@NYYFanNowMTdad my dd was part of the audition cycle last year, she did not do combines, but I spoke with a mom at another campus audition that took place after combines that said her dd (blonde soprano) did in fact NOT pass the prescreen at Texas St. However, when they did the combines they did like her enough in person to give her a call back. They were up front with them about her not passing the prescreen, but her mom told me they were saying they weren’t really looking for blond sopranos last year hence the no on the prescreen, but i guess they liked her enough in person to at least give her a second look. I am sure instances like this vary from year to year but apparently it does/can happen.
I was thinking NYC Unifieds would have a year without snow! Guess not! Stay warm and safe this weekend everyone!
@stagedoormama Last year there was no snow at NYC Unifieds, we were there and kinda hoped it would snow. It was really cold though.
@modanbsmt001 , @NYYFanNowMTdad , @jupdancemom and all the rest of you auditioning at NY Unifieds this weekend-wishing you the best. Break all the legs!!!
BAL Everyone!!!
For those of you going to LA Unifieds, check the hotel price! I reserved a couple months ago and checked again tonight and it is cheaper now.
Sending warm, glowy vibes to everyone in NYC! May all your alarms work, room locations be accurate and auditions run on time (or not if you need them to not…) and your kid keep all their stuff together without losing a single thing! hehe
BAL!
Does anyone have a recommendation for hotels on Staten Island. D has an audition with Wagner and have looked at the reviews for their recommended hotels and I’m not sold on any of them. TIA for any help.
@onette I disagree that schools can’t always afford to hire staff at this time. For schools that charge a prescreen or audition fee, that adds enough money for them to hire a temp office assistant who can make sure to get this info out correctly and efficiently. That’s Part of what your prescreen fee should cover, the professionalism to respond.
There’s no accompanist available at some of my D’s unified auditions in LA. She will need to use her phone to play the music. Do we need to buy a speaker to amplify the sound? If so, what do you all use?
@eleanorsmom we have a DOSS soundbox. Schools are also fine with the kids playing the backtrack directly from their phone speakers. They want to hear the kid, not the music.
@LadyMjolnir Great thank you! We already have something that might work then. Good to know some kids just use their phones.
Does anyone know what schools are doing walk ins at NYC Unifieds this weekend?
Thank goodness my daughter’s vocal coach is knowledgeable about this. I was talking with a friend the other day about how much is involved with MT auditions. I don’t think it’s fair for people who can’t afford all of the things that are expected to even get your foot in the door…professional headshots and photo printing, voice lessons, dance lessons, professional video recording, travel to auditions…and then to maybe not get past the prescreen…It’s a lot for anyone but especially for those less privileged. We are upper middle class, and it’s a lot for us!
We haven’t done anything with professional coaching like I’m seeing on this thread. No acting classes or anything. My daughter has done shows since she was 8. She does her high school shows (was Laurey in Oklahoma in Nov. and is Katherine in Newsies in the spring production) and does community theatre in the summers. She has taken dance lessons since she was 4 and voice lessons since she was 11. She volunteers with the local professional theatre here each summer as an assistant in their summer camps and works with her grade school director and choreographs and teaches the dances for their musical theatre shows each year. She also teaches 2 dance classes each Saturday to 3-year olds. She sings in the Madrigal Choir and cantors at our church. She’s a great student and is involved in her school in leadership positions and has a second job as a counter worker in an ice cream parlor.
This whole college audition experience has been awful. I have found people from the larger colleges to be less than friendly, and we have ruled out all but one of the big schools. I also want her to have a balance in her college experience, and the smaller schools seem to be a better fit.
@themomager my daughter was able to do a walk-in for Ball State and University of Utah today.
@kyderbymom Your daughter sounds absolutely delightful and I’m certain she shows so much promise for a bright future. Try not to sweat the small stuff about all of the audition process details. We’ve worked hard to have faith in the process and trust that my daughter will land where she’s supposed to land – both at the end of the college audition process AND after she graduates from wherever she ends up. “Success” doesn’t have only one definition and these theatre kids have such rich, broad potential to do great things in the world. We’re lucky to have front row seats to whatever they end up doing, and we get to be their biggest cheerleaders at every step. (I’d put a heart emoji here if I knew how on this platform!)
@flippedout I don’t have any specific hotel recommendations, but you could look into hotels in the Bay Ridge area of Brooklyn. It’s right by the Verrazano Bridge, and a short hop to Staten Island. You’d be going against traffic in the morning. There is a toll on the bridge, but I think it’s only on the outbound side. And Bay Ridge has great restaurants to choose from, which is a bonus.
@flippedout - if you’re visiting from far away you might just stay in Manhattan or Brooklyn, depending on the time of the audition. I know the Wagner kids head into the city via public transit and it might be educational to see how “far away” the big city is.
Does anyone know of any good apps or websites for practicing music theory? I know several auditions will include a theory test. My daughter had one today and didn’t feel well prepared for it. Hoping to be better prepared next time. Thanks in advance!
@NeensMom D used an app called Earmaster. It was good for music theory and ear training.
walk in at Missouri state w Bob Westenberg & Lisa Brescia exceeded expectations… Scheduled audition w Montclair & Webster today were great, especially at Webster where Lara teeter gave Daughter Business card and told her to keep in touch as they dont release results till late march/ early April… overall though unifieds is suoer busy my D loves the vibe and has enjoyed seeing many familiar faces…minimal “mean girls and moms seen” which is good for sure. overall id call unifieds a positive experience. But you have to be prepared some some amount of Chaos 