<p>Hi everyone!</p>
<p>Does anyone know of summer opera camps/programs that would benefit upcoming vocal performance freshmen? it seems that most programs focus on preparing students for college auditions or are geared toward younger singers.</p>
<p>Thanks!
Emily</p>
<p>it may be a little late for this summer, but
[SongFest</a> - Summer Program for Singers and Pianists](<a href=“http://www.songfest.us%5DSongFest”>http://www.songfest.us)</p>
<p>SongFest is really not suitable for a singer of the age of the young lady asking the question. Just to note, ANYTHING listed on yaptracker is usually for those in their senior years of conservatory/college study and graduate school. While you do see programs open to, say ages 18-25 or even older, the big question becomes SHOULD one be doing that at the bottom of that age range? There is a huge difference in vocal abilities between a youngster of 18 and a singer that has had 4+ years of advanced training. The worst thing one can do would be to risk injury and to have to postpone beginning school in August.
It’s late at this point, so you may not find any openings in programs, but if you do find something suitable, it’s always worth a call/letter to inquire as to whether or not there might still be an opening- the economy is having an impact upon programs and that is a double-edged sword. It can mean more spots open but it can also mean that you can find yourself, at age 18, singing along side someone almost twice your age which may not be a good thing…</p>
<p>My DD is also a high school senior. She was considering Songfest’s Intern program (15-18). Is that program geared towards college auditions and therefore not appropriate?</p>
<p>Even though it is listed on Yaptracker the program has a seperate component for young singers. I double checked and in point of fact they are still doing the internship program (ages 15-18). The people there are well aware of the sort of voices that they are dealing with and they would not put a young voice in jeopardy. My D was an (older) Stern Fellowship singer one year . It was a fantastic chance meet composers (John Musto, Jake Heggie etc) and work with some of the best coaches in the world.</p>
<p>see “intern program”</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.songfest.us/[/url]”>http://www.songfest.us/</a></p>
<p>Yep, sorry, the Intern Program IS geared toward younger voices! My basic warning about Yaptracker stands though- I’ve known several overzealous parents who have purchased rights for the site when their kids were far too young to benefit and at least one girl ended up on the dreaded “do not hear” list for auditioning when she was not prepared. It’s always better to err on the side of caution with a voice, and although you may not like to think it, there are “well known” programs out there who will take a family’s money and not care about the age or experience of the youngster involved, and damage to a voice is not easily repaired nor are bad habits easy to break once learned. Always check out the experience and references of the people who will be working directly with YOUR young singer, not just the “famous names” listed on the site, and you can always ask to speak to other families who have had students go through the program.</p>
<p>As you have demonstrated a precursory glance at Yaptracker is not the way to judge ANY program. Yaptracker is just a tool to track auditions and young artist programs. A listing there doesn’t imply anything.</p>
<p>Is AIMS something that a rising freshmen could take part in? I know people who’ve enjoyed it, but, a) I don’t know age range or whether it’d be suitable for an eighteen-year-old, and b) I think I heard that it’s kinda split between lieder and opera, and the opera program is more exclusive? Just a thought.</p>
<p>The people I know that have done AIMS are all current undergrads.</p>
<p>The Washington National Opera has a great summer institute for young singers. Last year there were several students attending who were high school graduates entering their first year of college. I think their auditions are this month.</p>
<p>WNO Is a wonderful program. We recommended it definitely for anyone serious about being an opera singer. My DD was a rising senior last summer but there were a mix of juniors, seniors and college freshman. They concluded their auditions on Saturday, the day dvds were due as well.</p>
<p>Are there typically many entering college freshmen in the BUTI Young Artists Vocal Program or do mostly younger high school students attend? My daughter recently auditioned for undergraduate voice performance at BU; she did not apply to BUTI. Today (a couple of weeks after the audition) she received an e-mail telling her that her BU audition qualifies her for automatic acceptance to BUTI should she choose to apply, and the deadline is extended. She’s considering it, but wonders whether there will be a significant number of others her age or whether the focus will be on preparing for college auditions, which thankfully she has already finished. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>For an opera study abroad program, the Music Theater Bavaria summer opera program in Germany is excellent. Most students are college age, but they will accept applications from singers who will be rising college freshmen. Website is <a href=“http://www.musictheaterbavaria.org%5B/url%5D”>www.musictheaterbavaria.org</a></p>
<p>Please note that the majority of European programs, such as Music Theater Bavaria, are indeed geared toward upperclass undergrads, at the very least, and graduate students. Just the language studies themselves assume that the participants have had the typical undergrad “year of German” and Diction classes. The amount of singing and the the expected level could be very taxing for younger voices.
Unfortunately, due to the shape of the economy, programs abroad and in the US are dealing with a drop in the number of applicants so they may well be accepting students whom they would normally turn down. Its up to the applicant and the voice teacher to realistically access the student’s abilities and whether or not they would truly benefit from any particular program.</p>
<p>Just a clarification. I am an administrator for YAP Tracker, and I’d like to confirm what musicamusica has indicated: a listing on our site does not confirm or deny the validity of any program for any age level of applicant. We are simply a conduit of information, and with over 2,600 listings posted on our site each season, there will of course be many listings that are only appropriate to certain age and experience levels.</p>
<p>However, contrary to what is indicated by another participant in this discussion, it is not the case that all listings on YAP Tracker are for a specified age group or education level. We actually list a large number of opportunities with age limits of 18 or younger and many that are specifically for undergraduates. There are programs, classes, competitions and performance opportunities available for every level of singer on our site (and in the industry), so it is our recommendation that those who DO choose to sign up for our site at an early age should read the listings carefully, review the information on the company’s website, assess their own experience against any listed participants’ details, discuss any opportunity with their teachers and coaches…everything one should do at any stage of their career before applying. </p>
<p>YAP Tracker is a terrific tool for the young singer to become acquainted with a wide array of opportunities and companies worldwide, but yes, they should use this knowledge with caution. Apply for appropriate opportunities that are within your reach at any one stage of your career and gain valuable information about what programs you are (or should be) striving for in the future. This, I believe, is a far better use of the site than to avoid it until you are “ready.” Who is to say when and what you’ll be ready for if you don’t know what’s out there? </p>
<p>Just my 2 cents.</p>
<p>Thank you for educating those with misconceptions about YAP tracker. My daughter has had a subscription for two years and loves it having applied and done various programs and competitions thanks to the wealth of information on there.</p>
<p>DD has had her YAP Tracker for 3 years now. She loves it and would give something else up before she would give it up. You do have to use good judgment as to what you apply for since applying to programs beyond your capability or skill level will not help you, it will only harm you in this industry.</p>