<p>Thanks for sharing, hilary. It IS important to take into account that Pace is an up and coming program...complete with growing pains. I would think there's a sense of accomplishment and intense pride as you watch your program grow and improve, knowing you've played an important role in the process. That has to be very gratifying.</p>
<p>One of my very favorite theatre experiences, a production of Tommy, featured projected scenes as the background. The effect was amazing! I'll bet your staging of Ragtime was equally impressive. Kudos to your tech department...so much to be proud of!</p>
<p>Regarding Victoria Clark...She's absolutely AMAZING! What a wonderful experience that must have been for all of you!</p>
<p>I have, in the past, made the mistake of publicly sorting out my feelings about the MT program at Pace. I realized, thanks to hilary25's passionate defense of the program, how insensitive that was. In the above post, hilary states, "I know that our program is not for everyone, nor is any program; this is just a place for facts not persuasion". Thank you, hilary, for that reminder. :-)</p>
<p>A post earlier on this thread mentions that at some schools, voice lessons are given by grad students to MT majors. I find that shocking. I never would have thought to ask, "Who, exactly, teaches the voice lesson?" Can any of you think of some other questions that we'd never think to ask but are of extreme importance?
Thanks!</p>
<p>First let me say that my son is more than likely to stay at Pace. There is too much that he loves for him to make a change. One question would be to ask, "how long is each class?" Hilary correctly point out that in choosing a non-conservatory program there has to be some concession to the intensity of training. On the plus side, because Pace is in NYC that is fairly easy to do. the reason I suggest this question is that I thought that a 3 credit theatre class would have been 6 hours a week. Why? Because typically colleges give 1/2 time credit for labs and other clinical experiences, compare to classroom time. My son does not feel that 3 hours is enough. Also, his costuming class was supposed to be 3 hours long but is 1-1.5 hours long because the class is so big they cannot fit them all in.</p>
<p>My son was an honors student in high school and we agreed that he should pursue a good education as well as training. His cousin founded a well known theatre in Philadelphia and he recommended the same. so we will stay the course and pursue additional training outside the program as recommended by Amy Rogers.</p>
<p>Thank you to everyone for your posts in this thread!! I'm really looking into Pace, and it's so nice to get some inside info. I'm coming all the way from MI to audition in March, so I want to be sure that it's a top choice of mine. It is! I also recieved a VERY helpful and friendly response from a Pace MT that I facebooked message a while ago. I think I'll ask her if I can post it. It was very helpful!</p>
<p>Bumping this as my son has been accepted into the BFA MT program, and I'd really like to get some current feedback. Wondering, among other things, if dance has been added to the freshman curriculum, how intense is the level of a) training (acting, voice and dance) and b) academics, thoughts on attending a (still) growing program vs. one that has been established for some time.</p>
<p>We are hungry for information of ALL kinds as we begin to sort through options. Thanks in advance!!</p>
<p>Perishack congrats!!!...when did you hear and how?...by phone or mail?? D audtioned for Acting and MT...waiting! I hope someone answers your questions so we can all find out! Maybe today will bring good news! Got major $$ from them so it's a option for us.</p>
<p>Do Work, my son got an email from the school last night. I don't know if everyone was notified. There's a small Facebook group up already for the MT kids. So far, six students have joined, so it's very possible there are more to come. Best of luck to your daughter!!</p>
<p>I'm a freshman BFA MT major at Pace. Apparently, all the accepted people were notified by email or phone call yesterday.</p>
<p>In regards to your questions perischack:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Dance has very much been added to the curriculum, as well as a dance minor that alot of the MT majors opt to partake in. As a freshman you are required to take ballet both semesters and then you can audit as many other classes as you want. As the years go by, more classes are added to your schedule. We have an 8-12 person dance faculty of amazing, prestigious dance teachers from all areas of the dance world. The faculty ranges from one teacher who does Circus aerial work and works often with Twyla Tharp to a rockette who is currently performing. Dance classes are offered in every major dance form: from ballet to hip-hop to styles. I came from a traditional Russian Vaganova ballet school with 16 years of dance, and the dance here is split into levels so anyone can learn and grow.</p></li>
<li><p>There are 3 acting teachers that your son could have as a freshman. Mine is a Moscow Art Theatre (stanislavski's home base) and MFA from The Actor's Studio trained acting teacher who is also a working director in NYC and LA. We have 3 hour acting classes that are structured really well to cover a variety of techniques. I came from a background with ALOT of acting training and he is always challenging and teaching me new things. So if you do your work the training is very intense.
There are 5 or 6 voice teachers on faculty, that are all classically based and all have their own curriculums, so the teachers vary. During the first week of school, Amy Rogers (the head of MT) places you with a voice teacher that she thinks you will do well with based on personality and previous training. Along with one private voice lesson a week, you also get a vocal coaching with 1 of 3 coaches (usually music directors or composers with prestigious musical theatre backgrounds) that can help you learn music, help with choices within a song, and also help you prepare for auditions in and out of Pace.
Music Theory and Sight Singing are also really wonderful, and are taught by Broadway music directors. My theory teacher was the MD for Grease (at the time) and the other theory teacher is the MD for Little Mermaid. So it was very interesting to learn all they had to share in regards to theory and the professional world.</p></li>
<li><p>The academics are very varied in level. If your son is in the Honors College he will be taking classes with other honors students, so those classes tend to be at a higher level. I love the academic classes I have taken this year, they have been small, interesting, and worthwhile. On the flip-side there are some core classes you have to take that are not so interesting, but might be helpful in the long run.
There are many travel courses to choose from. These are courses where you spend 1-4 weeks abroad with a teacher and group of students. Last year one of the acting teachers took a bunch of theatre majors to Greece and this year they will be going to Spain (I think it's Spain, not sure though), but those are really great options for classes to take. </p></li>
<li><p>I got into 6 out of the 9 programs I applied to, and chose Pace because of its freshness. Some of the programs seemed slightly dated in their practices, and hadn't updated their curriculums to fit the current needs of the musical theatre. I didn't know anything about Pace when I auditioned, and thought it would just be any other audition. But after Amy Rogers and Rob Meffe made it clear how much of a family environment was here, how many Broadway actors/music directors/ directors/ casting directors/etc., take a quick subway ride down to work with us, and especially their philosophy on the current state of the theatre and how to prepare yourself to get work in it, I knew I had to be here.
I also wanted to be at a small enough program where I knew everybody and would feel comfortable knowing the people in charge and asking their advice and soaking up the info they had to offer.
It is a very self- driven program. You can do anything you want to do here, if you work for it. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>So there it is! If anyone has questions, feel free to PM me, or ask right on this forum.</p>
<p>BRbway, you ROCK! What a wonderful, comprehensive and enthusiastic response. You are a tremendous asset to the Pace program, and I thank you on behalf of students and parents like my son and I, who are hungry for real life, practical information. </p>
<p>My son was, in fact, accepted into the Honors program, so I'm happy to hear the classes would be more challenging. He is passionately interested in dance as well as singing and acting, so I am also delighted to know that has been better integrated into the curriculum from the start.</p>
<p>We felt a great vibe from Amy while we were there for the audition. I'm thrilled to know it permeates the program, which sounds like an undiscovered gem the more I find out about it. :-)</p>
<p>Thank you again for taking the time to respond.</p>
<p>Can anyone tell me if the BFA Acting & BA Theatre students were included in those email notifications? It would be nice to know and move on if necessary. Thanks!</p>
<p>Yes, any reply to BFA Acting or BA Theater notifications would help. Can you confirm that ALL MT accepts were notified? This is a daunting, emotional process to say the least! Keep the info coming, thanks!</p>
<p>^^ Every college notifies all applicants, including those rejected. If you applied to Pace, (or any school), you will eventually be notified of your admissions decision. Further, your decision should be in the form of a hard copy via snail mail.</p>
<p>The BFA and BA acting stuff works out of a different office than all the MT stuff. But someone in the acting office said everything should be coming out very, very soon!</p>
<p>When I auditioned I only checked that I was auditioning for the musical theater bfa, but is there a ba, too? Were all those accepted notified last night?</p>
<p>All of the initial MT acceptances and waitlisted applicants were notified by email yesterday. There are still some applicants that have no decision yet and will be notified ASAP. The rest of our official rejection letters will be going out this week.</p>
<p>iLondon26 - all of our applicants are automatically considered for the BA as we feel that sometimes a candidate may fit into that category better. </p>
<p>and just to correct BRbway - the trip this year is to Italy. and next year, for all of you new Pace people, the trip is planned for Russia :)</p>
<p>Thank you once again Hilary for coming in to clarify things.<br>
Thank you BRbway for all the wonderful info and for checking into the acting dept. Much appreciated. :-) </p>
<p>and Thanks for the well wishes, perischack... all will be revealed soon enough.
Congrats to your son & the other CC'ers that got in! Pace is such a great program.</p>