<p>After much soul searching and gnashing of teeth, my daughter chose UArts over the other schools to which she was accepted. Without going through her entire deliberative process, here’s why:</p>
<li><p>Very well balanced and intensive program. We did a chart of the entire MT curriculum divided into subject areas (acting, voice, dance, MT performance, theatre history) and also a chart showing the courses by semester. We compared it to similar charts we made for other schools and dicovered that UArts had not only a very balanced program among the various performance disciplines but also had significantly greater contact hours in each discipline than the other schools to which she was accepted. We also felt very comfortable with the individualized attention given by the voice teachers and the ability to change voice teachers to get the best match.</p></li>
<li><p>The enviroment is an extremely supportive one. The emphasis of the school seems to be one of maximizing the potential of each student instead looking to churn out cookiecutter “chorusboys” or “chorusgirls” who are of a style that matches whatever is currently in vogue. As my daughter put it, “The school feels like it will help me find the “star” in me and not mold me into its view of what it wants a graduate to be.”</p></li>
<li><p>An extremely congenial and welcoming enviroment. The students my daughter encountered were open, warm and friendly. From what my daughter observed by sitting in on classes, the professors, all of whom are working pros, are very approachable and invested in the growth of the students.</p></li>
<li><p>Great performing arts spaces and studios. Dorms that are converted apartments with kitchens and private bathrooms for each room.</p></li>
<li><p>The location is an exciting and dynamic one. Right in the center of the performing arts district in Phila. Exposure to a ton of profesional theatre, touring companies and local profesional productions, as well as to ballet, opera and music. Masters classes regularly with “name” pros who perform at the Meriam Theatre. Within 5 - 15 minutes walking there are the Wilma Theatre, Meriam Theatre, Kimmel Center, Academy of Music, Prince Music Theatre, Walnut St Theatre and Forest Theatre. Broadway show touring companies, local productions, Pennsylvania Ballet, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Orchestra, Philly Pops with Peter Nero, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and more. </p></li>
<li><p>An abundance of performing opportunities in school productions commencing sophomore year. Seniors have an abundance of performing opportunities (by audition) at the profesional theatres in the area.</p></li>
<li><p>The cultural and social resources of Philadelphia. Within 15 - 20 minutes walking, the Phila Museum of Art, Franklin Institute and Museum of Natural Sciences. An incredible and safe city park system with thousands of acres of open and wooded spaces with bike trails and boating. Tons of restaurants, shopping, music venues, cafes.</p></li>
<li><p>And perhaps the most important, after sitting in on classes, it felt “right”. My daughter stood out on Avenue of the Arts, looked south and looked north and said "Yeah, this is where I want to live for the next 4 years.</p></li>
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<li> I neglected to also mention that UArts reputation in the profesional community is excellent. This was confirmed to me through profesional contacts in the business. UArts students work, not only locally but also on Broadway, in touring companies and on T.V.</li>
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<li>One of the most reknowned Ear, Nose and Throat groups on the east coast (if not in the country) that specializes with vocal and instrumental performers is located 5 blocks from the school. The group consists of doctors, many of whom have extensive professional performing credentials, and vocal specialists who in addition to providing medical interventions also perform extensive vocal evaluations and put together comprehensive programs of exercises, technique and "preventative maintenance and care" for vocalists.</li>
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<p>I just read this last post and want to say YES! The practice to which Michael refers is actually probably the very best in the whole country - the head of the practice, Dr. Robert Sataloff, is the founder of "vocal arts medicine" - laryngology care specifically designed for the needs of perfomers. He himself has a DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) degree as well as an MD. He also conducts a choir filled with doctors and other medical professionals in Philadelphia. (sooo cool!) One of the younger surgeons I work with was one of his fellows (doing her advanced surgical training with him) a few years ago, and he requires his fellows to be in the choir - so his people REALLY know singing, even if they aren't singers "first"! :)</p>
<p>Thanks for this great information you posted. My D was accepted to U of Arts about 3 weeks ago and wasn't sure if it is as good a school for MT as Syracuse, Emerson or others that she did not get in to. She has a couple of other schools she got into, but this info. really has helped her. We are coming for a visit Apr9-11. Do you recommend anyone she should talk to?</p>
<p>Hi bktheatre and congratulations to your daughter! I PM'd you with some info in response to your PM and your post.</p>
<p>With regard to your question about UArts vs. Syracuse, my D was also accepted to MT at Syracuse with a significant 4 year academic scholarship. She attended summer intensives at both Syracuse and UArts. My daughter chose UArts based on her experiences at the summer intensives and is deliriously happy with her choice. She has found her professors/instructors to be experienced working pros who are also very effective educators. They are invested in the individual growth of the students and she has formed very close and warm mentoring relationships. My daughter has also made many friends and finds the students in the acting and MT programs at UArts generally to be very supportive of each others endeavors and successes. Living in center city Phila is a mecca for any student who enjoys city life. I will send you an email with some charts I made comparing the MT curriculum at UArts with that at Syracuse. I think you will be very pleasantly surprised with how they stack up.</p>
<p>bktheater - I tried to send them to you through the CC email but discovered I couldn't link file attachments. If you send me an email through CC, it will show your actual email address and then I can send the charts to you.</p>
<p>It seems like a very short year ago that I started this thread when my daughter made the decision to attend UArts. Now that she has finished her first year (in a blink of an eye, it seems), I thought it might be appropriate to revisit our impressions and conclusions of a year ago.</p>
<p>Every thing that my daughter hoped UArts to be has proven itself to be the case. The curriculum has a strong emphasis on acting along with excellent voice training and an excellent dance program. Students also receive thorough training in music and piano to enable them to approach MT with a working competence in reading, transposing, cutting and playing songs they are learning and rehearsing. The professors and instructors are working pros who regularly bring their current experience into the classroom and studio. In this regard, UArts and its faculty also have a very close and involved relationship with the professional theatre community in Philadelphia which results in students having many opportunities. During her freshman year, my daughter had the opportunity to attend the Barrymore Awards at which UArts students performed, audition before Andrea McArdle and to perform as part of an ensemble with the leads of Les Mis at a black tie fund raiser for the Walnut St Theatre. And this was just for a lowly freshman! While the work is hard and often intense, it occurs in a very supportive environment and has been extremely gratifying for my daughter. She feels that she ended her freshman year having achieved significant and rewarding growth. Add to it UArts location in the heart of the theatre district in Philadelphia with all that there is for students to see and do.</p>
<p>Most important, perhaps, are the close and personalized mentoring relationships which my daughter has developed with so many of her professors. The professors are clearly invested in the individual growth and success of their students and it is the strength of those relationships that has played a key role in my daughter's growth and development. For those that are in the process of putting together their list of schools to which to apply, as you visit and evaluate schools, this factor may very well be the most important one in figuring out whether a school is the right one for you.</p>
<p>Simply put, my daughter could not conceive of being happier anywhere else.</p>
<p>I love reading how it has turned out for students who were participants (or their parents) on here during their admissions process. I am thrilled to read of how positive your D's experiences have been at UArts. Of course, while you never know how you'll like a school until you attend it, I feel your family is an example of one that deeply explored the options to find the right fit and it is not surprising that it has worked out so positively. </p>
<p>Further, your accounts of the UArts MT program are an example of how helpful the forum can be as it allows others such as prospective families (and even myself!) to get some first hand accounts. I appreciate the sharing of parents/students who are IN the programs. I have learned more and more about UArts from your sharing and continue to recommend this program to many students for whom it seems like a good fit.</p>
<p>MichaelNKat - Thank you so much for posting info. about your d.'s first year. We are exploring schools and your insights about this are great to read.</p>
<p>I definitely agree about the personal relationships with teachers. I am sure this is so true for any BFA because the classes are so small, but it is just so wonderful really feeling like my professors are looking out for me. They really have your best interest and I feel that I can talk to so many of them about theater problems and life problems! It is definitely a relationship that all my friends in "real" schools definitely seem jealous of when I compare our intimate classes to their 500 people philosophy class. Now that I am going to be a junior, one of the teachers I had for the last two years won't be my teacher anymore because he only teaches freshman and sophomores, but they all make it clear that they are always there for you, even if you're not technically their student anymore.</p>
<p>My first impressions of UArts did not do justice to the program and how happy I am there. My musical theater class had a dinner a few days ago, all 18 of us, and all of us were just stunned. We're halfway there! They work you hard and you have days feeling frustrated, but I wouldn't be learning anything if they weren't teaching you new techniques and making you work hard!</p>
<p>and philadelphia remains to be the vibrant city that it was last year. I always say that everyone comes to philly at some point. The tours are endless and Les Miz, Our Town, and Eurydice are among some of the plays that resident theaters are producing that go up in the next couple of days or so....and bernadette peters was in philly this past weekend, so that was really exciting too!</p>
<p>BroadwayWannabe
You have been a great "ambassador" of your school and I have enjoyed reading your updates and am so glad that UArts has worked out so beautifully for you. Hard to believe you are halfway done!</p>
<p>After meeting your daughter, MichaelNKat, when we visited in April, I can heartily agree with how happy she is at Uarts! She was so kind to my D and now my D can't wait to start in Sept. </p>
<p>She and I are so grateful for this thread, for without it, my D would not have been so insistent on spending so much time there and would not have met your D and all the other wonderful current students she met when we were there. The closeness of all the MT majors is what struck me the most. I was amazed by the support they gave not only each other, but even their well wishes for my D as she finishes up her senior year in high school.
So, thanks again.</p>
<p>My S will be a high school senior (after his last final tomorrow!) and has been putting together a list of MT programs he finds interesting. U of Arts sounds like a good match for him. I am curious about something MichaelNKat mentioned in an earlier post about the students taking piano... my S can play a couple of intstruments, but not piano. He has been taking private voice lessons for years and can sight read. Did your D play piano prior to enrolling at U of Arts? I'm wondering if this is a requirement? Should he double-up on some piano lessons this summer?</p>
<p>Freshmen and sophomores are required to take 4 hrs a week each semester of Music Skills for MT including it's related Music Skills Lab. In addition to learning music theory, piano is part of these classes. Freshmen take an on-line music theory test and are assessed for their knowledge of music theory before the start of the fall semester. My daughter had a decent foundation in piano but was not an accomplished performance level player by any means. While not critical to succeeding in the Music Skills classes, taking piano lessons over the summer certainly can only give your son a bit of a leg up. While your son's other instruments have probably given him a good foundation for music theory, a lot of the work he will be doing in the Music Skills class will require learning piano keyboard skills. If he has the time and doesn't mind doing it, taking some piano over the summer can't hurt.</p>
<p>How does this work if a student is very accomplished at the piano? (At performance level.) Is there a section of this class that is very high level, or would they get exempt out this requirement/placed in a completely different class?</p>
<p>if a student is very accomplished at piano, they can pass out of the required piano classes....and it's great because they can still work privately with the piano teacher because she always wants to help people....of course it's hard sometimes to find the time since you're so busy with acting, singing, and dance classes haha...</p>
<p>and you can also take private piano through the school of music. i did that first semester freshman year. lots of work, but i learned a ton!</p>
<p>We always have a few people each year who are performance level ready, but like BroadwayWannabe says, it depends on what the student wishes to do.</p>