BW has a great web series called “Stages” that really gives you a good glimpse into that program. The class featured in that series has now been out of school for a few years… but it’s still a good “slice” of what the program is like.
Actually, by pulling up just one showcase you will learn very little. That is why I recommended looking at multiple showcases. By looking at them and making note of things you like and don’t like, you can begin to see what is important to you in a program. You are able to compare different programs and the types of people they tend to have in each (strong dancers, strong singer, etc), especially if you look at several years of showcases for one school. And again, watching the freshman and senior showcase of the same class can show changes.
What I look for in looking at a showcase like CCM (or Elon or Indiana or Steinhardt or Wright State or …) is not just vocals, but how they perform together as an ensemble. I look at how they back up the soloist. I look at choreography. I look at the overall staging and blocking. I consider song selection and does the show fit well together, or is it just songs selected at random with no real flow to the performance. A lot can be learned from these showcases. Unfortunately, many of them have left the monologue sections off of some of the easier to find YouTube videos, but a little searching and those can be found as well.
The showcase does not always give an indication of the types of shows they feature. In the case of CCM, the songs are chosen by the freshman during their first few weeks of school and therefore would have nothing to do with shows that the faculty choose to feature. Other schools choose to do more caberet-type showcases which are nothing like any of their main stage productions.
It is just another tool to use. It shouldn’t be the only one, but neither should opinions on CC, college websites, lists of top schools or famous people on Broadway. Students and parents should be looking for as much info as possible and these videos are just another source of info. For people that are not able to visit schools in person, or are just trying to get an idea of what to expect or ask about when visiting, these videos can be very helpful.
Stages is a great series of videos! It does a fabulous job of showing BW, and life as an MT major.
As @mom4bwayboy says, the FB page of most schools can be very helpful. By “liking” them you will get all of their updates. OCU often puts short videos of rehearsals or trailers of their shows on FB, so you can see a bit and get program updates through FB.
and yet- isn’t there a need for caution when watching showcases- esp freshman showcases. I would have had NO idea that it was a student created performance if Dusing hadn’t said so above. So if I was just searching schools and making evaluations that way I wouldn’t be getting an informed picture
As I said, it can give you ideas of what to ask about when visiting the schools. Let them know you have watched their showcase (shows you have done some research on them) and ask if it was student produced. These videos are simply more information. Take it or leave it.
@gmo913 I totally agree about the Facebook pages! Like all of them! We have learned a lot by watching them on our newsfeed. You’ll see when master classes are held and by whom, alumni news and success, etc, plus what shows they are doing etc. very informative
I agree that videos can made great talking points on a visit- and certainly show that you have done your HW-but @gmo913 asked about what to do if you CAN’T visit. I have watched lots of showcase videos from lots of schools - and I can’t think of one that is really a representation of curriculum. I see them as a PR for underclasses, and a job application for seniors.
Though- full disclosure- I don’t think seeing a show at a school should be a deal breaker either. I live near a frequently mentioned and well respected school and have been seeing shows there for years. Some have been outstanding- some not. That’s just my opinion.
@gmo913 - I think you need to did deep on research. What is curriculum? How many classes? What techniques? How many people apply/are accepted? What is retention rate? Is there a jury/cut system? Leveled dance? How many shows do they do? How does the casting system work? Some of this can be found on Internet (be careful to distinguish research from propaganda- all schools want to make themselves look good on social media). I have found that many schools can be contacted via phone/email- and will put you in touch with someone in the dept (faculty or current student) Charles Richter at Muhlenberg was particularly gracious for my D. And of course we have been lucky to have KatMT and others who answer questions here
Wow. I limited the level of my research as a parent (and not the student) to the metaphoric equivalent of whether or not the collegiate nachos used cheese whiz or real cheddar cheese… hopefully with some fresh jalapeno in the melt and not the crap from the cans. Honestly are you folks really looking at these videos and thinking you can confidently include their content as a basis to pick a program? I’m worried for you. Tell your student (and not you) to research the nachos at the favorite campus haunt. It’s as good if not better an indicator of quality - or not but at least you’ll be better fed when you visit.
I have an idea. For once, NOBODY take halflokum’s bait (even though I just did). Ignore it as if we never saw it, and carry on!
A restaurant near my alma mater had the best nachos. Ever. S’s current school, not so much. It’s located near a highway interchange and has all the usual interchange suspects. Thankfully, restauranteurs and good cooks from other countries have finally discovered highway interchanges. And fortunately a walking bridge was just completed over said highway so students won’t get killed in their search for decent nachos, shawarma, and garlic naan.
On a side note, I think it’s sad that so many of the traditional “college towns” are morphing into the upscale versions of “McTowns”. Finding a college nestled among unique eateries, drinkeries and shops is becoming hard to come by. Other than having close proximity, the “college town” experience is becoming similar to S’s highway interchange.
Watching YouTube videos from various programs will show you: A. what the program wants you to see; B. what someone else wants you to see; or C. the videographer is clueless that prospective students/parents are “judging” recorded performances as a measure of the program. Take all with a grain of salt.
^^^spot on
duplicate post
On the topic of the OP…not sure which Big List you mean…but you likely mean the post that is pinned called the “Big List” which is not the same as the list of sub forums for specific schools at the top of the MT Forum. In any case, schools that are talked about on this forum are merely a product of who is participating. Some know the well renown schools and some know more about other schools. When I first joined CC 13 years ago, I learned of Otterbein, which I had never heard of, due to the participation of the head of its program on here. Coastal Carolina was talked about more in recent years with the participation of their program head and some active parents and students affiliated with the program. You can also do a search for the name of a specific program and see what threads come up over the years. But CC is really informative, though whomever participates can vary. Typically, those who are well versed on the process or inquisitive and seek information participate. Some people officially affiliated with programs participate. On the other CC forums, there is a slant toward the more selective colleges and in fact, the Ivy forums are very active. CC is a wonderful resource to learn information about a school, beyond what a school officially puts out on their site and PR materials. I happen to think that the MT forum has so much other non-school specific information that is shared that is invaluable.
But if you want to find out about a school, CC ought not to be the main resource for that itself. Visits really help, though I realize are not feasible for everyone. Making contact with school personnel to ask questions directly is quite helpful. Trying to secure names of current student and alumni (via friends of friends, on FB, asking a school for contacts, etc) allow one to get the inside scoop. So, that’s how I would investigate. Plus there is the information a school puts out and so I would scour their curriculum and other information and ask pertinent questions. Frankly, this is way more informative in MY opinion, than watching YouTube videos.
For one thing, not every school records or posts videos of productions, showcases, and so on. So, you can’t compare all schools that way. I know my D’s alma mater does not record or post videos. I have seen videos online from some programs. For me, all that shows me is samples of the talent level of those in the programs, which is helpful on that topic, but is not nearly enough to go by when examining a program!! And as others have already said, even seeing productions on campus is not the end all and be all in evaluating a program. We only got to see productions at two schools. One production was excellent. The other one, my D did not think the leads were strong, though the ensemble was, though she liked the school and got in but didn’t go there (not due to the show!!). So, we really didn’t have productions or videos at all as a consideration and my D evaluated programs based on both factual information about them, visits, talking with current students and faculty. While we did not view any videos, I don’t think they would have been all that helpful in learning about the program itself, beyond observing the current talent of the students themselves. However, given the schools on my D’s list, I think there was strong talent at all of them and so the evaluation of fit really didn’t have to do with the talent level of the students. I agree with those who say that the videos are not a good measure of a program, and don’t give all that much information about the program itself.
I can say with complete confidence that videos and on-campus productions would be a very poor way to evaluate any aspect of Ds school, including talent levels. In the first place, there is literally never any production on campus - even including NY Showcase - that includes all of the top performers on campus. This is due to a number of factors, including the sheer number of productions underway at all times, kids performing in professional productions off-campus, kids taking quarter off of performing, kids studying abroad, some kids opting to do the Chicago Showcase versus the NYC Showcase, etc. “Freshman Cabaret” is put together in one day for Family Weekend with volunteer kids picking a song to perform and no direction or rehearsal time, so comparing it in any way to CCM’s Freshman Showcase would be extremely misleading. Also, mainstage productions are not recorded for YouTube, virtually every production has a different director and casting is done with a variety of educational aims including stretching performers.
@momcares, agree. The same could hold true for many wonderful programs. Videos are truly a risky form of measurement and comparison.
Excellent advice in post #49 btw. Please be sure to “like” it as I did.
I would like to add that 90% of the info college put out (in all majors NOT just BFA) is propaganda. Their websites, brochures, videos, FB pages AND tours/visits are designed to sell the product- them. That doesn’t mean they are trying to give false info- but it certainly isn’t to their benefit to spend time trumpeting their downside- and EVERY school has a downside. Some schools are really good a “wooing” prospective students. Some don’t go for that. Neither approach is a reflection on the quality of education/training offered.
“@momcares, agree. The same could hold true for many wonderful programs. Videos are truly a risky form of measurement and comparison.”
So true, yet isn’t it all the more annoying that many schools judge our kids based on a couple of 30-second prescreen videos. …
Though I have no direct family connection, one of my very favorite schools/campuses is U of Michigan. Both of my kids applied there for different majors and I think highly of the school. I distinctly remember a brochure that featured the gorgeous campus with the green lawn, tulips and daffodils. It was so pretty but U Mich’s school year starts around Labor Day and is out for the summer at the end of April. Exactly when would my kids have seen those pretty flowers? 
Snow. They would have seen lots of snow. Two days of beautiful leaves, followed by endless months of snow. And slush.
Actually a quite a lovely campus, but Spartans can’t really say that. I understand that Michigan State students can now study MT. And be on one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. Except for the endless months when it’s covered in snow. And slush.