<p>Hi all, </p>
<p>I was wondering if I could get opinions on the voice performance and choral/music ed departments at UNT? Thanks so much everyone.</p>
<p>Music Ed at UNT is very strong. We have known a number of grads and they were very happy with the program and preparation.</p>
<p>We have a family friend who is a vocal major - jazz - at UNT and couldn't be happier.</p>
<p>I can't post another board's website here but I'll PM you with it - it is a professional singer board (opera) and one of the teachers from UNT posts there. The school is very well thought of by professional singers. Once you're on the site, search for UNT, read the posts, formulate some good question and email him directly - I'm sure he'll be able to answer all your questions.</p>
<p>cartera45, can you pm me with that website as well. My daughter has been accepted to their vocal jazz program and is interested in classical as well. Interested to know about vocal performance faculty -- I know the jazz is excellent. Thanks!</p>
<p>Singermom2, when did your D hear from UNT? My daughter is waiting to hear from them. Did your D audition in person or by video/dvd? Thanks!</p>
<p>lajazzmom - she didn't apply to UNT - too far from the East Coast for her. In our research, the name came up several times for offering a good undergrad experience.</p>
<p>Son is a 2nd year violin major at UNT. If anyone has any specific questions re: UNT, feel free to PM me.</p>
<p>lajazzmom - she auditioned in person and before she left the room they told her that she was admitted and would be offered a scholarship. Perhaps I should not count on this til we receive it in writing...she has not gotten a written acceptance yet (auditioned 2 weeks ago). Anyone have experience in this aspect of auditions? Know when they send out letters?</p>
<p>Thanks singermom2. My D auditioned by DVD and is still waiting for a response. The waiting is definitely the hardest part!</p>
<p>singermom, the notification process tends to be pretty school specific. Beyond the schools that offer a December audition and a notification before Christmas, some will let you know in waves as the audition dates pass, and many wait till April 1. If you scour the music admission pages of the institution's website, the info is usually there, albeit often well hidden. </p>
<p>The waiting is indeed by far the worst part of the whole process.</p>
<p>UNT had a very strong reputation as a "go-to" school for voice for a long time, but it has less stature now. Several of the very strong faculty members died or moved elsewhere. There have been some recent hires which are quite good, and the new president spent time as acting Chancellor at NCSA, so she "gets it" about the arts. I understand that the facilities are excellent, even if the terrain and surroundings are less inspiring. Once inside the school, hard at work, it should be a fine situation for a student. </p>
<p>That is the main thing, the particular voice teachers and their reputations for advancing strong vocal technique, and who they have out there to prove it. Additionally, singers go to a graduate school, and what they show their undergraduate teachers when they come back for a visit goes a long way toward the ongoing reputation of graduate schools. Singing is unique as a musical discipline because of the physical maturity issue, and the inevitable and necessary pace and planning of the development of particular Fachs (specific voice types, considerations for range, tessitura, color). So there is no faking the progreess, and teachers of singing can tell what is and what is not happening. NATS teachers make that same kind of assessment as they hear singers from schools in their region compete from year to year. This is why the network is so very strong and accurate.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for your info everybody! It has definitely helped a lot. </p>
<p>Lorelei, when you say they had a good rep., do you mean to say that they aren't such a good school to go to for voice now? I phrased my question poorly. I am wondering if UNT has a strong voice faculty and undergrad program (performance opportunities, undergrad opera experience, faculty attention, etc.) as well as a strong music ed program. When I say strong I don't mean Juiliard or Oberlin caliber b/c I'm definitely not at that level, but I am looking for a level where both programs are good, but not at the extremely high level where it's almost impossible to get in. I haven't decided if I want to go the performance or choral conductor route yet so I'm hoping to find a school that has a strong program in both that will allow me to double major. UNT seems to be good regarding music ed, but I haven't heard much about the voice department.
I brought a list of the voice faculty from UNT around to the voice faculty here at crane and Steve Austin is the only one recognized, b/c of his articles, not his teachings so I'm feeling iffy on the voice department. Along with the fact that their opera website has little if none info on their opera program and undergrad experience. Being the big school that it is, I'm afraid of going there and getting swallowed up by the size and receiving little attention as well as being rooted out of any opera experience due to competition from grad and doctoral students...
Also, though the website appears good, I don't know much about the liberal arts college on campus. Does anyone know how good it is?
If anyone has input for these questions that would be awesome. Once again, thank you so much for all your help/advice everyone!</p>
<p>Here's what I know about UNT. We'd always heard it was the big music/music ed school in Texas, esplly choral music. And believe me, the music education public school programs in Texas are BIG like everything else (has to do with the funding formulas, something about spending the same dollar amount the district spends on sports). Nevertheless, S (also a baritone btw) wanted to go look at LSU as he has older friends there and his sister goes there (half her sorority is from Texas). So we went to look.</p>
<p>While doing the whole visit thing, we went out to dinner one night and sat next to a table of LSU students who as it turned out were all in choral music/choral conducting. One was a junior, the other two were grad students. The junior was from Dallas (UNT is north of Dallas) and his mom is a big deal professional choir conductor in the Dallas area. He said his mom told him the only way he was going to UNT was if he didn't get into LSU. </p>
<p>The two grad students, fwiw, were from NY state, one with a degree from Eastman, the other ug Harvard and MM from Yale, and they said the choral conducting program at LSU is considered the best in the country and it's where "everyone" wants to get in. Their words not mine.</p>
<p>So there you go. Strictly anecdotal, but hey, it impressed me!</p>