<p>Can anyone tell me about the strength of the music department at Muhlenberg? I’m curious how much vocal work the kids pursuing MT receive and how it all works within the theater department. I know that the MT kids pretty much design their own MT major and I heard alot about the theater and dance departments but hardly anything about the music end of it. TIA!</p>
<p>Hi Stagemom- My D is a music major at Muhlenberg, and has had a really good experience. Voice teachers are assigned freshman year, and she has been very happy with her voice teacher. Her teacher is a working musician, who regularly performs with opera companies across the country, and who has also done musicals too. Her particular training suits my D’s voice, which has benefited from the legit training she has received. Her teacher has a master’s in vocal performance from CCM, and has changed my D’s voice so much that when I first heard her sing after a few months of training with her, I barely recognized her voice.</p>
<p>The music department is quite a separate entity from the school of theatre and dance, but many of the students in the theatre dept. take voice lessons, either as a double major or just pay for them.</p>
<p>There are at least 6 faculty members who teach voice lessons, and as long as you declare a music major the studio fees for the lessons are waived. You receive 10 lessons per semester which is roughly one per week, which allows faculty members time to schedule their own performances.</p>
<p>It is important to note that as a music major you are not receiving a BM, so for instance there is no keyboard proficiency requirement, and students do not receive as much training as they would in a music conservatory.</p>
<p>I have heard the college choir and chamber choir sing several times and they are both good groups. There are additionally at least 5 acapella groups on campus, so there are plenty of opportunities to perform.</p>
<p>Next week my D is singing her senior recital, which is not a requirement for graduation, but her teacher expected it of her, so she will present an hour of songs in the chapel, with both accompaniment by the staff accompanist and herself on guitar.</p>
<p>She is also in An American Tragedy, so if you are going to be on campus then. let me know and maybe we can meet. I will be in town for the Fri and Sat performances.</p>
<p>If you have specific questions, feel free to drop me a pm. I would offer my D up as a source of info, but her schedule is mad crazy right now, and I hesitate to add to her busy schedule right now.</p>
<p>anothermom-w-q…thank you for all the great info!! One question to clarify…you must major in music to get the inclusive voice lessons? So if she majors in theater and only minors in music/dance then she will have to pay for individual lessons?
We are probably going to the Saturday matinee so as soon as we confirm that I’ll let you know. I would love to meet and talk with you! Thank you so much for the offer!</p>
<p>She does not have to minor in dance to take dance classes, she can take whatever dance classes will fit in her schedule. But yes, in order to not pay studio fees for voice lessons she would have to declare a music major.</p>
<p>Looking forward to meeting you next month.</p>