<p>I agree that your son needs a school with an excellent music program and without a BFA MT program. It is usually difficult for non-MT majors to be cast in productions at schools with top flight MT programs. However, it is not impossible. The school my D attends, Florida State, has open auditions for nearly all productions and does sometimes cast non-theatre majors. Florida State might be a good option for your son. It has an excellent music school. </p>
<p>Something that I think would be very valuable in furthering your son's aspirations would be to consider a voice minor, or at least taking some voice lessons while he is in college. If he is interested in music directing MT productions and coaching MT singers, a knowedge of singing will be extremely valuable. An acting class or two would also serve him well as would a dance class. </p>
<p>At some schools, pianists are hired to do vocal coaching, accompanying voice lessons, music directing musicals, teaching music theory classes for MT majors, and accompanying dance or movement classes. My former college roommate, for example, does vocal coaching, music directing, and has designed a music theory course specifically for MT majors at Penn State. She has done workshops in vocology to help her become more adept in working with singers. At my D's school, one of the staff pianists improvises the music for the department chair's dance/movement classes. A rudimentary knowledge of dance is very useful for that sort of work. (I worked as a ballet class accompanist for a number of years at CCM Prep and can safely say that the years I spent watching my D's dance classes were very helpful when I moved into the dance studio!)</p>
<p>CCM may or may not be a good place for your son. The piano program is excellent, however, theatrical productions are not open to non-majors. I do not believe that any of the theatre classes are available to non-majors. That's something I would ask about in e-mails to Aubrey Berg (MT chair) and Richard Hess (acting chair). Ballet classes offered through the dance department are usually closed to non-majors, unless the student has had significant prior dance experience. Diane Lala (MT dance instructor) usually does not allow non-MT majors in her dance classes, however, again, if a student has had siginificant prior dance training, she might allow it. A good option for students without prior dance training are the Prep Dept. dance classes. The Prep Dept. offers ballet classes and theatre dance classes for older beginners. If your son is interested in taking voice lessons he would need to find out if it would be possible to do so as a piano major. The school might ask that he take lessons outside his program of study through the prep department or through an outside arrangement with one of the voice faculty. (In H.S. my D studied with a member of the voice faculty who also taught privately. Her lessons did not go throught the Prep Dept.)</p>
<p>I know that CCM offers graduate assistantships to pianists who accompany for the MT program. As far as I know, undergraduate piano majors do not get assigned to the MT program, however, you might want to check it out.</p>
<p>I hope your son is able to find a school that fits the bill. Pianists can certainly have fulfilling careers in MT. My D's vocal coach in H.S. was CCM's MT music director for 10 years. He graduated from CCM with a BM in piano performance in 1977 and moved into a successful Broadway performing career. He returned to CCM as a faculty member about 10 years later. </p>
<p>Hope this helps a bit.</p>