@rickle, that sounds like a good mix to me.
^^^and I agree with @MomofMTBoy. If you are going to use a coach, be sure the coach has relevant and VERY CURRENT experience with the college audition process.
I have no idea if you’d consider Coastal Carolina “Top 20”, but either way - I am happy to answer any questions about the program.
I have the second @jeffandann re: Ball State. I have many friends in NYC who went there and are incredibly successful (and also wonderful people!).
I also know folks in NYC/DC who have great training and book quite a bit who went to these lesser-known schools (apologies if they were mentioned before): Nebraska Wesleyan, Drake, Catholic, Abilene Christian, Wright State, University at Buffalo, SUNY Purchase.
@rickle1 that seems like a great mix to me (with caveat to follow), but know your school: If you kid is a pop rock kid then Shenandoah, if your kid is well connected to people in the industry and super smart and super talented then UMich, if your kid is a great dancer then Boston Conservatory, if your kid is a musical theory kid and self starter, BW. There are probably 20 programs that could be considered top tier, and in the mid-range some schools are nearly as difficult to get into as the top tier (thinking of Hartt and Drake among others). We did not travel to schools ahead of the auditions because of cost and low chance of getting in to a program that accepts 20 out of 1000 kids. This process is not for the faint of heart. We used MCA for school selection and were told 5-8 middles and I think less than 10 top tier. But we disregarded that advice and had some fairly top heavy schools. I would (in retrospect) say to push the middles up to past 5 and limit top tier to 7 schools that are good fits for your kid’s interest and skill set.
@MomofMTBoy, just out of curiosity, what school(s) would you recommend for a guy who is voice primary, big, lyric baritone with voice more suited to Golden Age than pop/rock, but can stretch, strong acting and mover. Of course, we have a list, but just curious to see if there is a specific school we haven’s investigated yet. TIA.
@NYKaren - I would recommend Oklahoma City University, Baldwin Wallace, Penn State, Michigan. Then maybe Belmont, Rider, CCPA with voice concentration, possibly Webster. I’m sure there are many others that would suit your son. These are just a few that come to mind that are strong vocal programs.
Thank you. All those were on my list with the exception of Webster. I appreciate the input and was just curious if there was anything we overlooked in our research.
@NYKaren -thought of a few more – American University, James Madison and NYU Steinhardt
JMU is near top of our list, along with Rider! He really liked JMU when he spoke to them at a Perf. Arts College Fair. American we are considering and he was on fence with NYU. Also considering SUNY Fredonia, Nazareth & SUNY Cortland
If you have any questions about Fredonia, I can try to help you.
@NYKaren happy to answer any questions about JMU… Not sure where you are in NY, but I can also put your son in touch with some current students and recent alums from NY-State if it would be helpful
@NYKaren , Like @techmom99 I have a kid at Fredonia, so if you have questions about the current program, please let either/both of us know!
@NYKaren happy to answer any questions about JMU.
@KatMT - what would you say are the best and worst parts of the program? How much performance ti,e do underclassmen actually get. How much exposure do the kids get to casting directors? (per the website it mentions guest master class opportunities - is that once per month or once per yr)
^ sorry. These questions pertain to JMU.
@NYKaren all really good schools suggested above. We honestly looked at the websites and curriculum and had lots of discussions about what he wanted out of a program. Hartt has a really strong in acting and seems to like kids who are good movers and excellent actors or excellent singers. And I will add, since Rider is on your list, you should be aware that as a strong dancing program, that part of the audition is a killer. I would, given your son’s Golden Age lyrical tone, also consider looking at Ball State and Millikin, and maybe Syracuse. My S is a singer first too and he is also a baritone (but he is most definitely not golden age in tone). He applied to many schools that focused on what he was lacking (dance–BoCo, Rider and Point Park). He applied to schools that placed a focus on his strengths: musicality and high GPA (NYU, BW, Muhlenberg (safety), and Wagner). And he applied to acting primary schools (NYU and Hartt). Talk about what he wants out of his education and talk about whether he would mind being in a city or in more rural setting or in the Northeast or Midwest or South or West Coast. That helped eliminate some of the schools. I will also note that I know lots of kids are really happy at Coastal Carolina, JMU, Arizona State U, and Cap21/Malloy and I don’t think they fit into any particular mold but happiness is really important too.
@rickle1 — underclassmen can start auditioning as soon as they are on campus, and freshmen are cast in productions. Upperclassmen are more likely to be cast in significant mainstage roles because they have more training and maturity, but there are some roles for which freshmen are well suited… for example, Mary Phagan in Parade this past year was a freshman… not the only freshman cast this year, but an example of a significant role. The mainstage musicals, and some plays cast understudies and swings, and often freshmen are cast in these opportunities.
There are also student directed productions… 6 - 8 studio theater productions, and 8 - 10 workshop productions, and other residencies, readings, directing and playwriting class showcases, etc… in addition to the 5 mainstage productions, so lots of opportunities to be cast. Students are also both required and encouraged to work in off stage capacities in shops, design, run crew, management, directing, writing, etc…
In terms of guest artists, students have the opportunity to interact with 15+ guest artists a year… some are guests artists, like casting directors, who may come in for a day or two day workshop, others are here for extended residencies directing a production, choreographing, designing, devising material to be performed with students, and some are guests through the Forbes Center Masterpiece season who work with students as a part of their visit to campus to perform (ex. Patti LuPone, Anna Deavere Smith, Second City, Alvin Ailey, Aquila Theatre company, etc…) Of these guests I would say that one or two is a casting director depending on the year… some NY, some DC.
This past year we were also an A1 audition screening location and a Broadway Dance audition location, depending on the year other groups will come to campus to audition as well.
I teach in the program, so don’t really think of best and worse parts… more think of what we offer, and if it meets the kind of educational and training goals for a particular student. Students in the program take the same general education as all JMU students… so, this is a ‘best’ or ‘worst’ depending on whether you want an educational and training environment with a well rounded academic component or not. Because it is a program with more general education requirements than many there is only so much that we can require in the major… 62 credits out of 120. Most students in Musical Theatre graduate with 75 - 90 credits in the major, so the students are actively balancing studio classes, academic classes, and performance opportunities. Some students want this kind of environment, some would prefer not to have that balance, and would consider it negative.
Students have opportunities to direct, choreograph, musical direct, design, write, manage, etc… so, for students looking for a place where they can do that it is a plus.
^ thanks for the detailed info. Very interesting.
Strong, although somewhat less competitive (but hey come one, they are all tough to get into) audition-based programs that son and I looked at last year - Ball State, Univ of Arizona, Wright St, Montclair, Missouri St and Coastal. He is also voice and acting primary, and a “developing mover”.
This thread is related and may be of some interest: