<p>It seems to me that the most important difference would be your daughter's type of voice. Is she primarily a choral singer, does she blend in easily or does it force her to "hold back"? A good many singers with really lovely voices are ordered to "hold back" when singing in a choral situation( often in Church Choirs) and that can do damage if not done properly- especially to a young voice. My D is in Show Choir, but really is NOT suited for it, so her teacher limits her participation if she is asked to sing in Women's Choir, and it really helped to firm up her summer plans. She was accepted at NYSSA (NY Summer School for the Arts) which is almost all choral work, but is going to OCU in both their Vocal Arts/Opera sessions and the MT session, both of which are much better suited to her voice.
I'm sure that you will get many other answers about the programs themselves
from those who have attended them so I am just offering 'general" voice advice! I hope she has a great time at whichever camp she selects.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice, LulusMomma. Hope your D enjoys her summer. I think my D blends into the choir quite easily and she really enjoys singing in the chorus. She is in honors choir at school and she just made it to the NJ allstate women's chorus as a soprano II, which was a big surprise given that she is only a freshman and she thought she had done poorly in her tonal memory audition. So she must have a voice well suited for choral singing. She does get private classical voice lessons and her teacher is great, but it is still early to tell if she will want to become an opera singer(!). </p>
<p>BTW, what is OCU? I'm still pretty new to this world.</p>
<p>OCU is Oklahoma City University! They are now considered to be one of the most competitive, selective programs in the country (the University has turned out Kelli O'Hara and Kristin Chenoweth as well as some excellent operatic singers who are winning competitions everywhere). Their summer program is rigorous and intense( use the "search" feature and you'll see the schedule I posted!)- from 7Am to 11PM and it is an audition only program as opposed to some of the "open programs" . It should be well suited to my D as she is a "workaholic" on stage (she's rehearsing 4 roles right now!) and doesn't have a timid bone in her body!
It sounds like your D will be an asset to any choir or chorus she is in, Congrats on the AllState acceptance!!! Here in NY, one isn't eligible for AllState until they are a Junior (based on solo fest scores at the end of 10th grade!).</p>
<p>I have spent hours upon hours ready post and this has been such an education. But almost all of the information regards MT programs, Summer programs, auditions, etc. in schools very far away from our home in the Daytona Beach, Florida area. My D desires a theater/music theater education but doesn't want to get so far from home. I am a happy mother...she wants to come home as many weekends as possible. Does anyone know of any Summer programs close to my home and for that matter other MT schools other than FSU, U of F, UCF that are not so hard to get into? So this is really a two part question 1) Summer programs 2) Other MT schools not so hard to get into? Help, I am new to all this.</p>
<p>Hi Mom at Home and welcome...</p>
<p>I'm glad you have read a lot of threads and posts on CC as I do think you will learn a lot from others who share experiences and information here about Musical Theater colleges and related topics. </p>
<p>With regard to summer programs....if your D opts to do an overnight type summer program, she would not be going home on weekends. When choosing a summer program, the options usually are residential (overnight) ones OR day programs. For the residential ones, they usually involve staying 7 days/week if you attend overnight in the first place. So, I'm not aware of many residential programs in Florida (though imagine some exist) though I do know that Broadway Theater Project takes place in Florida (residential program, selective, involves application and audition, past due dates at this point), and there is a residential program MT at U of Miami's pre college as well. If you are looking for a day program, you have to ask around within your region....ask local high schools and theater companies of any listings of summer day theater programs or classes. The summer programs being discussed on CC tend to be residential ones that applicants from across the country apply to. Our readership comes from around the US and other countries and so it tends not to deal with local day programs. Your best resource for those would be asking within your region. This is on the late side to be looking into residential summer theater programs. However, University of Miami's deadline is May 1 (you must audition either on campus or by DVD to get in) and so you are in luck if you are looking for this summer for a residential program in Florida. Broadway Theater Project's application/DVD deadline was Feb. 14. However, with any of these programs, the student would not be going home on weekends. So, if your D is not ready to go away for three or in some cases, six weeks, these would not work. U of Miami's program is just three weeks.</p>
<p>Regarding MT colleges near you. I assume you meant IN Florida. The BFA in MT programs in Florida are at these colleges/universities:</p>
<p>Florida State University
University of Florida
University of Central Florida
University of Miami
University of West Florida
New World School of the Arts</p>
<p>There is a BA in MT program at Palm Beach Atlantic University. </p>
<p>In Georgia, there are BFA in MT programs at the following schools (though I personally know nothing about these ones and I haven't seen them discussed on this forum either):</p>
<p>Valdosta University
Brenau University
Shorter College</p>
<p>To be honest with you, for a student who is seeking a BFA in MT (I don't know if your daughter wants a BFA or a BA), one must be open to schools in various locations because there is a finite number of BFA in MT programs and it is not like selecting regular colleges where there are hundreds or thousands to choose from. As well, BFA admissions for MT is very selective and so one must be open to explore options that maybe are not the ideal location or some other criteria, because they must look widely in terms of their chances of admissions, let alone for best fits. </p>
<p>Lastly, when you mention your D wanting to go home most weekends, I am unclear if you meant if in a summer program or for college. You may have been speaking about either (you can clarify). My opinion is that planning to go home most weekends when in college is not a great plan for a few reasons. One is that part of college is the total experience of attending college, not just the academic classes. In order to be fully immersed in one's college, it would require being there most weekends, maybe not all. A student who goes home on the weekends, can't fully engage in the activities, let alone the social experiences of the college. I know it is hard to think of leaving home (FOR SOME KIDS, not all), but that is what going away to college entails and most kids adjust and love it and right now, perhaps your D can't imagine that and the unknown is scary to some kids. Her social circle will be her new college friends and activities, not her home ones, though she'll maintain contact with them through cell, IM, facebook, emails and see them on breaks. </p>
<p>Another thing your D needs to be aware of, IF she opts to go to a BFA in MT program, she will be SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (I could add more O's easily, lol) busy that she won't have time to fit in weekly or even monthly home visits. Having a D in a BA at college and another one in a BFA, I can tell you that their weekends are booked up with activities related to college. For the BFA one, the activities, in many instances, are related to her program itself....rehearsals, performances, crew, etc. She could not go home on weekends if she wanted to (though she doesn't). To be honest, she won't set foot at home for the entire semester! We have to go to where she is to see her in shows and such. So, as your D explores or visits particular colleges she is interested in, she ought to talk to current students, and certainly IN the BFA programs and find out if any of them go home on weekends. I think she will find that it is rare to go home for a weekend, let alone on a regular basis. </p>
<p>I hope this helps.</p>
<p>MomAt Home:</p>
<p>Here's a link to the Young Actor's Theatre in Tallahassee. <a href="http://www.youngactorstheatre.com/index.cfm?pageId=6&ContentId=30%5B/url%5D">http://www.youngactorstheatre.com/index.cfm?pageId=6&ContentId=30</a>
They offer theatre day camps for young people. Obviously, if your D decides to do a summer day camp far from home, she will need someone to stay with.</p>
<p>Closer to home is a school year program offered by Seaside Music Theatre in Daytona Beach. They offer a Music Theatre Institute for students going into their junior or senior year of H.S. Students must audition for this program. Auditions are tomorrow and Saturday, so if you are interested to need to jump on this immediately. Students accepted to MTI begin rehearsals in Feb. 2008 and perform in March. You can read about it here:
<a href="http://www.seasidemusictheater.org/2783_Content.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.seasidemusictheater.org/2783_Content.html</a></p>
<p>I agree completely with Soozie that if your D is interested in pursuing a BFA in MT she needs to audition for both in-state and out-of-state schools. BFA programs are highly competitive and there is no guarantee that your child will be accepted by a Florida school. If she is fortunate enough to get a yes from an in-state school, then she can elect to stay in Florida. Casting her net wider will make it much more likely that she'll get an acceptance somewhere!</p>
<p>Yes I didn't make that clear enough. What I meant to say was....
Summer programs close to Florida, not to come home on weekends with the summer programs but one closer to home.
As far as coming home on the weekends. I meant when she is in college. At this time she is only a freshman in high school, so the thought of leaving for an extended period of time does leave her unsettled. Like yesterday I was talking to her about Syracuse, Webster, Cinncinatiti, Elon and some others. There are some that can take you to London, or spend a week in New York. When she heard that most of the MT schools were so far from home, she said "wow, that's really far away, I'd like to be able to come home on weekends sometime." I don't think she meant every weekend.
Perhaps as she becomes more knowledgable about schools and we go see some of the campuses, she will mature into the idea of the "experience".<br>
And college is not going to be casual, she will have to work harder than high school. But as far as being in theater and every single rehearsal, she loves every moment....dance, singing, acting, sets, the whole enchilada.
But, thanks for the tips on the other schools. I haven't ever heard of
Palm Beach Atlantic, and some of the ones in Georgia, or New World School of the Arts. I do know she wants the bigger college experience.</p>
<p>Thanks for the information. We actually know about SMT, this theater partners with the public school system in our area with a program called American Musical Theatre (AMT). My daughter has auditioned and was chosen for her freshman and now for her sophmore year as well. The MTI program with SMT is for Juniors and Seniors. They just performed "The Apple Tree" and it was incredible. I laughed so much. Alot talent there.
As far as the Young Actors Camp, it seems much like our local Children's Musical Theater (CMT) here in Ormond Beach. Been there, done that! I was more looking for a summer program affiliated with a college program. Read my posted reply back to Sooziet re: weekends.
But thanks so much for the information. I love having a support system as I weed my way into this whole college, MT endeavor for my D. I just wish I could get the connect-the-dot road map, outline format. I take notes to myself and will try to do this for me. Then once my D has auditioned, and been chosen, and accepted ...I'll share.</p>
<p>I know there is a summer school of the arts in Georgia, but it may be restricted only to Georgia residents, I'm not sure. Try Google and see what comes up!</p>
<p>Broadway Theatre Project is a 3 week summer program held in Tampa, FL at USF.</p>
<p>Bumping for student interested in OCU's summer program.</p>
<p>has any one attended the summer mt program at uarts? i'm looking for some feedback about program. my daughter auditioned for uarts and nyu steinhardt and was accepted at both, but she can't make up her mind about which program to go to. thanks!</p>
<p>MTMOM1990, my D was considering the summer program at Uarts, and I didn't think that kids had to audition at all to get in. In fact, I know of at least two of my D's classmates who were accepted, and they didn't audition either. They sent recommendations, transcripts and an application.
In any case, if you search back through this forum (the entire forum, and not just this thread! :)), I believe that others here have posted about the UArts summer program. Maybe also check under the University of the Arts thread at the top. I also think there may be posts about Steinhardt's summer program. You might also email MichaelNKat about UArts; his daughter attended the summer program and has decided to matriculate at that university next year in pursuit of her BFA. Good luck! It's lovely that your daughter has the task of choosing between two such fine programs.</p>
<p>NMR, while UArts Pre College Summer Program does not have an audition to be admitted to the MT Program, it does have a required audition for Merit Scholarships.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.tft.ucla.edu/artscamp/class.cfm?main=mtc&side=mt%5B/url%5D">http://www.tft.ucla.edu/artscamp/class.cfm?main=mtc&side=mt</a>
<a href="http://www.usperformingarts.com/web/do/program?referrerLocId=11&referrerLocation=UCLA&id=415%5B/url%5D">http://www.usperformingarts.com/web/do/program?referrerLocId=11&referrerLocation=UCLA&id=415</a></p>
<p>Does anyone know anything about this program?</p>
<p>Susan, right you are. I should have realized that and stand corrected!</p>
<p>CharlotteStarlet -
My D attended the US Performing Arts camp at UCLA 2 years ago and had a really nice time. It is not super intensive and I am not sure if that is what you are looking for. She was accepted to Broadway Theatre Project last year and that was a bit more in line with what she was ready for then, "musical theatre 24x7"! You are able to get college credit though at the UCLA program, and some consider this to be a huge plus. Be aware though that, as with any not too competitive (no recommendations etc.) non-audition program, you do run into people with varying levels of ability and interest. US Performing Arts at UCLA also has an MT conservatory that I believe does require an audition. In the end, it is all personal preference and what you are looking for. Good luck! You can PM me if you need more info :).</p>
<p>My daughter attended UArts Summer Program in 2005. Take a look at the UArts subforum listed in the list of schools at the top of the MT main page. Her experience there had a significant impact on her decission to attend UArts next fall over other schools to which she was accepted.</p>
<p>too late for this year (auditions held in late March), but this two week musical theatre intensive is amazing and worth keeping in mind for next year. Held at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC -most participants are college students but talented high schoolers make it through the audition and into the program also...</p>
<p>Staff includes Eric Schaeffer, Jane Pesci-Townsend, and Jay Crowder - master classes with other big names in the field - aimed specifically at the MT community...</p>
<p>rooming option available
<a href="http://www.sig-online.org/overtures.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.sig-online.org/overtures.htm</a></p>
<p>Wow.. it's almost been a year since I've been on these boards! I would love to have the time to read through the 50+ pages of messages regarding summer programs, however I have taken a nannying job this summer in order to fund some of my summer programs; the kids are at a swim lesson so I have a few minutes to spare! I am curious if anyone has had experience with the Broadway Artists Alliance program. I was accepted in late March and decided to attend, however, I have no spoken to anyone who has attended the program before. Can someone PM me or post their thoughts on the program if they know someone who has participated? Thanks in advance. </p>
<p>~Jessica</p>