<p>So after OCU, my family and I have made an appointment to fly down to College of Santa Fe and check it out. The women on the phone seemed a bi disorganized but she was nice. She told my mother, if I wanted to, htye would call in a MT staff member and I could audition right their on July 15th, alone. It would lift the added pressure of hearing other peoples songs and mabye if I was lucky they would let me know right then and there, but I doubt it. I don't know what to do. Being in NY, its a heck of a flight back there again for an audition, and im kinda weary of unifieds. Im really not sure what to do. They want a contemporary song and 2 contemporary monolouges. I was banking on alot more time to prepare. Also the fact that it would be my first audition, barring I did do it, kinda bodes badly. Any suggestions from CCers? Im really at a loss here.
Also im not sure if anyone knows this, but I noticed when looking at their past season it is mostly all dramas with Urinetown thrown in at the end. Is this the norm there?</p>
<p>DG,</p>
<p>Artsymom is the one to ask. Have you tried emailing or PMing her? She has a daughter who is finishing up her freshman year at Santa Fe and loves it there.</p>
<p>Break a leg.</p>
<p>SUE aka 5pants</p>
<p>Yeah I sent her a PM a while ago, but she hasen't responded and she hasen't been on the boards in a while. Mabye I should try emailing her. Sue, your sons go to Webster right? I'm def applying. What would you say is the most important part of the auditions? Are they very competitive?</p>
<p>DefyingGravity04 - I know that artsymom's D also auditioned there, solo. I would say it's a good idea. I think you'd feel more comfortable since they are only focusing on you at that time. Good luck!</p>
<p>DefyingGravity04,</p>
<p>I PMed you. </p>
<p>SUE</p>
<p>As I recall, Artsymom's D did audition in the late summer or perhaps early fall and did get a rapid decision (before the rest of her auditions).</p>
<p>Defying, I would say that you should strongly consider doing the audition while you are out West for the OCU summer program. As you say, getting back there from your home far away would be tough, and doing the audition in late summer would allow you to have one done. Yes, it would be your first audition for college, but no matter what you do, one audition will be the first, KWIM? :) And as someone else pointed out (5Pants?) it would allow them to focus exclusively on you. I think it is pretty terrific that a college would go out of its way to allow a student to audition: says something good about the program's ability to respond to individual needs, within reason. Why not go for it? Consider, too, that you will just be finishing up what I am sure will be a worthwhile session at OCU and will be on your game with singing, dancing and acting.</p>
<p>Hi,
My name is Matt and i was hoping someone new Artsmom's email because i would really like to talk to her about santa fe. I was accepted there/scholarship there for musical theatre and i would really like to talk to her about the program because i was also accepted ay syracuse for bfa in acting and i am having trouble deciding where to go.....If any one has any info on the program or insider info about the school if they could let me know...thanks</p>
<p>Hi Matt!</p>
<p>I have passed the message on to Arstymom that her presence on CC is wanted. I think she may be busy with a project right now...so have patience!!</p>
<p>SUE aka 5pants</p>
<p>thanks sue....i really appreciate it. Do you know any information about the program at santa fe compared to syracuse or do you know if it is in the top 10 of the musical theatre programs</p>
<p>Oh Icebear,</p>
<p>I don't know enough about either program to comment. I am so sorry.</p>
<p>One other small thing Iceberg, I personally don't advocate rating programs simply because selecting a school is a very personal decision, IMHO. I believe most of us who have gone down the path of locating the "right" programs with our kids would agree that one school will be perfect for one person but maybe not for someone else. My "top 10" undoubtedly would be someone else's bottom 10.</p>
<p>As you approach this process, create a check list of things that are important to you in a program...refer to that list as you research porgrams and hopefully you will come up with YOUR top 10! You are off to a good start if you are on CC. Read all the posts, a daunting task, but there is much to be learned from the archived threads. Print off the pages that make you go....hmmm, I never thought of that, or that's really good advice. Also pay attention to threads in which past posters share what they would do differently. There are nuggets of gold in past experiences. Put these pages in a binder and highlight the lessons learned.</p>
<p>Before I leave I just want to say, that I understand the gung ho feeling of wanting to get into a "top 10" school, we were there once back in the very beginning. Just remember the arts is a very subjective field...it's more important to find a school that is going to nuture <em>your</em> creative juices and turn you into a sponge for learning.</p>
<p>Break a leg!!</p>
<p>SUE aka 5pants</p>
<p>5Pants...I loved your post above! :D
(the whole thing but particularly the creative juices and spong for learning!)</p>
<p>Susan,</p>
<p>Don't you know it!! A person can have talent, but if they can't continue to raise the bar for themselves and learn everything they can then it's like hitting a brick wall. You have to be in an environment that suits you!!!!!!</p>
<p>SUE aka 5pants</p>
<p>My D has been accepted to Santa Fe twice and has backed out of her audition twice. never been there and can't get her to visit. something doesn't sit right with her, but I have heard good things, very artsy! I am very familiar with the Lasallian tradition that the school is built on, it is excellent! If you visit, please please let me know how it goes!</p>
<p>Hey everyone...it's a little strange, but pleasantly so, to see people wondering "where the heck is artsymom? we have questions for her!" As it happens, for most of the past week I was in Santa Fe but without regular computer access; before that I was home with a computer that was driving me nuts with its problems. Sorry to leave you guys hanging!</p>
<p>As people have said, my D is finishing her freshman year in MT at College of Santa Fe. We first went out there to visit in August 2004 (we live in Maryland), before her senior year of HS, figuring that whatever our impression of CSF, at least we'd have a Santa Fe vacation. And yes, when we scheduled our visit to the school, they said my D could audition solo -- one of the advantages of dealing with a VERY small school, I guess. She, too, was told to prepare one song and two monologues. We did encounter a scheduling snafu -- the Admissions Office was expecting us as planned, but the Performing Arts Department for some reason was not, and there was some scrambling to set things up for my D's audition. But audition she did, and within two weeks she got a letter of acceptance from Performing Arts. That was conditional, of course, on her getting an academic acceptance from CSF, so she applied quickly and got that acceptance fairly soon.</p>
<p>Bottom line on that: despite the confusion, that solo audition opportunity was definitely a good thing (especially, of course, because it was followed by an acceptance!).</p>
<p>Now, my D has of course gone to only one college and one MT program, so I can't give any kind of first-hand comparison between CSF and any other school. But I can tell you what my D has found to be the pluses and minuses at CSF.</p>
<p>She feels she's getting excellent MT training. Her greatest strength by far going into college was her singing...we knew she'd hold her CSF voice teacher to a high standard...and it turns out she adores her. I was able to sit in on one of her voice lessons and was thrilled by how tuned into each other they were, and by how good my D sounded. She's also loved her other theatre classes -- acting, dance and her required tech classes (well, she liked lighting much more than costuming, but that's just her). She's also tremendously enjoyed most of her non-MT classes.</p>
<p>On my recent visit there, we saw the school's production of "Urinetown," which was FABULOUS! The two friends I was with, both of whom are quite knowledgeable about theatre and music, were blown away. My D unfortunately wasn't in it -- during the weekend of auditions & callbacks, she had a 102 fever, no voice, aches all over her body, etc. Of course, there was no guarantee she'd have been cast, but she was very frustrated not to be able to audition, and even more frustrated not to have her full singing voice back for almost a month. She was ambivalent about being in the audience when we went, but she got totally caught up in it and by intermission was raving about how great it was.</p>
<p>But: Urinetown was CSF's only mainstage musical this year; they did three straight plays. There's a black box theatre where they do some smaller stuff, and student productions are possible (last year, e.g., some students produced "Last 5 Years), but last year as well as this there was only that one big musical. I don't yet know next year's schedule. I've suggested to my D that she and some other MT students try to push for at least one more mainstage musical, but...well, we'll see.</p>
<p>Interestingly, after being positive for years that she wanted to do MT in college and further honing that to wanting a BFA program and nothing else, my D is now considering a BA instead. But the possible change is for what my H and I think are positive reasons: she has talent and strong interest in other areas, specifically photography and creative writing, and she wants to pursue those, too. Fortunately, those are subjects in which CSF is very strong (and the photography building is fantastic!), along with film, contemporary music and other arts-related programs.</p>
<p>Though my D's been very pleased with her academics and MT training, as well as with the friends she's made (and a new BF...), there are some things she's less enthusiastic about. CSF is VERY small -- around 800 full-time students. Of course, she knew that going in, and at first it was fine with her, but now she seems to wish the school were bigger. There also doesn't seem to be a heck of a lot to do on campus (the small size probably contributes to that). However, they're about to start construction on a new student center, so maybe that will change.</p>
<p>As for Santa Fe itself -- it's gorgeous, and my D (and her camera) fell in love with it on our first visit. However, that was when Mom and Dad were there to take her to nice restaurants, etc. It's really not a student-oriented town -- things are generally pretty expensive, places close early, etc. CSF is on the outskirts of town (nothing's very far from anything else in Santa Fe, though), off a main drag, so it's easy to get to places like Target, movie theatres, supermarket, stuff like that. After being in that setting since last August, my D finds herself itching for a real city -- but that's just one person's reaction.</p>
<p>Even so, I'm virtually certain that if I could ask her now, she'd encourage any of you to visit and to audition. And I'm sure she'd be happy to talk/email with you. PM or email me if you're interested -- I promise I'll reply!!!</p>
<p>hi,
mine name is matt karic and i just got back from santa fe yesterday...Urinetown was unbelivable...do you think i could possibly have your daughters email address or screen name because i am trying to make my final decsions...syracuse, roosevelt, or santa fe
thanks</p>
<p>Matt, I sent you my D's contact info via both email and PM.</p>
<p>Can't wait to hear what you decide!!</p>