<p>I’m actually not taking any classes for the MT minor this semester, as none work with my schedule, but here’s what I’ve taken so far:
Fall freshman year:
MUSC 400, it’s a history of the American musical class, especially as musicals pertain to social issues. It also fulfills USC’s diversity requirement, so you can kill two birds with one stone! I really enjoyed it.</p>
<p>Spring freshman year:
MPVA 301, First semester of private voice</p>
<p>Fall sophomore year:
MPKS 150a, Intro to Piano part I. You can choose two semesters of piano or guitar, or one semester of music theory. I didn’t want to buy/borrow a guitar, and I didn’t have enough units left to take music theory, so I chose piano. It’s a group class, pretty simple, I’m just incompetent
MPVA 301, Second semester of private voice</p>
<p>Spring sophomore year:
MPKS 150b, Intro to Piano part II.
THTR 184a, Jazz dance. You have to take one dance class, or movement. I know I’m a weak dancer, so I plan on taking as many dance classes as possible.
MPVA 301, Third (and final official) semester of private voice. I plan on continuing to study with my teacher, just not through USC.
MPVA 402, Musical Theatre Workshop
THTR 343, Musical Theatre Audition with John Rubinstein. Hands down my favorite class I’ve ever taken, John is a phenomenal teacher and knows so much. I grew a lot in his class, and am a much better performer for it. Also, he has some crazy cool stories to tell!</p>
<p>Those are all two-unit classes, except for MUSC 400 (four units), Musical Theatre Audition (3 units), and music theory (4 units), which I didn’t take. I still need to take three more semesters of Musical Theatre Workshop (for a total of four), though being in a school show reduces that count by one semester (only once). The minor is 27 units. For perspective, that’s half the units of the theater major, but only nine fewer units than the poly sci major—which is nine classes, while the MT minor is 12 classes. </p>
<p>Also—while I’m not officially in any classes for the minor this fall, I will be in Musical Theatre Experimentals, where we put on a show (it should be “Hair” this year!), and Modern Dance.</p>
<p>I had no trouble getting into the classes I wanted. All the MT classes are small, and mostly by departmental clearance, meaning you have to fill out a form to get permission to take the class. “D-clearance” is automatic if you’re in the minor, so the only hassle is a little bit of walking around. For an idea of class sizes, from largest to smallest:
MUSC 400: around 60, I’d say? The only lecture class of the minor
Dance classes: 20-50 people, depending on the discipline
Piano: 15-20 people
Musical Theatre Audition: 18-20 people (it’s a popular class, and doesn’t require D-clearance, but I know first-semester freshmen who have taken it)
Musical Theatre Workshop: 12-15 people
Individual instruction: 1 person. You can also take one semester of group voice and two of private voice, but I preferred having three of private voice—I feel like I grew so much more because of it!</p>
<p>Because the MT minor at USC is self-selecting, it’s a pretty small program, and it’s not hard to get the classes you want, which are designed for as many students as there are in the minor. </p>
<p>It’s harder to get into acting and directing classes with certain teachers than it is to get into any MT classes, as far as I know—and even then, the professors will often work with you to get you into the classes you want/need. USC is really good about getting people into the classes they need, at least in my experience. I’ve only heard one “horror story,” and that was an issue of transfer credits in the theater major applying/not applying, so not an applicable scenario for most incoming freshmen.</p>