<p>Does anyone know about the DSM school of Musical theatre summer intensive program? I'm attending this summer hoping to get some good use out of it because the out of state programs were a bit pricey. thanks.</p>
<p>Lulu'sMomma, on the last page you said that you had posted a schedule for OCU's summer program. I've searched around but I can't find it! Could you let me know where you posted it? Thanks :)</p>
<p>Anyone have any feedback on OCU's 2007 summer program session 1 or Vocal Arts??? D is leaving on Sunday for Session 2. Just wondering if anyone had anykids at Session 1.</p>
<p>TXKatsmom, check your PMs!</p>
<p>My D arrived at OCU yesterday. Last night they had dance auditions (she says they were taught a short combination, I think) and took a theory placement test. She says that she shares a dorm room with one other girl and 4 girls share a bathroom (suite-style). This morning she says breakfast was good and she was on her way to theory class. Next will be dance and then acting class. After lunch will be a Master Class with Dr. Herendeen (head of OCU MT program) where he will discuss/teach about voice auditions. (my D says she already really likes Dr. Herendeen!) Tonight will be the auditions for Les Miserables!!!</p>
<p>My D. was in the vocal arts and now is in session 2 of the mt program. She also speaks very highly of Dr. Herendeen. I am waiting for some pictures. Are you going to see the show "Les Mis" at the end of July? D has been gone 3 weeks now. It seems like forever.</p>
<p>Hi Chelle,
Yes we will be going to the show...I can't wait! Did your D enjoy vocal arts? My D has only been gone a week...I can't imagine 5, but She'll be off to college in 2 years, so I'll have to get used to it one of these days. :(</p>
<p>The more I hear about OCU's program the more I want to go there next summer (the summer before my senior year). Does anyone know approximately how many people are accepted for MT? </p>
<p>Sorry in advance if I missed that somewhere, but I've always thought they're pretty selective...but at the same time, Les Mis generally has a larger cast(I'm doing it now and I think my director says there are 60-ish characters with solos?) so I'm wondering if they're just doing it with a smaller cast or they aren't as selective as I assumed :)</p>
<p>Ah, sorry, I found the number on their website. Nevermind :)</p>
<p>The OCU program is selective. Normal number of students is 40 but with Les Miz it was possible to have more than that their 2nd session. What I have found to be a major plus with this program is the classes are taken as seriously as the production by the staff. The students run from 8am to 10:30pm. They get an education not just production. They staff are true educators but understand the fun element needed during lessons which I find to be perfect for those who are serious about musical theater. Those who just want to goof around may not want to attend, but those who want seriously study musical theater should audition</p>
<p>apologies in advance for not reading all of this lengthy thread, but
i am currently at nyu's hs summer program (experimental theatre wing, but i know a little about the other two studios here as well)
and i would be more than happy to answer questions and discuss with anyone thinking about it for next year :)</p>
<p>I am new here and faithfully read many pages of this till I realized that it is presently 56 pages. Ok. I gave it an honest shot but my sole question (for this discussion, anyhow) is this: I simply cannot afford most of these summer programs for my d. So, I have 2 or 3 questions, I guess. Does going to a well known summer program like CMU, Elon, etc. enhance your chances of getting into a MT BFA/BA program just because you went and they see it on your application/resume? Second, how about attending a local, lesser known program? Is it the attending and therefore commitment to theater aspect, or the knowledge and experience gained (I would hope the latter). Lastly - is doing local "summer stock" type theater a good substiture? I guess doing some of each would be best, but would love feedback. Thanks.</p>
<p>The important thing about those summer programs is not the "name" of the program, but the TRAINING you get. The idea is to get training, so when you tackle college auditions, you have something great to show 'em! If you can get good training at a local program or university that isn't as well known as CMU (and not as expensive!) then, by all means, go for it! Again, what you want to do is get training (and training doesn't necessarily just mean on-stage time; it means work on voice/singing, dance and acting) whenever and wherever you can.</p>
<p>My S never went to a summer program. Did lots of community theater-8 and of course HS shows - 12, plus 1/2 dozen other types of performances. I think the important thing is the experience from doing all of this. Of course he had voice lessons from freshman year on and he had some acting and dance classes. While I think the summer programs are great and if you can afford it and get in one, its very valuable, but there are other ways of getting the experience and training. I don't know if his "resume" helped him get into the program or not, but the time spent performing had to have helped him in his audition.</p>
<p>Going to a summer program at a particular school does not provide any assurance that you will be accepted as a freshman at that school. My daughter attended summer programs at both UArts and Syracuse and of those students who then applied as freshmen, many were not accepted at the respective schools. As NMR states, the benefit of a summer program is the training and experience but this can also be obtained in other ways. Summer stock theater is a great way to get training and experience provided that a student has the opportunity to perform and work with more experienced actors and be directed by experienced professionals.</p>
<p>For my daughter, the summer programs also provided some other benefits. First, they gave her the opportunity to experience many aspects of what a MT BFA program is like and reach conclusions about whether that's how she wanted to spend her college life. They also gave her the opportunity to work with very talented students from all over the country and gave her a broader perspective on the level of talent and competition for MT BFA programs. In addition, she attended programs at schools she was seriously interested in which gave her a good sense of how she related to the professors and whether the schools were a good fit for her. Finally, the programs gave her an opportunity to demonstrate to professors her work ethic and ability to respond to direction at schools in which she was seriously interested and intended to apply. While this certainly did not give her a "lock" on admissions, it permitted faculty who were involved in the audition process an opportunity to know her better than a 5 minute audition and paper applications. Did that have an impact on the admissions process? Certainly not enough to compensate for a bad audition, but if it's a toss up between 2 students who auditioned equally well but one of them has a demonstrated track record over a 4-6 week period, I can't help but think that there is some impact. But that is the least of all reasons to attend a summer program.</p>
<p>All of that being said, a student should attend a summer program only if the student really wants the learning experience and training. These are intensive programs and a student must want to live and breath MT 5 days a week, 10 or more hours a day to get the real benefit of the program. If not, there are many other worthwhile ways for a college bound student to spend the summer, many of which are a lot cheaper.</p>
<p>As to lower cost programs, UArts summer program is a top flight program and one of the least expensive MT programs run by a college that has a MT BFA program. The cost is about $2000 for tuition and $1000 for a dorm for the 4 week program. About half of what other top level programs cost. But UArts does not have a meal plan; the dorms are apartments with kitchens and all students buy food from area markets or take out food from area food courts/cafes. My daughter loved the program and is now a MT freshman there. See the threads under University of the Arts for more details.</p>
<p>FYI - unless something has changed, Elon does not offer a summer program.</p>
<p>OCU's summer program used to cost less than some of the others (not sure about current cost), and it offers great training!</p>
<p>Summerstock would be entirely different - performing and rehearsing for the performance, but most do not offer training (maybe a few do for their interns).</p>
<p>I suggest that you find local training - voice lessons and dance classes, for example.</p>
<p>My S attended Mpulse which is $2800 for 3 weeks and then due to a scheduling conflict the next summer attended a 1 week program at Baldwin Wallace which was $800 instead of MPulse again. The one week at BW was well worth the time and money. There were 13 kids in the program and they each had a lot of individual time with their teachers. I guess for him it wasn't just the training he received, but it cemented even deeper, that he really wants to do this as his chosen profession.</p>
<p>I would also suggest looking into your state's governor's school for the arts, if it has one. Pennsylvania's is excellent. It doesn't have MT, but has programs in theater, dance, visual arts, creative writing and music. I think there is a minor in MT, and many of the theater students do go into college MT programs. It's a five week intensive summer program on a college campus for kids before their junior or senior high school year, and the best thing is that it is free. Kids are chosen by a two part audition - first sending in a videotape before January, then finalists audition in person in the spring. Both my sons attended, one for acting and one for music, and both loved it and learned a lot.</p>
<p>Thank you to all of you for your thoughtful and very helpful replies. We live in Maine and there isn't much at either university for summer programs. Unfortunately my d. (a JR) only recently decided to go with what her heart wants which is MT not what she <em>thought</em> she should do b/c she enjoys science and is a strong student. I support her completely but we're getting a late start. I knew down deep this was really what she wanted and I am so thankful that she finally admitted it. So far she has done about 11 plays and musicals and has had a few years of ballet. Fortunately she has a good voice to start with and those lessons are next. She has been a competitive skater for years and with that has performed in front of hundreds many, many times. But as for pure MT work, she needs to get as much as she can as fast as she can. We're totally shifting gears! I will look into several of your suggestions and she plans to audition for 3 - 4 community theater musicals, between early spring and summer. Unfortunately, her school requires sports so her school day doesn't end till 5:30....and that is non-negotiable. Thank you again for all your comments and advice.</p>
<p>I'm new here and I've done my best to read much of this long thread, so apologies if this has been addressed and I missed it. I have a D who is currently a high school sophmore, will be turning 16 towards the end of the year. It seems that most of the pre-college program kids are rising seniors rather than rising juniors (which she will be). Is this true? If not, is is harder for a rising junior to be accepted at these programs than rising seniors? Any information or advice would be appreciated. Thanks!</p>