The Freshman Experience

<p>THANK YOU for taking the time to add such a clear overview of a week at Point Park!!</p>

<p>Now the thread includes:</p>

<p>…Ball State (BFA MT) – Post #32
…Carnegie Mellon (BFA MT) – Posts #35, #36
…Coastal Carolina (BFA MT) – Posts #3, #24
…NYU/Tisch New Studio (BFA MT) – Post #16
…Otterbein (BFA MT) – Post #13
…Point Park University (BA MT) – Post #40
…USC (BA w/ MT Minor) – Posts #2, #22</p>

<p>It will be great if folks keep adding schools – plus offering differing schedules at already-covered schools. If you see a student from an MT school posting elsewhere on CC, consider asking them if they’d be willing to add their school to this thread.</p>

<p>Thanks again to all who are contributing. Even I am starting to want to enroll in some of these schools!</p>

<p>I doubt my D would recall her freshman schedule, but I can volunteer what I remember about her first year at BoCo. Her schedule was very similar to the PPU schedule posted above, except trade Sociology and the academic elective for a class called Liberal Arts, and throw in modern and tap. Most kids paid for an additional voice lesson. Classes went from 9 AM to 6:30 PM with only a few breaks. Rehearsals go until 11 PM. My D isn’t a party girl but people did find time for that sort of thing.</p>

<p>They do seem to find some time for that, don’t they,skwidjy? no matter how busy my son protests he is (and I know he is) there are lots of fun pics on the internet. I will say, the MT kids at his school tend to “flock together” as those creative birds usually do…and their parties seem extra-crative too…lots of costume/theme parties (and not just on Halloween). They seem to enjoy carrying that over into their social lives…and they get really into it…the costumes are really creative.</p>

<p>As uArts mom I agree about flocking together and creative parties. I am amazed also at their support of each other and their very positive experiences as freshmen and as sophomores. Same schedule except at UArts they do not pay for private voice lessons if in MT.</p>

<p>Hey, I am currently a Freshman at The Boston Conservatory, and someone asked me if i’d share my schedule on here, so I will! I know I could have loved to know about it when I was in ya’ll’s shoes last year. (note that the curriculum could always change between years! but i’m pretty sure most of it will be the same) </p>

<p>SCHEDULE
(p.s. I’m in core 4 of the freshman class, and this is what our schedule’s like, cores 1, 2, and 3 are all different times, same classes.)</p>

<p>MONDAY:
(2nd sem only) 9:00-10:50 History of Musical Theatre:
The description is basically what you might guess from the name, we learn about how musical theatre was created, we learn about different shows and learn how to critique them in essays. I love this class. It also includes a staged reading in our Zack Box Theatre of a relatively unknown show that you learn about in class, which is always a fun time. This semester we’re doing “Allegro”. Our teacher is an outer critics circle theatre critic. </p>

<p>1:00-2:50 Movement for Actors
We learn how to get into our bodies in acting. We do exercises to free up the body, we learn some alexander technique, we do yoga, and we learn human anatomy. We also learn a little improvisation and character work. Our teacher is a well respected performance artist and yoga instructor. </p>

<p>3:30-4:50 Acting
Acting class is possibly the best part about freshman year. You will learn about yourself and your coremates, and you will grow so much as an actor. We do shakespearian scenes and monologues, as well as contemporary scenes and monologues. Also, we do some serious improvisation. We also do a myriad of acting exercises and games to free up the mind to explore in our work. A very very fun class.</p>

<p>5:00-6:20 Ballet
You will be placed into beginner, intermediate, intermediate-advanced, or advanced ballet on the first day of classes. </p>

<p>TUESDAY
10:00-10:50 Piano
The steps to learning basic piano skills are taught, and again, you may take a placement test and get the credit waved 1st or 2nd semester. </p>

<p>1:30-2:50 Musical Theatre
This class is where you learn how to sing in a chorus effectively and second semester is devoted to the Freshman Revue. (a showcase for the freshmen on the mainstage) So much fun! and very educational for people who don’t have a lot of experience sight reading or being in a choir.</p>

<p>3:00-3:50 Voice and Speech
This class is devoted to learning how to speak again. We learn Lessac and IPA. Things have to be memorized constantly, but at least you’ll know how to write a shwah. We have this class 3 times a week. and from 4:00 to 4:50 we have a voice lab on this day. </p>

<p>5:00-6:20 Modern
There will be a Modern placement on the first day, and you’ll get put into Beginner or Advanced. The reason that you don’t take Jazz freshman year, is to be sure that you have proper technique before being thrown right in to a Jazz class, where you could get lost and not know what you are doing wrong technically. Don’t worry, you take Jazz sophomore year, and if you’re a dedicated dancer, the Jazz teachers don’t mind if you join every once and a while. </p>

<p>WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:20 Liberal Arts Core 1
Lib Arts is all about reading and writing and opinions. We learn a lot about American history in the meanwhile. As well as women’s and gay’s place in society throughout the years. Also, modernism and romanticism are a big part of this class. We read very interesting books and poems. As well as go to the MFA for a project. It’s a cool academic course. </p>

<p>1:30-2:00 Private Voice
This is when I have my half hour voice lesson. All I can say is, get an hour. It’s worth the extra money. But even in half hour lessons, I have found my voice has opened up and relaxed so much. </p>

<p>2:30-4:20 Intro to Theatre (1st semester only)
This class changes every year. This year we read plays, learned about being on a creative team, and read The Empty Space.</p>

<p>4:30-5:20 Ear Training
On wednesday’s class we do theory. Our teacher is brilliant, and has written and created the whole plan for the class as well and a workbook for us to write notes in. </p>

<p>THURSDAY
11:00-12:50 Acting
1:00-2:20 Musical Theatre
2:30-3:20 Voice and Speech
5:00-6:20 Ballet</p>

<p>FRIDAY
8:00-9:20 Liberal Arts Core 1
10:00-10:50 Ear Training
On this day of ear training we learn more sight reading skills, rhythm, scales.
11:00-12:20 Tap
You will have a tap placement when you get here, and that will put you in Beginner, intermediate, intermediate-advanced, or advanced tap.
1:30-2:20 Voice and Speech
5:00-6:20 Modern</p>

<p>Hope this helps for all the hopefuls and/or accepted and deciding people.
Congratulations on completing the audition process, that makes you a very brave person. </p>

<p><3 2014</p>

<p>…Ball State (BFA MT) – Post #32
…Boston Conservatory (BFA MT) – Post #45
…Carnegie Mellon (BFA MT) – Posts #35, #36
…Coastal Carolina (BFA MT) – Posts #3, #24
…NYU/Tisch New Studio (BFA MT) – Post #16
…Otterbein (BFA MT) – Post #13
…Point Park University (BA MT) – Post #40
…USC (BA w/ MT Minor) – Posts #2, #22</p>

<p>Okay I’ll chime in here on behalf of my D!!!</p>

<p>Temple BA MT/Dance Minor (Honors Program)</p>

<p>Can’t Remember exact schedule fall semester but the courses were:
Honors Lit
Ballet for MT majors (M & W 11:00am-12:30 pm)
American Musical Theatre History
Creativity Basic
Private Voice
Production Practicum (all Theater majors attend this together 1x per week and it’s always a Friday so no Fridays off for any theater majors!) Friday 1:00-2:00pm
Music Theory/Sightsinging</p>

<p>Various undergrad projects and cabarets.</p>

<p>Spring semester:</p>

<p>Monday:
8am-9:30 am Ballet 1 (this is for her dance minor requirement)
10am-10:50 Honors Enviromental Science
11am -12:20 Ballet for MT
2:00-3:20 Acting 1</p>

<p>Tuesday:
12:30-1:50 Honors Mosaic 1 (gen ed req.)
2:00-4:50 Voice for the Actor</p>

<p>Wednesday:
8:00-9:30 Ballet 1
10am-10:50 Honors Enviromental Science
2:00-3:20 Acting 1</p>

<p>Thursday:
12:30-1:50 Honors Mosaic 1 (gen ed req.)
Private Voice</p>

<p>Friday:
8:00-9:30 Ballet 1
10am-10:50 Honors Enviromental Science
1:00pm -1:50 Production Practicum
.
This in addition to teching a show, 3 undergrad/grad projects, a musical theater concert, auditions etc. Plus she runs most days at the gym and works for the MT dept.</p>

<p>Freshman ARE allowed to audition for mainstage.</p>

<p>As a sophmore here’s what she will be taking:
Embodying Pluralism (this is a dance class) MW 9:40 am - 11:10 am
Honors Mosaic: Humanities Seminar II T, TH 8:00 am - 9:20 am
Production Practicum F 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm
Welcome Backstage T, TH 11:00 am - 12:20 pm, Lab T 12:30 pm - 3:20 pm<br>
Speech for the Actor T, TH 9:30 am - 10:50 am
Jazz I for Musical Theater W 12:30 pm - 1:50 pm
Acting II MW 3:00 pm - 4:50 pm
Private Voice Arranged Time</p>

<p>Plus she is working on/performing in a year long senior thesis with a student director in an all-woman interpetation of “Through the Looking Glass”, in addition to whatever other projects come along!!</p>

<p>…Ball State (BFA MT) – Post #32
…Boston Conservatory (BFA MT) – Post #45
…Carnegie Mellon (BFA MT) – Posts #35, #36
…Coastal Carolina (BFA MT) – Posts #3, #24
…NYU/Tisch New Studio (BFA MT) – Post #16
…Otterbein (BFA MT) – Post #13
…Point Park University (BA MT) – Post #40
…Temple (BA MT w/Dance Minor)-- Post # 47
…USC (BA w/ MT Minor) – Posts #2, #22</p>

<p>PLEASE HELP FOR AMERICAN UNIVERSITY DC</p>

<p>my d is admitted for the fall as an intended major in theatre (has not auditioned yet), so she will need to audition in October for Musical Theatre.
We understand there is a BA in Musical Theatre and BA in Theatre, both entered into by audition. However we are still very confused… Is there a NONaudition Performance Major for Theatre that she is in now, (as an “intended theatre major”) or that she will be for sure into if the BA auditions are not successful? We have read some posts about some “performance track” and “theatre arts” and “non performing theatre arts” but can’t find any program specifics on the website about these other options besides the two clear BA programs.</p>

<p>We’d appreciate it IMMENSELY if you could shed some light on this…
thank you so much!</p>

<p>reneemarie - You may want to also post this is the American University sub-forum. I know megpmom’s D is a freshman there this year so she may be able to help:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/american-university-mt/1108917-current-mt-students.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/american-university-mt/1108917-current-mt-students.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>“non-performing theatre arts” sounds like costuming, lighting, sets, makeup, & stage management.</p>

<p>Here are the freshman course requirements:</p>

<p>Freshman Year Credits: 32.5</p>

<p>Fall Credits: 16, 24.5 hours in class
THST 101 - Acting Studio I Credits: 3 cr, 6 hrs
THVC 121 - Musical Theater Performance: Introduction Credits: 1 cr, 1.5 hrs
THVC 120 - Voice for Musical Theater Lab Credits: 0 cr, 1.5 hrs
THST 111 - Music Skills for Musical Theater I Credits: 2 cr, 3 hrs
THST 110 - Music Skills Lab Credits: 0 cr, 1 hr
THVC 131 - Voice Lesson for Musical Theater Credits: 1 cr, 0.5 hrs
THMD 111 - Beginner Ballet Credits: 0.5 cr, 1.5 hrs
THMD 121 - Beginner Jazz Credits: 0.5 cr, 1.5 hrs
THPD 123 - Scene & Lighting Technology Credits: 2 cr, 2 hrs
THEA 151 - Survey of Theater Arts Credits: 3 cr, 3 hrs
LACR 101 - First-year Writing I Credits: 3 cr, 3 hrs</p>

<p>Spring Credits: 16.5, 24.5 hours in class
THST 102 - Acting Studio II Credits: 3 cr, 6 hrs
THVC 122 - Musical Theater Performance: Foundation Credits: 1 cr, 1.5 hrs
THVC 120 - Voice for Musical Theater Lab Credits: 0 cr, 1.5 hrs
THST 112 - Music Skills for Musical Theater II Credits: 2 cr, 3 hrs
THST 110 - Music Skills Lab Credits: 0 cr, 1 hr
THVC 132 - Voice Lesson for Musical Theater Credits: 1 cr, 0.5 hrs
THMD 112 - Beginner Ballet Credits: 0.5 cr, 1.5 hrs
THMD 122 - Beginner Jazz Credits: 0.5 cr, 1.5 hrs
THMD X32 - Tap Credits: 0.5 cr
THPD 124 - Costume & Property Technology Credits: 2 cr, 2 hrs
THEA 152 - Script Analysis Credits: 3 cr, 3 hrs
LACR 102 - First-year Writing II Credits: 3 cr, 3 hrs</p>

<p>Class hours can run starting as early as 8:30 a.m. and ending as late as 7:00 p.m.</p>

<p>Voice Lesson for MT is technique. Voice for MT Lab is individual vocal coaching. Students who are qualified can waive out of beginning dance into intermediate.</p>

<p>Freshmen at the beginning of the first semester, may choose to audition for vacancies that developed over the summer in fall shows and for student produced scenes and 1 acts. At the end of the fall semester, freshmen must audition for the spring shows and can be cast. Spring semester, freshmen must audition for student produced scenes and 1 acts.</p>

<p>Music Skills instructors frequently serve as music directors for outside professional productions and provide opportunities to students. My daughter’s freshman year, she sang as part of a student ensemble with the leads of Les Mis at a fund raiser for a major professional theatre that was staging the show. She also served as a page turner in the pit at several professional productions.</p>

<p>Students are required to see all school main stage productions.</p>

<p>…Ball State (BFA MT) – Post #32
…Boston Conservatory (BFA MT) – Post #45
…Carnegie Mellon (BFA MT) – Posts #35, #36
…Coastal Carolina (BFA MT) – Posts #3, #24
…NYU/Tisch New Studio (BFA MT) – Post #16
…Otterbein (BFA MT) – Post #13
…Point Park University (BA MT) – Post #40
…Temple (BA MT w/Dance Minor)-- Post # 47
…University of the Arts (BFA MT) – Post #52
…USC (BA w/ MT Minor) – Posts #2, #22</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

<p>Also forgot to mention…at Temple you are allowed to audit dance courses with the instructors permission. My D is currently auditing a jazz class which brings her dance classes up to 5x a week.</p>

<p>Here’s some info on Webster’s program, from a parent’s point of view.</p>

<p>A day in the life of a student at Webster, including Freshmen, is like this:</p>

<p>Unlike “normal” degree programs, where the students go to 3 classes 2-3 times a week, and then have the rest of their time to do their homework, write papers and have a social life outside of school, theatre kids are at it all day everyday and often into the night. </p>

<p>At Webster, the conservatory students take their non-conservatory classes in the mornings, things like foreign language, psychology, literature, dance (tap, ballet, MT dance), private music lessons (voice, piano), etc. They have a wide choice of what they can take to fulfill their elective requirements. They have all their conservatory classes (acting, musical theatre, movement, etc.) from 1:00 to 5:20, every day. Then in the evenings, if they’re in a show (either in the cast or tech), rehearsals start at 7:00 and go until 11:00. </p>

<p>In between all this they have to get their homework done AND schedule rehearsal time with their scene partners in class (these rehearsals aften begin at 11:00 PM after other rehearsals over because that’s the only time they are all free), and practice time for their private lessons.<br>
They literally live and breath theatre 8-12 hours a day or more.</p>

<p>Freshmen aren’t cast in shows, but they are assigned to tech for shows both semesters, and depending on the area (props, costumes, set build, lighting, etc.), they can be as busy as a cast member. It’s a great learning environment because the students are involved at all levels of a production and there’s a great sense of accomplishment once it’s come together in a show. (Students continue to have tech assignments each year, in addition to being cast in shows after Freshman year.)</p>

<p>Needless to say, they don’t have much time to get involved in extracurricular activities, and they don’t have a lot of time to make friends outside of the conservatory, so they become a very tight group, which is great because they support each other.</p>

<p>…Ball State (BFA MT) – Post #32
…Boston Conservatory (BFA MT) – Post #45
…Carnegie Mellon (BFA MT) – Posts #35, #36
…Coastal Carolina (BFA MT) – Posts #3, #24
…NYU/Tisch New Studio (BFA MT) – Post #16
…Otterbein (BFA MT) – Post #13
…Point Park University (BA MT) – Post #40
…Temple (BA MT w/Dance Minor)-- Post # 47
…University of the Arts (BFA MT) – Post #52
…USC (BA w/ MT Minor) – Posts #2, #22
…Webster (BFA MT) – Post #56</p>

<p>I’m a MT sophomore at Roosevelt/CCPA. I don’t remember the specific schedule freshman year, but I can give you a list of classes I took, and I can give you a rundown of first semester Sophomore year (if that counts)!</p>

<p>So freshman year, first semester, we took Acting class twice a week, an acting through song class once a week, music theory every day, ensemble singing twice a week, piano twice a week, introduction to professional theatre twice a week, technical theatre, a general education class, and ballet. Second semester, we took lot of the same classes, but just studied different, more advanced things second semester. There were a few differences however. Instead of piano, we had script analysis and instead of ensemble singing, we had Creative Process (which was an intro to voice and speech class). Private voice lessons also start second semester.</p>

<p>As far as Sophomore year goes, my class is split into two sections. We all take the same classes, just at different times to allow for more individual attention.</p>

<p>First Semester:</p>

<p>Monday/Wednesday</p>

<p>8:00- Dance- This class occurs every morning at 8AM. It alternates between Ballet, Jazz, and Conditioning. It’s early, but it definitely wakes us all up and gets us physically ready for the rest of our classes.
9:30-12:00- Acting. This is basically a scene study class that goes year round. We are assigned about 5 scenes each semester that are worked on a rotating basis. Everyone is up doing a scene atleast once a week, if not more. Each scene usually works for about 45-60 mins. We start with contemporary scenes and then move to period scenes during second semester.
12:30-1:30- I had my voice lesson on Mondays. We get an hour each week.
12:30-3:00-- typically a break for Sophomores unless we have a scheduled voice lesson (like I did on Mondays).
3:30-6- Acting for the Musical Stage. It’s simply an acting through song class that covers solos, duets, and scenes into songs. We have a series of 5 of these classes over the course of our time at CCPA. First semester Sophomore year, we worked on music from the 1920s-1960s. Second semester, we work on 60’s and 70’s music. Junior year we work on 80’s through the present.
6:30-10- Rehearsal for the show you’re in or teching. Every student is guaranteed to be cast in a production at CCPA each semester unless a student is excused from the casting pool to work on a show outside of school. On top of that, we also have a tech assignment each semester. It keeps us pretty busy in the evenings. </p>

<p>Tuesday/Thursday
8:00-9:15- Dance
9:30-10:45- General Education. We take one gen. ed each semester. Last semester I took Great Ideas, which is a humanities class. There are several required gen. eds, but after those are fulfilled, we are allowed to pick which general education classes we are interested in that fit in our schedule.
11:00-12:15 Theatre History-- This is a year-long course that covers the very beginnings of theatre history all the way up to the present.
12:30-1:45- Dance at the Joffrey Ballet. It’s a little confusing, but we take some of our classes through Joffrey, which is 5 blocks away and some of our classes (like 8AM dance are held on campus). Freshman take Ballet at Joffrey, Sophomores take Jazz, Juniors take Modern, and Seniors take Tap. Our class was split so half of us took this class on Tuesdays and half on Thursdays.
2:00-3:00- Conditioning. This class is what we call “boot camp.” It’s basically a work out class, with Luis Perez, who’s the head of our program (and an Ex-Joffrey dancer). It’s a VERY physically demanding class, but we all gained so much strength and endurance and learned a lot about keeping our bodies going.<br>
3:30-6- Vocal Physical Prep. We study Linklater Technique to free up the voice and body as well as develop speaking range. We also learn vocal health techniques and learn the IPA as well as work on the General American Dialect. This is a year-long course and serves as a precursor to Dialects.</p>

<p>Fridays are very similar to Mondays/Wednesdays, except we don’t have a break between 12:30-3:00. Instead, we take Vocal and Physical Prep LAB, which is basically an introduction to stage combat. We did a lot of unarmed combat as well as some work with swords. </p>

<p>Second semester is really pretty similar, but instead of conditioning, we take a circus class (which is really really awesome). Second semester really builds a lot on what we did 1st semester. </p>

<p>If anyone has an specific questions about CCPA, feel free to let me know! I also have a work study job in the admissions office, so I tend to be pretty informed on what is going on. :-)</p>

<p>…Ball State (BFA MT) – Post #32
…Boston Conservatory (BFA MT) – Post #45
…Carnegie Mellon (BFA MT) – Posts #35, #36
…Coastal Carolina (BFA MT) – Posts #3, #24
…NYU/Tisch New Studio (BFA MT) – Post #16
…Otterbein (BFA MT) – Post #13
…Point Park University (BA MT) – Post #40
…Roosevelt/CCPA (BFA MT) – Post #58
…Temple (BA MT w/Dance Minor)-- Post #47
…University of the Arts (BFA MT) – Post #52
…USC (BA w/ MT Minor) – Posts #2, #22
…Webster (BFA MT) – Post #56</p>

<p>Is it generally correct, then, to assume that the BA is less stressful than the BFA?</p>