<p>My son is interested in an acting major, preferably in or near a big city - but because his high school has no real theater department (they do a big musical every year) most of his energy has gone into voice studies, with a great "serious" teacher. He doesn't want to study musical theater; he wants to develop the acting skills, and study voice as a secondary pursuit, on the chance/hope that his voice will "be there" when he's old enough for it to have really matured. Any suggestions on which schools w/strong acting programs also allow a music minor?</p>
<p>Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA is a great place to start. </p>
<p>University of Rochester has a theater concentration through the English department, and does offer a music minor, but I'm not sure if it's offered specifically for voice. However, U of R students can take private lessons (no charge) offered by graduate students from the Eastman Conservatory of Music.</p>
<p>A music minor often doesn't mean private voice lessons.
You might look for schools that are strong in acting, but have private voice available to non-music majors.</p>
<p>I second that! Yes -- do make sure that a school has a music minor where voice can be your primary instrument, and private voice lessons are available.</p>
<p>Many schools have a music minor that does not include lessons on a major instrument... at some schools private lessons credit can be applied to the music minor, but this is moot if the private instruction for credit is not available to non-majors.</p>
<p>Towson has a theater/acting major and voice minor. Both are by audition. Their program has been under the radar, but the school has been putting a lot of resources into their visual and performing arts programs, incuding a new building with some very nice performance spaces.</p>
<p>I think Syracuse may offer this as well, also by audition.</p>
<p>Many liberal arts colleges house theater and music (including voice) in different Departments, which means that, not only can he minor in voice, but he could perhaps, assuming enough voice courses, do a theater-music double major. To make your search efficient, I would suggest looking at whether theater and music are housed in the same Department. If so, they may be under the same major (i.e., fine arts - performance), thus not allowing you to major in one area and minor in another. Look for schools where they are housed in different Departments, as 'Department' and 'Major' are one and the same. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule.
Also, look to schools that allow you to construct your curriculum and ignore the strictures of the major-minor thing. My advice applies to LACs moreso than ig universities that house Schools of Fine Arts.</p>
<p>I encourage a look at Muhlenberg also. My D is a double major in theatre and music (vocal performance). She LOVES her private teacher and there are many ensembles to sing with on campus.</p>
<p>If the grades are good, look at Oberlin, imagining a major in Theater with a minor in Music; teaching is available by students of the Conservatory of Music. It is also possible to double major in the college with Theater and Music. In other words, an Oberlin College student can be a music major, without being in the Conservatory of Music.</p>
<p>My H was a Music major at the college, and his "instrument" was voice. There is an Oberlin College Choir, which only admits college students; otherwise the Conservatory (fabulous) operatic voices would be too overwhelming. This lets the college kids sing, too; and they travel as any good college choir would. </p>
<p>Their theater department has credibility in national college theater competitions, although the location near Cleveland isn't ideal for the OP's expressed needs.</p>
<p>The thing about coming from Oberlin is people assume you went to the Conservatory, even if you were in the College. For an EC, see if they still have the Gilbert and Sullivan society, and find out if it's for the college or conservatory performers.</p>
<p>My S double-majored in Theater and Music at Amherst College, but it's very selective academically, so check their expectations re: SAT's and all of that.
Oberlin, similarly.</p>
<p>Seeing the date of this OP, I'd also point out that Oberlin has a second round of ED-II that has a later deadline (January, if I recall correctly). So, if OP's still looking for Sept 08; still not too late. If for Sept 09, plenty of time to investigate! Good luck.</p>
<p>One more idea: Brandeis University, which also has some systems for later applications.</p>