hope you are participating in a summer vocal program this year. It is a great way to network with other students like yourself and to meet teachers that interest you (and therefore schools that may interest you.) If you have read much on this site then you know you should be looking for a great “teacher match.” Also look at the Schmidt Youth Vocal Competition and any local competitions you may have. Start recording yourself - analyze your stage presence, your interpretation, your breathing, etc. You can supply your video to competent teachers to help you grow. I assume you have a good teacher in your town but, if not, there is also the opportunity for SKYPE lessons. If you have a community theatre in your small town, then GET ON THE STAGE. All of that makes for good practice, for your auditions (college, competitions, scholarships), working with directors and with other performers. Volunteer in your community also. You will need that for your college applications and, if you are singing, it’s just one more opportunity to get comfortable in your skin.</p>
<p>Why do you think you are having “minimal luck” looking for schools? What is the problem?</p>
<p>Agree with POTO Mom, we need more information as to why you are having minimal luck. What criteria are you using to evaluate schools? That would help us make some recommendations. </p>
<p>When looking for performance opportunities do not forget church. DD’s adult church choir allowed her to sing with them since she was so much more advanced than the regular student choir. They also provided a lot of opportunities for her to do solos during the services and it helped to be in such a warm accepting environment to get her “sea legs” under her. She could actually try out some of the audition rep there since so much of the classical musics is religious.</p>
<p>Oh my goodness! I didn’t expect so many replies so soon! Thank you all so much. When I say minimal luck, I mean that nothing seems to fit. I want to go to a school that I love but can afford which is kind of hard. I am also struggling with my teacher recommendations. My choir teacher wants me straight into conservatory but my voice teacher wants me to to to Michigan university. Money is kind of a problem but I am not underprivileged in any means. I have been leads in many theatrical productions, currently Johanna in Sweeney Todd. I love all these thoughts and I will share them with my teachers. I want to be able to come home and enthuse about the college I attend, to be really proud of myself and the program. Also teachers. I have given much thought to visiting colleges and having a lesson with some of the coaches, recording it and giving it to my voice coach now. My coach has a doctorate in music education from Michigan and she is wonderful. I am building repertoire for the classical singers competition now. My big question is should I go undergrad at a university then to a conservatory or conservatory all the way? And recommendations on both fronts. Thank you all so much! This is the best advice I’ve had in a while!</p>
<p>I think the university vs. conservatory choice is a personal one. Most people will strongly suggest going the LAC/ University route. I believe that two falls ago, Opera News had an article about the benefits of going to an LAC as an undergrad. Voice students need a well rounded education, and an LAC or university might provide that for you. Lots of experienced people have responded to you on this thread and can speak more to that issue. </p>
<p>There are also university programs with attached conservatory-level programs, such as CCM, Rice, Northwestern, Michigan, and Maryland, to name a few, and there are LACs with conservatories such as Oberlin, and Lawrence. </p>
<p>I’m a rising college freshman that just went through the audition process. I applied to both universities and conservatories. I completed 14 applications, was invited to do 10 auditions, actually did 9 auditions, and was accepted to 7 schools. I’m going to a great university/conservatory program next year. Are you going to be a junior or a senior in the fall?</p>
<p>As ImThinking said, do not limit yourself at this stage. You need to explore finding good teachers for you and they can come from many different environments. A good teacher and no debt are critical. However, you will not know the cost of attending each until after the offers are made since so much depends on the merit awards. A good selection, although I think 14 is a lot, can you give you options to choose from. DD changed her mind as to what she wanted after offers were in and she did a final round of visits and lessons. When she considered all of her goals and the teachers she would study with she chose the university with conservatory instead of the straight conservatory.</p>
<p>To answer Imthinking, I will be a junior. Are there any recommendations of schools with a conservatory attachment? Any good teachers you all know about?</p>
<p>Operahopeful, is it possible your coach is suggesting UMich not just because it’s his/her alma mater, but because it is in IN-STATE for you?</p>
<p>If you are from Michigan, please do take a close and careful look at UMich – indeed, the SMTD is “conservatory level.”</p>
<p>At this point in time, you do not want to limit yourself, as Singersmom07 has said, but you also need to keep your eyes wide open about what is financially viable and what is not – which you WILL NOT KNOW until/unless offers are made. So do not for a minute overlook home state options. Particularly if you live in Michigan and are fortunate enough to have in-state tuition for Michigan - for which many performers would envy you ;)</p>
<p>As all have said, you really do have to consider money. We kind of lucked out because my daughter ended up loving one of the most affordable schools with an outstanding conservatory. Affordable is 36K instead of 60K. The numbers are staggering. Scholarships for sopranos are few and far between especially undergrad, even when you are very talented, so don’t count on scholarship money for your vocal talent. Hopefully you will get some for grades and community activity stuff. </p>
<p>I think summer programs are key. Not only do you learn, but you live the life of a music student all day every day and really get an idea of what its like to pursue vocal performance. You also meet so many people that are pursuing the same thing. You will see them at auditions and competitions. They are a great source of information and camaraderie when you are traveling around auditioning your senior year. A recommendation from one of the instructors my daughter had at a summer program lead her to her current vocal performance teacher, and he is amazing.</p>
<p>If you can start visiting schools now and taking trial lessons, I would. Because when you get into the crunch of audition time your senior year and fall visits to schools, it will be hard to schedule them all, you won’t have time and neither will teachers. When you visit the schools, see if you can be setup with a student and shadow them for a day. This is a great way to see what the classes are like and what the environment of the school is like.</p>
<p>Best of luck to you!</p>
<p>You may want to start subscribing to Classical Singer magazine. They sponsor a competition at their national meeting (many local and even online qualifying events) that is really fun to attend just to listen to all the singers and go to the exhibition hall with lots of vendors and college representatives. </p>
<p>[Classical</a> Singer Community](<a href=“http://www.classicalsinger.com/convention/]Classical”>http://www.classicalsinger.com/convention/)</p>
<p>I just got the email from Classical Singer magazine offering their free summer edition with their Young Artist Program directory. It’s free so have had it. (I don’t currently subscribe even, although my D did participate in their national competition one year.)</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.classicalsinger.com/images/cs_summer_2013.pdf[/url]”>http://www.classicalsinger.com/images/cs_summer_2013.pdf</a></p>
<p>Schools like Rice, CCM and Maryland are great because their schools of music are at the level of tippy-top conservatories, yet they have much more to offer in the way of need-based aid and merit scholarships. Also IU, while not necessarily the right place for everybody, does offer some great academic scholarships for students such as yourselves.</p>