There is hope after all!

College Majors Musical Theater Major
1

<p>Hello all!</p>

<pre><code>I haven't posted since last year when I was trying to decide what to do this year for college, and I thought that now, when everyone is getting their decisions, would be a very appropriate time to share some wisdom that I've gained over this past year.
Last year I was very much swept up in the college search, auditioning for all the big schools, praying for my top choice, in my case CMU. I'm sure some of the people who were on these boards at the time remember my many posts of "Is there anything else I can do!", and "Anxiously awaiting, what do you think?". In the end, I did not get accepted into Carnegie Mellon, or any of the other major schools. I was depressed, I didn't know what to do! I had a pretty good SAT score(1310), some great reccomendations, and I thought I had done well on the auditions. However for some reason, whether it be my mediocre grades, my audition, or simply the luck of the draw, I didn't get in to any of the schools that I initially auditioned for.
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<p>I began to look for other choices, and I even considered just moving to New York and going for it. In the end, I found a school in Miami, FL called New World School of the Arts, a school that has a high school division, and a college division. This school had no dorms, had no real campus to speak of, and was relatively new. It did, however, have a Music Theater BFA program that seemed pretty good. </p>

<pre><code>As I come to the end of my Freshman year at New World, I am very glad that I ended up at this school. I learned A LOT from the very skilled, enthusiastic, faculty(all working professionals I might add), and I have grown a lot as a performer, and a person. Sometimes, and this is not 100% by any mean, but sometimes, when people get into one of those name schools, they don't realize that it's not the name of a school that gets them success in the real world. Most people with leads on Broadway didn't go to a name school! Many of them did, but more often than not- they went to random schools, for music theater or not, and simply worked really hard. The truth is, YOU GET OUT OF THE SCHOOL WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT. In the end, every program is trying to teach the same things: make interesting choices, put yourself into your work, and technique.

What my point is, after this long message, is that the school you go to does not determine the success of your career. ONLY YOU can determine whether you are a success or not. I put everything I have into my work, and I keep growing. Always continue to work your artistic muscles. Read books, learn new different ways of doing things. Take what works for you and leave the rest. Relax, smell the flowers, and don't let anybody tell you whether you are good or not!
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<p>By the way- I auditioned for summer stock this year at the NETC and Strawhats. I got both auditions, and got 6 callbacks at NETC, and 7 at Strawhat. So far I have 3 offers, and have decided to work at my top choice, The New London Barn (in New London, NH).</p>

<p>Good luck to everyone, and remember that college doesn't determine the rest of your life in this career, even though it may feel that way now!</p>

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<p>Dear Jesseeinstein-</p>

<p>I am so pleased! I have thought of you often this past year, wondering what you were up to. It is such a pleasure to read your post. How you have grown!!!! Congratulations on your summer gig! It is so good to hear from you!</p>

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<p>Jesseinstein,</p>

<p>That is such a timely post. Thanks so much for coming back and telling your story. Your story is more documentation that if you keep your eye on the goal, you can find ways to make it work, even if all you get is rejections in the first round! Kudos to you!</p>

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<p>Jesseeinstein, Thank you so much! I read past threads you'd written and wondered how you were. I am thrilled at your successes. Clearly you are talented, and probably more secure in your talent today than you were when hoping a "top" school would validate you. What a wonderful message. How generous of you to share it!</p>

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<p>Jesse: let me add my name to the list of people who had thought of you often over the last year, wondering...
What great news for you and a great message for all our kids (and we parents) to hear. </p>

<p>Your story was a great one to wake up to this morning.</p>

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<p>In the end, people want to see that you've been trained, that you have technique to fall back on, but it's not what's going to get you hired. Only constant persual of your dream, constant auditioning, can get you parts.</p>

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<p>Thanks for posting this, Jesse.</p>

<p>I know Jesse personally, and he's gotta be one of the most talented, driven people I know. There's no way he won't make it in the long run.</p>

<p>Just goes to show you you can't veiw college as a determination for the rest of your life!</p>

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<p>aw:) Thanks Steph! You're pretty good yourself!</p>

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<p>Thanks for checking back in and sharing your year with us! Such fabulous news!!! I wholeheartedly agree with all you've shared!</p>

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<p>I also am going to sell my school now! Having visited many other schools and kept in touch with many people at those schools, I can say that New World can really compare with some of the top schools in the nation!
One of the staff members(who actually started the program and was the original dean) is named Jorge Guerra, and worked at Carnegie Mellon for 9 years. He was actually thanked in Holly Hunter's oscar speech and is often credited by her as her mentor. </p>

<p>Yet it is not only him that is excellent. Every member of our staff is a working professional actor or director, and we always get free tickets to performances in the south miami area because it is our teachers that are directing or starring in the show. Although they have their own careers, they seperate them from classtime and never take time off, instead working in the evenings or late afternoons. Every student has a LOT of personal attention paid to them.</p>

<p>The workload is heavy to say the least. As I write this, I am taking a break from working on numerous scenes, songs, and exercises. Every week we are required to read two plays(or read one and see one) and write about monologues, scenes, and characters that we would want to play. As well, we are required to keep up a journal talking about experiences, research for scenes, and documenting our growth as an actor. All of this is only in our freshman year, and believe me, I am only typing a fraction of what we do!</p>

<p>I came into this school very doubtful that I would stay beyond one year, planning a transfer into a "better" school. The first semester I was frusterated with the Uta Hagan exercises that we concentrated on, but about three quarters of the way through the first term, I had a breakthrough and something clicked into place. Suddenly everything made sense! And suddenly I realized the neccesity of everything they do here!</p>

<p>It's a young program, but almost everyone that graduates is finding constant work, although many prefer to stay in the Florida area, working the theater scene down here with their former professors. Since it's a new school, many people are from the Florida area.</p>

<p>Any questions? :D</p>