<p>What schools are strong in musical theatre, or in general, vocal music in Texas?
Is UH strong in this field?</p>
<p>Sam Houston, Texas State, Texas Christian University, and Baylor are great audition ones. Stephen F. Austin, St. Edwards, and Southwestern for non-audition.</p>
<p>I don’t know much about U of H, sorry.</p>
<p>Rice is very strong for VP. Not sure about MT.</p>
<p>I believe U of H is stronger in theatre than MT. However, I have worked with strong MT performers from U of H.</p>
<p>Thank youn all!
How about SMU?</p>
<p>Oh, yeah- SMU is great. I knew I was leaving some out! For acting, especially, though… I don’t think they have a BFA MT.</p>
<p>I’ve heard University of North Texas in Denton has a good program, too. Same with TWU.</p>
<p>Thank you!
I live in Tx, I want to study music and do theatre.
I love MT, but i’ll probably major in VP.</p>
<p>I want to stay in-state bc of $$.</p>
<p>I know SMU is private, but I’ve heard they give nice scholarships to minority students with potential and strong academics.</p>
<p>Is location important?
As in, would it be better to study in a cosmopolitan area like Houston or Dallas?</p>
<p>Hi! This is John’s mom, I’m glad you joined. How did the last of the audition go?</p>
<p>Trinity University in San Antonio offers a BM in vocal performance and also has a theatre degree. Both departments offer scholarships but the deadlines are coming up quickly (early March) so I would check themout quickly if you are interested!</p>
<p>Check out what Kaitlin Hopkins is doing at Texas State. I think they will have an incredible program over the next few years.</p>
<p>Does North Texas have a BFA Musical Theatre program? Their website doesn’t reflect that. </p>
<p>WTAMU is another school with a MT degree. It is audition based, but not overly competitive to get in to.</p>
<p>Texas State is becoming super competitive almost overnight with Kaitlyn Hopkins at the helm. Plus, the school has received a large donation to help build a new performing arts center. (The current one is pretty good.)</p>
<p>My D loved TCU on her visit last fall. It’s hard to imagine many schools anywhere that could be better for the overall college experience combined with a strong theatre program.</p>
<p>I think Southwestern could be a sleeper of a program with huge potential. Not sure why the program is so small there. Outstanding facilities, beautiful hill country town near Austin. Austinmom or Alexa, do you know why this program is so small?</p>
<p>Great question arrdad! Southwestern is a small school (1,300 students) so maybe that’s part of it? So many people outside of the immediate area don’t even know the schools exists, much less that they have a wonderful theatre program. And they haven’t gone the TSU route of bringing in a big name like Kaitlin Hopkins to draw attention to the program. I can just say that I have been to productions at Southwestern and thoroughly enjoyed them. The theatre students I know who go there are wonderful actors/singers/dancers and they chose Southwestern for a reason.</p>
<p>Scholarship auditions are March 6 and 7 so if anyone is interested they should probably contact Southwestern now to see if they can still get on the schedule. </p>
<p>Southwestern also has a really wonderful program called Paideia. It’s hard to explain the program in a few words so I’ve included a link. I’ve worked with Paideia and capstone students from Southwestern and have thoroughly enjoyed them all. Very bright, articulate and motivated students. [Southwestern</a> University: The Paideia Program](<a href=“http://www.southwestern.edu/paideia/]Southwestern”>Education for Tomorrow • Southwestern University)</p>
<p>I heard that UNT is starting a new MT major next year, but I would think there would be information, especially about auditions, on the web site already. Sam Houston’s program has been around for a while. I know one student there now who is a junior, and a couple more who hope to be attending as freshmen next year. They are all boys. For VP, there are several students from our area who have attended Mary Hardin-Baylor. I don’t think location is that important. A “cosmopolitan” area would certainly have more outside opportunities to perform, but if you’re in a BFA, you probably won’t have time for much outside stuff.</p>
<p>Also, about Stephen F. Austin:
- At a college fair at my D’s high school, we stopped by the SFA booth (it is my alma mater
) and the rep there told her with her grades and test scores, she could expect a full ride. - When D auditioned at OCU back in 04-05, the accompanist was chatting with a group of us and mentioned SFA as having a good music program. I think a friend of his was the director there, so I don’t know if he was drumming up business for his friend or if it truly is strong for music.</p>
<p>My DD had her heart set on OCU and didn’t even look at SFA, but it would be worth checking out, IMO.</p>
<p>Arrdad: In all honesty, I have no idea WHY Southwestern doesn’t have a bigger program, but I can tell you it doesn’t hold them back at all. I have many friends that attended there for either MT or VP and are extremely talented and successfull in both the theater world in Austin and abroad. The facilities are beautiful and Georgetown has a community theatre that puts on great productions if you really care to work outside the school. </p>
<p>If anyone lives in this area and is curious about them, they are performing Urinetown next Wed-Sun (starting the 24th) and that would be a great view of what kind of productions they put on! I know quite a few people in it (including Bobby and Hope) and they are beyond talented so I know it’ll be a great show. I’m seeing it!</p>
<p>In regards to U of H, I am currently in a production of A Little Night Music here in Austin where one of our Leibesleider is a U of H graduate with a degree in VP. She has toured the country singing in all sorts of different Opera houses, and even went over to Germany and Italy for quite a while after graduating. A very talented lady who now lives in Austin and is finally showing us her stuff! </p>
<p>In relation to my earlier post, our very talented Henrik just graduated from Southwestern with a VP degree!</p>
<p>original501: though I don’t think the location of a campus is crucial to your success, I think it can really help. I know someone who is attending UNT right now, not majoring in theatre, and has been cast in local AEA companies and I believe they just received an offer for a part in an upcoming Broadway show. So, going to a school that is in the Dallas or Houston area definately has its perks, but like I said, many people have made it going to schools from non-metropolitan areas.</p>
<p>TSU is getting a new performing arts center? Do you know when that is supposed to occur? Also, when you say “super-competitive” are we talking along the same lines as CCM, Carnegie Mellon, Penn State, UM & Otterbein?</p>
<p>Thanks for the info!</p>
<p>The new arts center is supposed to break ground in Spring of 2011 and be in done in early 2014.</p>
<p>AlexaMT, do you know if it is true about how “super competitive” the MT program is now at TSU? Is it along the same lines as CCM, Carnegie Mellon, Penn State, UM & Otterbein?</p>
<p>mtdadnow, I am not AlexaMT and I don’t have any hard facts for you to answer your question, but I can tell you what I infer. I do not believe that at this time that TSU is as competitive to get into as the MT programs you just mentioned. This is for two reasons. One is that the program is getting established and so reputation builds over time. Surely, they have someone great at the helm right now, but all of that is still new. That doesn’t make it not as good but simply not as well known, which makes sense as it has had less time to become well established than the programs you cite. The second reason I would consider it not as competitive as the program you list is that it doesn’t have as national of a talent pool yet. I’m sure it is still tough to get into, but it is more known by those in that region, than in some other parts of the country whereas CCM, CMU and UMich (on your list) draw a national talent pool, not just a regional one. That is not to say that TSU won’t draw from around the country but I think it may be fair to infer that at this stage of the game, they draw MORE from that region. That doesn’t mean it isn’t competitive but I can’t imagine it being as much as CCM, UM, or CMU, for the reasons I have stated.</p>
<p>TCU seems to have a really good up and coming MT program - check it out! It’s also a great college experience (where I got my undergraduate accounting degree and had a great experience!). We’ve known recent happy kids there!</p>
<p>In past, SMU made one choose between highly reputable straight theatre, dance, and music degrees. They did not allow a combination program that would resemble MT. I know that both the theatre and dance programs are very strong. Don’t go there assuming you will get MT unless they have changed their policy.</p>