<p>Sguti40, thank you so much for your candor and honesty. I’ve been saying for quite some time, it’s not always all about the audition, and especially for singers. VP curriculum includes languages and often other academic classes so schools look at the ability of a student to succeed within the framework of their program. Even though students request letters of recommendation from teachers whom one would hope would say only positive things, that’s not always a given. Since singers start later and don’t have the need to attend prominent summer programs as youngsters, having a affiliation with a teacher at the conservatory/LAC/university level doesn’t come into play the way it does for their instrumentalists peers
Also, when it comes down to two relatively equal students, grades and/or test scores may be used to decide between them and where to allocate scholarship funding.The proliferation of programs in VP and MT has also forced schools to enable simple “cut off” points beyond which they will not even consider a potential student.</p>
<p>Almost every school has now gone to the pre-screen format and I know for a fact that some have done it just to make their program “seem” more elite. I don’t agree with it especially because so many voices just don’t come across as well in recording as they do in person (and I can think of several prominent “stars” who perform in major houses with the same issue!), but again, since the explosion of reality shows and of course, “Glee”, has made everyone think that they can/should sing, there are many, many kids who are attempting to enter a field in which they have no chance of success. Watching last year’s field of applicants for entrance to grad school (VP) and speaking with faculty at various schools was illuminating; there is only a fraction of the number of openings for the grads as there are for undergrads so kids who have spent 4 years being led to believe that they would “make it” were left saddened and confused when applications/prescreens to 6-8 grad schools didn’t yield even one invitation to audition. For some, it was those Ds in German or Music Theory or History that caught up with them, while others were singing pieces and roles that were wildly inappropriate and adjudicators knew it.</p>
<p>Wishing the very best of luck to all auditioning this year! Stay healthy, get plenty of rest and travel safely. I’m going to start a new thread so that everyone can post about their audition day experiences at various schools- what the schedules were like, did they feed you, run very late, etc?</p>
!!</p>