Daughter is 16, junior. Starting to think about college choices, as auditions are but about 7 months away now. Lyric mezzo/soprano with nice vibrato and warmth/sultry. She can sing arias, art songs, choral style, show choir, pop (Beyonce, belt), and jazz (including fine scatting). She has been through a lot due to some family traumas, and is therefor somewhat introverted and unfortunately less-confident than she should be (although improving). Her natural ability and instrument, I believe, are a bit better than mine, and I did undergrad at a fine school (BM performance, Classical), and was accepted to the big ones for grad school (Eastman, NEC, Cleveland Institute, etc.).
I would like for her to go to a school that is not just a conservatory approach but more integrated with non-music majors at least socially, and one that would provide a BME choral track, but also allow her some excellent studio teaching in possibly BOTH styles of classical and contemporary (musical theatre, jazz). She is not sure what to focus on, and I believe will find out in college. I think she will have good enough technique to cross-over as well. Tone is very well-supported and line is excellent.
Anywhere is US is okay, although I tend to gravitate to eastern half, not further west than Texas. We live in central Florida.
Was considering U. Miami, but think their jazz is stronger than choral / classical? Same with Western Mich?
Are undergrads “lost” in big programs like Indiana and UNT?
I hear Florida State is rough on undergrads, not letting them stay in a good voice studio all the way through. True? Thoughts?
All help appreciated. 
My primary question to you is which vocal type would she lead with? Is it classical? Or is it chorale or jazz? Or MT? There are quite a few threads on “having to choose” a vocal concentration before college.
And what does her private teacher think? It is rare that someone can do all styles. For example my D is naturally loud. Classmates in high school would complain (jokingly) about standing next to her bc they couldn’t hear themselves. She had a good high school teacher who didn’t require her to blend or add air to her voice bc she knew it could impact my D’s voice. So she let her sing loud…and she’s a mezzo too which had fewer girls so it all evened out. One competition judge told my D not to sing choir as the technique would be bad for her voice ( but her teacher explained she wasn’t required to blend so she stayed in choir). Also my D was not required to belt in musicals to protect her voice. So I’m curious if she is being encouraged in all vocal forms as it’s not common presently. I’m not sure about jazz but classical, chorale and MT are quite different at the college level…but not always in high school so it may not be clear yet at her age. So something to check opinions on.
This will impact school/program choice. For example IU is for opera. There is not a lot of attn on ensembles. IU also has a MT program but it is completely separate from the music school. Most teachers at a school like IU would not be open to other styles as belting and classical voice are different. You enter IU to sing opera.
There are some liberal arts schools (St Olaf in MN for example) that allows a lot more exploration of different styles and is a big choir school. Some schools emphasize their choirs. Teachers here may be more open to teaching belting to a classical singer. But you will need to check.
She’s still young so I would try to get a read from a private teacher on which style (or two) holds the most potential. My D auditioned for both VP and MT and used the audition process to help her decide her direction. And btw her teachers were right about her potential.
Thanks for the advice. She can do any of the styles, and enjoys them all. Her instrument is pretty big, given her average size of 130 pound, 5’6". She’s young enough in all of them, hasn’t settled the voice for one or the other. It’s not good to pick a teacher as the deciding factor necessarily, because teachers always WANT YOU TO DO WHAT THEY DO, which is only one style, or else they wouldn’t have a studio or an advanced degree, lol. (Her fairly new voice teacher wants Oberlin; I think my daughter would hate Oberlin, solely conservatory and in nowhere culturally.) So what did your daughter pick, and where? (Just curious.)
I will follow this thread as my S18 is in a similar situation perhaps: wants to study classical voice but not in a strict conservatory environment. He wants the flexibility to minor in a non-musical area, do a musical theatre student run club type show every once in a while, and have the full college experience. So far he loves Vandy due to the excellent Blair School of Music and flexibility to take courses outside Blair. He has nixed Rice, as Shepherd School was too restrictive and intense. We are going to check out the music schools for UNC, UGA and U of South Carolina. @lyricmezzomom , what do you think of U of Florida’s voice program?
University of Michigan has excellent vocal music programs. They are strong in classical voice and musical theater. I know a young woman studying vocal jazz there but I don’t know how extensive their programs in that area are. I don’t know how restrictive they are as far as students trying to study more than one genre. There is a lot going on there musically both in and out of the music school. Certainly worth a look.
I think @bridgenail makes some very good points. I think a summer program might help your daughter become more focused; my D did the Oklahoma City University combined Vocal Arts (Classical) and MT program last summer, and it really helped her in that way. We also looked seriously at programs where there was a collaboration between, or at least a friendliness between VP and MT schools. Truthfully, most serious Classical programs will not allow much in the way of crossover, but that in part depends upon your teacher in a big program. Honestly, most programs will want a student to be pretty clear on this before admission, I think, and in part I think this is because different faculty are making different casting and money decisions in the different departments (and if they invest in you in time and money, they want to use you as they see fit). My daughter was asked about this very clearly at ALL of her auditions (her resume is filled with MT-how many 17 year olds have a lot of Opera on their resumes- but her goals are now Opera, which is also where her career potential probably lies). Programs like Lawrence University (Conservatory) allow and even support cross over between the VP, Theater and even Jazz departments. OCU is another excellent place for this (Dr. Herendeen is the Director of Opera AND MT, and everyone is trained in legit singing-there is a seamless transition between departments). At Oberlin, where my daughter will be studying VP next year, I was worried that our questions regarding MT would be the death knell of her chances there. But Lorraine Manz (and other vocal faculty), who D will be studying with next year, was quite receptive to our questions, and basically the answer was, “it depends upon the student and what is best for them in their vocal and career development”. (So, yes, like you mentioned above, it CAN be about what a teacher wants to some degree. But remember, at a large and excellent program, your D will likely have some teacher choice, and undoubtably there will be a number of very good choices of teachers with very different philosophies). Overall, I would say to avoid programs that are clearly anti-crossover (places like CMU, where the two very excellent departments are totally seperate entities, or Julliard, etc.) and ask a lot of questions even before applying. And yes! College fit is very important, in terms of “where” (but Oberlin is 30 minutes outside Cleveland (; ). Oooh. Also, maybe check out Shenandoah!
To expand on a few comments from above.
@dramasopranomom - your comment on a summer program is quite good. That is a great way to start exposing kids to serious music study and find out what they like best. My D definitely gravitated to MT and VP where you “act” and not so much to choir signing or any soloist work (like jazz or contemporary).
And you mention some great schools…like OCU which does allow for classical and MT. And Lawrence, for classical, theater and some jazz plus they have great choirs…but alas no MT. St. Olaf has everything I believe but jazz(?) … but I’m not sure about that. So there are schools that do allow cross-overs and explorations in styles.
@vistajay - it sounds like you are well on your way to finding a good fit for your S. I agree that schools like Rice are primarily looking for students who are committed to classical. Vandy sounds like a nice option.
IU and Michigan will be similar to Rice. Yet there are always exceptions at these schools. My D did VP at IU and she did a BS instead of a BM. There was some wiggle room at IU (just like there is probably at Michigan)…but on forums like this we are speaking in generalities and at these schools the majority of students are “locked and loaded” for classical studies. Even for my D, her work was primarily opera…but she was able to take MT and theater classes…an option that is no longer available without an MT audition. So you can’t assume that you couldn’t branch off a bit with the right teacher…so it’s always worth checking on your own…still they are primarily classical voice schools that do not encourage a lot of exploration of styles.
@lyricmezzomom - we have found teachers to be pretty responsive to our D’s interests. I have found it to be a back and forth really. The teachers have been honest about how they run their studios; and our D has been honest about what she’s looking for. It can be concerning to tell a VP teacher about your love for MT (thinking it may be the kiss of death) but I think it is so common and teachers understand that it is the background for most classical singers. My D’s undergrad teacher knew she was in MT classes and followed what she was singing (and how). After 2 1/2 years (a loooong time honestly) may D finally realized it was the wrong direction and let it go. I think her teacher knew that would happen. Both of her teachers have really encouraged her in acting however and neither did straight theater. So I have found many teachers to be understanding…and if they were not…it would be the wrong teacher for your kid.
Two other important points come to mind:
In high school, you can do it all in voice - choir, MT, VP and singing a contemporary piece in talent shows or at coffee houses. In college, your time for one form will greatly expand not leaving much time for the others. My D auditioned and was accepted into 2 theater shows at her UG but had to decline bc of the ensemble requirements (opera chorus) for her VP degree. This was frustrating and something we didn’t fully appreciate when she went off to college. We figured it was a difficult music school so she wouldn’t get much the first 2 years so she could do some theater or even MT. We didn’t realize that there were ensemble requirements every semester. Of course my D was in opera chorus which ate up time most evenings. BUT being in a fully staged opera on a big stage was thrilling for her…so no regrets.
Just keep that in mind as well…what are the ensemble requirements for the degree and when do they meet? I’m assuming you may know a lot of this having a degree in the area…but others read these comments as well.
Preparing audition material for more than 2 vocal styles could be a nightmare! Preparing for MT and VP was a lot of work…not to mention money. To add on jazz…which I assume has its own set of requirements…could be even more work. So be sure to start checking the audition requirements as pre-screens will be necessary and they will be conveniently due during the high school musical. And then you have applications and essays and…even more essays.
I hope this helps in some way. Some interesting schools have been mentioned. I’m not as knowledgeable on cross-over schools so I’ll let others mention school names.
My D is a mezzo VP at Oberlin. I think your slant on Oberlin was a bit unfair. Oberlin is not only a conservatory. There is a college there. The students from both share dorms and cafeterias and many classes. Many students are dual degree in both the college and the con. Also, what do you mean nowhere “culturally”?? It is a pretty diverse campus and there is plenty of culture.
They have VP and Jazz voice in the Con and MT in the college. No MT sing in the operas, but there are VP who sing in the MT productions.
She’s lived in a metro area of 3 million here whole life. Didn’t realize there was some flexibility there, as even told by an alum vocalists are locked and loaded at Oberlin.
Didn’t realize U of Florida even had a voice program lol. The classical undergrad schools here are slim in Florida: FSU, then notch it down to UNF, U Miami, and a private school whose name escapes me just now in Deland.
Take a look at Ithaca College.
@bridgenail what did yourD decide to do this summer? There are great summer programs in Michigan and in Berklee/Boston to help sort through what strengths she wants to focus on for college. Does she enjoy song writing and music theory? Or does she prefer performance of existing works? It sounds like she has the goods, but people won’t be able to help her unless they know her passion and instinct.
Have the instrument of voice is a great start. Let us know which direction she goes!
@SnowflakeVT I think you may have mixed me up with the OP. My D just finished grad school. The “exploration” phase is over. The “make money” phase is in full swing. She is at a PAID opera festival thingamabob right now.
Bridgenail, you are right! @lyricmezzomom, my prior comments were meant for you. Let us know the direction your D goes.
My D is a jazz vocalist and arranger and also making it it music
I hope you will keep Oberlin in the mix. The conservatory and college are on the same campus, students in the Con live with, eat with and take classes with students from the college, and many do double degrees. The student support for peer performances is outstanding. We went out there twice and got to know the area: there is a lot of depth to the experience even if it is not a metro area (and Cleveland is close). The young people I know who are in music travel a lot (I believe Oberlin folks perform in NYC). There is even something to be said for a sort of removed studio experience in which to develop.
Noone on this forum ever mentions this but there are interesting solo and ensemble vocal opportunities in contemporary classical aka “new music.” Meaning 20th and 21st century, including living and emerging composers. Some schools are very strong on this at the grad level (and Oberlin has been historically, at the undergrad level): the background is classical. living or emerging composers. Something for the future for some who are reading this thread. (Lang’s Little Match Girl Passion is a personal favorite.)
Some multifaceted musicians are looking at Boston Conservatory at Berklee or at Berklee itself because the merger offers so many paths, but I don’t know much about voice there. BoCo has MT of course and Berklee has jazz and other genres.
She is still young and a lot can change. Has she taken any music theory? Is there a conservatory prep near you? It would seem that doing extracurricular music programs after school, on weekends and in the summers would afford plenty of chances to clarify and focus over the next couple of years, if chosen carefully. It sounds like she is doing a lot of that already.
Over time, your pronouns will change from “I want” to “she wants.”
Bridgenail congrats on your daughter being paid. My kid is in a doctoral program and still paying for her summers!
Thanks, compmom, and you are so right. Here we are about to gear up for auditions, and SHE WANTS BME choral, and straight classical, no jazz, no MT. Ugh, because I love her full throated belt Beyonce voice more than the also gorgeous high lyric classical voice. The popular/theater voice moves people physically, literally, as in goosebumps. Ugh. UNT, FSU, UMKC, U Central Missouri, we will see what happens…
Have you looked into the BM degree in VP from NYU Steinhardt? It offers both Classical and MT concentrations. Both programs share the same voice teachers and there is some crossover between the programs.