Vocal Performance major skills - piano, dancing, acting, languages...!!

College Majors Music Major
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<p>I know I'm just 15 and a sophomore, but I am pretty confident that I want to pursue vocal performance as a major in college. I have been singing for as long as I can remember, voice lessons on and off for about five years, and steadily for one. Singing is what I love to do, and I feel like it is one of the few things I am truly good at. I know I'm far better than average, but I also know that there are millions of other girls out there that have just the same passion as me, and that have equal or better talent. Anyways, my question is actually about skills other than singing that will aid a VP major. One in particular.</p>

<p>Piano skills. I realize in the curriculum for most VP programs, piano is a required class. I started with lessons at a very young age, but could never pay attention. I started and stopped several times. The last time I was about 10 years old, and I didn't quit lessons, but my teacher bailed on me, and my mom didn't see the point in getting a new teacher. Now I feel like I'm really screwed because I don't know piano. My voice coach says I pick up the concepts pretty quickly, but my parents don't want to pay for him to teach me piano because voice is already so expensive. How good do I need to be at piano as a freshman VP major? If I start now (I am starting to teach myself until I can figure out how to get lessons), how long will it take me to get good, and at what level will I be expected to be at?</p>

<p>Also, with acting and dance. Both also things I took on at a younger age, but quit and I now regret it. I am enrolling in ballet this year in order to fulfill my PE credit, but I know I won't be able to get very good at it :/ also acting, I have done a few shows, and used to take lessons, but the last show I auditioned for, I was rejected because of my poor acting skills, despite a very impressive vocal audition. How good is one expected to be in these areas as a VP major?</p>

<p>Also, languages I'm behind on. I am studying spanish in school, and italian with my coach, so I can sing italian okay, but I know I need to learn French and German too, and I would have taken French in school, but back in 8th grade when I decided to learn Spanish, I didn't even think I would be singing in different languages (I used to just sing musical theatre, and I just started classical about a year ago) Although I believe that by senior year I will be able to be fairly decent in Italian. I just don't know when the other languages will come in..</p>

<p>Over the past year, I've realized more and more that I need to sing in my life, but then I came to the realization that all I can do is sing, and nothing else and I don't know if I have any hope.</p>

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<p>You certainly should have hope: whether or not you are admitted to a vocal performance program in classical voice will depend largely on your vocal ability as evidenced in your audition (and at some schools also on your overall academice record). The skills that you are worried about (keyboard, acting, dancing, and languages) are important skills for a singer, but they are skills that you can work on in college. </p>

<p>You are wise to be working on these related skills while in high school: they will serve you well in college. While you could get into a vocal performance program and excel with minimal keyboard skills, you will find it much easier to learn music, sightsing, and do theory classes if you have a stronger keyboard background. At many music schools, the vocal majors are notorious for having trouble in the music theory courses. (Certainly there are some vocal major that excel at theory, but often they are ones with a strong keyboard background and they often are able to learn new repertoire more efficiently and accurately.) </p>

<p>Unless you are considering going into musical theatre rather than classical voice, no formal training in dance or acting is necessary. Certainly some training in these disciplines is helpful: ballet creates body awareness which is helpful for a singer and acting helps one communicate with an audience which is at the heart of a vocal performance. As well, if you are headed towards opera, you will be studying acting and dance/movement, so any headstart is good. </p>

<p>As for languages, the more you can get the better, but extensive language background or training is not usually essential prior to entering a vocal performance program. While a college or university may require a second language for entrance, to be admitted as a voice major, you must demonstrate an ability to sing other languages well. With a good vocal teacher or, if necessary, an occasional language coach, you should be able to do this without formal courses in high school. Formally studying other languages does improve one’s ear for acquiring strange pronunciations, but many singers just have a natural ear that allows them to convincingly sing in many languages. You will, as you know, study languages in college if you are a vocal performance major. </p>

<p>In the meantime, you should ask your teacher if they think you could benefit from singing one or two German lied (German is an important language for singers) and a song in a fourth language (i.e. something other than English, Italian, and German). At your age, vocalists should generally have some repertoire in at least two non-English languages each year. Keep taking the Spanish (it is closely related to French and there is some art song repertoire in Spanish). If you get the chance to take French, German, or Italian even at a beginner’s level from a good teacher (i.e. a teacher that speaks the language accurately), that would be very helpful but not essential.</p>

<p>The most crucial thing for your preparation for a college program is to make certain that you have an excellent voice teacher. Does your teacher have a studio with many advanced students? Does your teacher consistently send students to good music schools as vocal performance majors? If not, you may want to look around for a teacher that does. </p>

<p>Be certain to talk to your voice teacher about the issues that you have raised here.</p>

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<p>Agree with violindad. DD entered a conservatory level program with no music theory, minimal language - 1 year of French, and no piano. The only acting was in some HS performances. She is doing all of that at the college level. It does make it a little harder on her, but entry is all about the audition. Her voice teacher had her well prepared for auditions with songs in Italian, English and German. Learning to sing in those does not require fluency in the language. You will become a much better singer when you gain fluency but you can do that in college, too. </p>

<p>You are only a sophomore. DD did not decide to major in music until she was a junior. Try to take German or French in HS instead of your Spanish. Work your voice teacher on songs in other languages. This is the time to have the very best voice teacher you can get. They will help you develop your voice and technique to suit you and give you your best chance in admission auditions. It is critical that they have sent students to the kinds of programs you want to attend. If not, change now so you can work with one in your Junior year. </p>

<p>As for piano, acting, dance. She is getting the acting and dance in the opera studio and has taken a couple of semesters of piano trying to get good enough to pass the proficiency test. Piano is the only thing that would really have helped DD. Her voice teacher helped her learn to present the songs instead of “park and bark” so the acting part was not critical, either. More would have given her a leg up in auditions at college, but did not affect entry. . </p>

<p>Another thing you can do is work on getting performance opportunities. DD joined the church choir and besides learning more music that will help her in the future, the director liked to use her as soloist several times a year. She sang at school several times for various events as a junior and senior as the school knew she was pursuing VP. Her voice teacher also made her do recitals every year. </p>

<p>So, don’t stress at this stage. Get the best teacher you can and learn good techniques in songs that suit your voice and age in several languages. Start getting performance opportunities that don’t require acting. You have a couple of years to do that. .</p>

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<p>I’m no expert but my son (VP at Northwestern) was told that piano skills are critical for a singer, as teaching is often a means support and is vital if you want to conduct or work with choruses. My son was surprised at the lack of sight-reading ability and understanding of music theory among many singers (as violadad mentioned). I have an opera singer friend who convinced that she is hired in part (in addition to her fabulous voice, great acting, and terrific workmanship) for her ability to learn music quickly, as she’s a good sight reader and a good study. These are skills you can learn–it’s not something you’re necessarily born with. Singing in a very active church choir can help with sight reading (at least, that’s how my son became a good sight reader).</p>

<p>You can also learn acting or at least how to express the meaning of a song. It is indeed part of being a vocal performance major, even outside of opera. This, too, is something you can work on. Sure, some people are born actors, but most actors study acting to improve! You certainly can do that, and it certainly sounds as if you have the drive to do it. From my vantage point, motivation is a key factor in a singer’s success.</p>

<p>Lots of luck!</p>

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<p>D is a last year MM student in VP. Her one regret is not having studied piano earlier.(she began junior year HS). It’s not only helpful in sight reading skills, but when you start having students of your own, it is indispensable.</p>

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<p>ImThinking, I might have a solution for your piano conundrum. My son was in a similar situation where his music degree would benefit from piano. So even though he had a late start, our high school allowed him to dual enroll at the local community college and take keyboard 1 & 2. The advantage of this was that under dual enrollment, his tuition was covered by the local board even though his schedule was overloaded. That helped him considerably as a freshman at a school of music. If you live anywhere near a community college with a music department, you may, with special permission, be able to do the same thing. Talk to your guidance counselor and explain that, just like a gifted math student who takes advanced calc at a local college while in high school, your requirement to pursue a professional music degree includes this area of study that is not available at your school. Good luck, and kudos for your foresight! Being prepared goes a long way toward getting what you want out of life ;)</p>

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<p>My name is Cameron Turner and I am attending USC Columbia SC and i am a freshman and next semester i am auditioning for the vocal performance program…i have to sing a short simple italian song, a musical theatre song and an inspirational song…what are some good songs that i can sing…i sing tenor, but i’m not a high tenor…Please let me know any of your suggestions</p>

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<p>We don’t know your voice, so we can hardly recommend music. Why not chat with a teacher there on campus? Also—since this is a public forum, you might want to have the moderators remove your name. Good luck!</p>