@rickle1 I agree completely. The whole purpose of a coach is to improve talent. I also believe that good coaches help a kid make wise decisions about song and monologue choices. I have watched enough singing competition shows to know that a bad song choices can sink a performer.
My son got into 5 BFA MT programs last year and wound up attending one of the two schools that he had no prior connection to (Otterbein). He did not have a national coach but we did have a local audition day in KC. One of the theater “camps” he attended invited about 25 MT recruiters to KC to hear the seniors perform. Kind of a very mini-Moonifieds. So other than the tuition he had paid every spring and winter break from 6th grade on for the camps, his showcase was “free”. That senior class landed spots at Roosevelt, Shenandoah, Texas State, Otterbein, CCM, BoCo, AMDA, and a waitlist at CMU none of which were at the showcase. My sons other 3 schools were at the showcase (Webster, TCU and Milikin) and I bet there were probably a few more acceptances of kids i didn’t know about.
The biggest benefit is having a pre-screen where they get to see you do a whole song. He was approached by 3 of the schools that were eventually an acceptance and got to do an on the spot information session. So from our experience, kind of a mixed bag of results - there is no way to know how much that session led to the decision or if he would have gotten in anyway but it certainly didn’t hurt. All of the kids that I know the final choice of wound up at schools that weren’t there. We really felt kind of bad for the schools he turned down after such an “intimate” recruiting approach but c’est la vie.
So for all of the upcoming classes, as you are paying tuition anyway, make the most of these opportunities where they exist. Might as well get the bang for your buck. The cost of a college summer camp is probably worth more than a couple local camps.
@sparklyunicorn36 : Fair warning - this opinion is biased as our D went to OCU. But to answer your question: Oklahoma City University is considered a top school by most people in the industry. And I think the success of its alums speaks for itself. Many national lists do consider it in the top 10. But all lists are subjective. And programs move up and down the list from year to year. As far as people’s personal lists on this board, those are personal opinions. You would have to hear from the people who didn’t include it as to why they didn’t.
Some people just aren’t very familiar with it. Others are put off by the location. Some people are not wild about it being a Bachelor of Music degree versus a BFA. Some people confuse it with other schools in the area (Oklahoma Christian University or University of Central Oklahoma. - they all have similar initials but they are 3 very different schools). I’m sure there are other reasons why it may not be a good fit for some.
But if you want some of the best voice training in the country, some of the best dance training in the country and a strong acting program, it is one you should consider. It has proven time and again its training produces top notch, working performers.
Isn’t it wonderful so many different schools offer MT training now so people can apply to the schools that suit them best? Doesn’t lessen the value of other programs. The important thing is to find what’s right for your student.
For those of you looking to send your kid to the top Musical Theatre programs in the country, I highly recommend seeking out students who currently attend the program to see what they say about it. Some of these schools can be very rigorous, and you need to make sure your student is going to excel in that kind of environment. So take the step and ask the school to put you in touch with a student who can tell your student how they feel about the program.
I heard this great interview with Telly Leung. He was Aladdin on Broadway. He talks about his time studying musical theatre at Carnegie Mellon. Well worth the listen:
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I wonder if Onstage Blog will release a list again this year. I think last year it was just top 20 with no actual specific numbers.
Take all the rankings with a grain of salt. It’s validation they have a solid program and have produced working alumni. After going thru all the auditions etc last year there was definitely more than one that fell fast once we met them, fit matters the most.
Also, Onstage Blog just posted this recently and I think gives more food for thought.
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It’s a top program of your in the know… Many hear about the brand names but everyone in the industry knows of this school.
Wow… Great article and owning it. I personally like onstage blog…
That article is pretty amazing. I am looking forward to their next ranking.
I love your philosophy and completely agree! My quest is to help my D to determine where to find these things with only a campus tour (if you are lucky!) and a few minutes in an audition. Culture is enormously important, but difficult to determine until you are in the midst of it.
Hello there…thought you might be a good person to ask about Abilene Christian University’s BFA MT program. We have visited a couple of times and really like the culture and philosophy, but have never seen one of their musicals. Can you share your thoughts on the caliber of the program? Thank you!
Also, any thoughts on Belmont?