Question for prospective vocal performance majors

College Majors Music Major
21

Welcome, @hesmall ! I will chime in on your question about good VP/Opera programs, if you don’t mind! First, I recommend a diverse list of schools (especially since you have a daughter as Opera programs are highly competitive for women, and particularly if money is a factor). Include some solid safeties (perhaps a local State School…maybe you are lucky and live in an area with a great local program) and matches. Visit early if you can afford to… this year and this coming summer are great, if you can afford to do this. Alternatively, send your D to a summer program, if possible; perhaps one attached to an Undergraduate program. A vocal performance summer intensive is a great way to meet professionals (who will likely recommend teachers and college programs that would be a good fit), and a good way to have a dry run at the intensity of an Undergraduate program in VP. Also, take a peek at the past few years’ prescreen/acceptance threads here on CC (by @“Mezzo’sMama” ) to get an idea of where kids are applying.

One point of contention amongst singer types is whether or not the presence of Graduate Students is a plus or minus to a program… Since vocalists mature later (when compared to instrumentalists), most big, important, excellent Opera programs are heavily Graduate Programs; in fact some of the best programs are Graduate ONLY. So one school of thought (which I happen to adhere to) is that young singers that attend an Undergraduate only or heavy program will receive more attention (best teachers and access to all the coachings, etc.) and (obviously) more performance opportunities. There are very few such programs. Oberlin (where my D attends), Vandy, and Lawrence U., are a few; there are a number of other programs with just a few Graduate students… Personally, I highly advocate for this. Oberlin, for example, has an incoming class of between 15-30 every year, and regularly has graduates accepted to the best Grad programs (AVA, Juilliard, Yale, etc.) and YAPs. Others can chime in on the benefits of having Graduate students around ;). I have heard many stories of kids whose parents pay loads and loads of money, and their child is getting a lesson a week and is in a good choir at a Grad heavy program; to me this is NOT a good value. Some Grad heavy programs are HIGHLY selective with Undergrads (maybe just a few students every year); Curtis and Rice, for example. Definitely look at these programs if your child is a good fit.

Look at teachers. Ask everyone you know about this. Again, summer programs are so helpful here!!!

One unsolicited bit of advice I have in general (which we followed ourselves): It’s important not to be among
the “best” or “worst” singers in your program (yes, I know this is highly subjective). Working with musicians more advanced than you is one of the best ways to improve your own musicianship, however, if you find yourself at the bottom of the heap, you may have many fewer opportunities. Oddly, my D found that her “safeties” showed much less passion and interest in her than her reach schools, so many times, this sorts itself out!

Finally, DO choose a program that shows passion and excitement about your child and her talents.

Best of luck in your journey!

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Hello Dramasopranomom!

First of all, I am beyond grateful that you have taken so much of your valuable time to reach out to me with such invaluable information! I found myself hanging on every word and piece of advice you selflessly shared with me, so thank you thank you! My husband and I feel so alone in this process seeing that my daughter is the only kid we know going down this VP path so your response as well as @stillHera’s, are so appreciated.

We, too, would prefer that our daughter attend a program where the undergrads are given ample performing opportunities, but as you said, seeing that these programs are so highly selective, my D might not be able to be so picky. I would like for her to concentrate on universities as opposed to conservatories so that she can receive a more well rounded education. We are planning to start visiting schools this March. We have been told that our D should set up a voice lesson with one of the faculty at each school we visit, but we are struggling with figuring out how she finds out to whom she should contact. How does she find out who the good teachers are vs the ones to stay away from? Just because a school has a great reputation doesn’t mean that every voice professor is stellar. Any insight you have re: this would be so helpful!

We are looking into summer programs as well, but they are so pricey!! Uggghhhh!!!

May I ask where your daughter ended up at school?

Thanks again for all of your guidance:)

Happy Holidays!
-hesmall

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@hesmall , we were in your shoes last summer. We wanted S18 to attend a summer intensive, but he had other plans as well and we did not want to pay for the 5 week type programs. He ended up doing a 10 day intensive at U of Miami-Frost, which was affordable and a great introduction for him to the undergraduate VP world. There were many talented singers there from all over the country, as well as from the Miami area. Check it out.

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@hesmall you are too kind! I am simply paying forward the kindnesses of other experienced parents here on CC. My D is at Oberlin (which, btw, has an excellent 10 day summer intensive for high schoolers, as well). The Frost summer program sounds great, @vistajay !

25

I’ll add that my D did not follow the straight and narrow path for VP and has done fine. This does not mean my D didn’t spend a lot of time in performance. She had a private voice teacher and sung with a program for opera/MT for 3 years in our community. But she came to a focus on VP late and had other interests that made the straight and narrow not right for her.

She never did a summer intensive at a college for anything. She did do shows (theater/MT) in our city however. So we had that opportunity. If not maybe I would have considered it…maybe not.

She never had a private lesson with a teacher. She met her teacher the first week of school. They are still in contact (my D has finished grad school).

She did a university with a big grad program with no negative results. My D and her friends were not ignored in a class of 20. She had a variety of great opportunities and there were many caring teachers - and some focused solely on UG students.

I only say this so you know that not everyone follows the conventional path for a variety of reasons and they get acceptances. My D had a friend with very limited resources that went to IU for UG and grad bc of in-state tuition (no money to even travel to audition). He got a great education and support from the faculty.

If you can afford summer intensives and going to meet teachers and auditioning nationwide, go for it. If not, just support your kid on working hard with their private teacher and take advantage of school and community resources. Many talented students get VP acceptances that way. They attend a variety of schools and make it work…regardless the bumps.

Good luck.

26

My daughter did not do any summer intensives. She only went to one college to have a private lesson prior to applying (the school recommended it on their website and it was easy to set up). The best info I got out of that visit was that her audition songs were well suited for her voice. She also came away encouraged and more excited about the journey.

We just couldn’t justify spending too much money on pre-visits and lessons with faculty knowing that we were going to be spending that money on audition visits six months later.

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My D (BM VP) was looking for a small (undergrad only) school with Opera, MT and Choral opportunities. We looked at Wooster, Luther, Lawrence and St. Olaf (plus about 10 others). Lawrence won hands down. D auditioned early and has been accepted. I feel like Lawrence flies under the radar. From what we’ve seen, it seems like a magical place. If you haven’t already, you should check it out.

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That is great @3gigglinggirls ! Nice to have a music acceptance in hand so early. I tried to encourage Lawrence & Luther for my daughter as she also really likes choir music but she didn’t want to leave the west coast. However, Lawrence it is a great school. And great program. Congratulations to you and your daughter!

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I love the comments about the highly varied paths to a similar end. My kid hadn’t taken a single private lesson since middle school–there just wasn’t time or money. He did, however do summer intensives where he met incredible musicians and faculty members (and thus now has friends and contacts at many/most the “biggie” music programs in his genre) and got a really solid feel for various schools and program offerings. Maybe even more importantly, he got a really solid feel for his skill/level, comparatively, on a national and even international stage, which helped him solidify his own path. It’s tough to know where you truly stand if you don’t move beyond the local. And while yes, those summer programs can be prohibitively pricey, most offer scholarship opportunities. Mine only paid full price for the very first 5-day program after his sophomore year; the others (all three after his junior year) came with partial to full scholarships (each performance/talent/merit/audition based, though I imagine there are need-based options as well?). I look at those summer programs like I look at colleges–be clear about your financial situation and go into the process realistically (we can only afford X, period), but don’t dismiss a dream opportunity at a financial out-of-reach, because often those are the programs with the most generous scholarships!

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1)Flexibility in curriculum allowing double majors has been the most important factor for my D. She wants a school that values her interest in two majors where she is not forced to chose one over the other. Somewhere where they understand the correlation between science and music. She says they are both “meticulous” and that music helps her to be a better scientist and science helps her be a better musician. Very interesting to me. I don’t quite understand it but she seems quite confident in her own understanding.
2) Secondly she is interested in any college that her vocal coach or music teachers recommend.