Singing Opportunities for Non-Conservatory Students

Colleges and Universities A-Z Oberlin College
1

<p>Hi! I'm wondering what opportunities there are for singers who aren't in the conservatory. For example (any advice on any of the subjects below would be great):</p>

<p>-Are voice lessons available? Or is it just instrument lessons?</p>

<p>-Are there many vocal ensembles available? I've only heard of two a cappella groups and both are single sex... any co-ed? And anything not a cappella that isn't for the conservatory? Are the groups outside of the conservatory any good? And can college students audition for conservatory students, it's just harder for them to get in?</p>

<p>-Musical theater-I've read about the OMTA but I'm having a hard time grasping what part musical theater plays (pun intended) at Oberlin--like is it a big deal? Do a lot of people do the shows? Are they well-attended? Are they good? And it seems like a lot of the shows put on are a bit obscure... although I did see "Little Shop of Horrors," "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown," and a few others. Is it still fun to be in the shows that aren't as well-known?</p>

<p>THANKS!!!!!</p>

2

<p>@Shmumonzica</p>

<ol>
<li><p>I don’t actually know about vocal lessons from students and/or professors. User coloratura_as on this page was a vocal major in the conservatory, I’m sure she’ll be able to answer this question better than I.</p></li>
<li><p>Vocal ensembles: Woman’s Chorale, Musical Union, College Choir, and Collegium Musicium are larger, official groups, I believe all but Musical Union require an audition to get in, but there are always college students in these ensembles. There have also been college vocal performers involved with the Oberlin Jazz Ensemble several times in the past year, and there are usually college students in the opera (sometimes in title roles!) as well.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>There are currently five a capella groups: The Obertones (all men), Three Dudes and A Guy (men’s barbershop) Nothing but Treble (all women), the Acapelicans (all women), and Round Midnight (co-ed, folk/jazz music focus). All are audition-based, usually taking place during orientation or within the first week of the school year.</p>

<ol>
<li>OMTA (and its sister organization OSTA) put on a handful of plays and musicals every semester (around 8 or 10 per semester). There is usually one musical a semester, which is proposed by a director, approved, then auditioned, put up, and taken down, usually over the course of about a month between the beginning of the rehearsals through the performance. Shows tend to be on the smaller side, averaging between a cast of 2 and 8 (though we had the BEST production of 20th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee a few years ago). There is always an audience, even if the show isn’t know. Many OSTA productions are attended not because of the show itself, but the people involved. We’re a really supportive culture of the arts here :)</li>
</ol>

<p>The theater department also puts on one musical a year; in my time here, we had Flora, the Red Menace, Reefer Madness, Cabaret, and Assassins. These are larger, usually directed by a theater professor, and are aimed at the students in the theater department who also like to sing, but it’s not unheard of for conservatory students to audition as well.</p>

<p>Hope this helps you!</p>

3

<p>Re #1 – you can totally take voice lessons as a student in the college. You can audition for placement with a professor or an upper-level student teacher; the lessons are free and you get credit for them. If you’d rather not audition, you can choose non-credit lessons with a student for $7.50 / half-hour.</p>

4

<p>I believe that all the vocal ensembles require auditions and have a limited number of slots. You will be competing with conservatory students and students who have very strong musical talent, but for one reason or another are in the liberal arts college. The same applies for dramatic and musical theatre opportunities. Competition is quite stiff. My D was unable to get into a vocal ensemble her freshman year and was only able to land limited dramatic roles. A contributing reason for her decision to transfer from Oberlin. If you want to play, be prepared to keep fast company.</p>

5

<p>The [Musical</a> Union](<a href=“http://oberlin.miguelfelipe.com/MU/"]Musical”>http://oberlin.miguelfelipe.com/MU/), at least, is non-audition and has about 150 spots, though I don’t know how quickly it fills.</p>

6

<p>I’m also a college student looking for singing opportunities at Oberlin. Can anybody tell me about the audition criteria for voice lessons and/or the College Choir?</p>

7

<p>A non-Conservatory student can totally take lessons! I had 4 students this past year. Two were placed with me after auditioning for the voice faculty and the other two contacted me via e-mail about taking lessons. My students through the voice faculty were taking their lessons for credit so I had to submit a grade for them at the end of the semester and they had to sing for my private teacher twice for an evaluation of their process. My other two students got my name from a list in the Conservatory Dean’s Office of approved student teachers. These lessons cost $7.50 for a half hour and $15 for an hour. I don’t know what the requirements are for the audition but I can’t imagine you need anything more than an art song or a simple aria. </p>

<p>The only singing ensemble that doesn’t require an audition is Musical Union which also welcomes members of the community. They perform larger works (one each semester) with the Oberlin Chamber Orchestra or in the case of Carmina Burana, two pianos with percussion. They perform in Finney Chapel.</p>

8

<p>It sounds like I’ll only be getting into Musical Union lol.</p>

<p>I sing a lot throughout high school, the competition is so small that I get to sing everything I want to, basically grab a few friends and come up with a set list for the school show.</p>

<p>For one thing I do not sight-sing, that’s going to be one major set back to getting into choirs in Oberlin right? I sight read well, but I can only name the notes, sounding them fluently is a whole other thing. Will, as a college student, I get to take any classes to improve my basic musicianship skills? Do theory and aural classes start at the very basic level, and do college students enroll in them easily?</p>

9

<p>Drelnis -
You do not have to sight-sing for Musical Union. You just register for it when you are picking your classes. You do need to sight-read when you audition for things such as College Choir.</p>

<p>College students can register for classes in the Con but only if there is space after the Conservatory students register. Beginning classes in both Aural Skills and Music Theory are offered.</p>

10

<p>Just a clarification-- there are a set number of spaces reserved specifically for College students in certain Con classes. That’s still no guarantee that you’ll get in to a specific class the first semester you try to do so, but it is important to note that you’re not just stuck with Con leftovers.</p>