NotMamaRose

Thanks for providing firsthand information about the program at CMU and your D's reaction/response to it. For years I have heard people rave about the quality of that program and the quality of the actors/MT performers who graduate from there, and your D's experiences confirm that that is the way it has been for her. CMU is definitely on my D's "dream list." That said, we will continue to talk to people -- as many as possible! -- about that program and others. Just because CMUJohanna loves the program doesn't mean it will be right for my D, or someone else's child.
Matt, that is precisely why some of us here have tried to caution you (and the readers of your posts) about how you phrase what you say here about various programs. What you hear from one friend who did not like the program certainly is worth passing along, but some of us would appreciate it if when you do pass it along, you say "One young woman I know found the program such and such." In other words, couch the things you say as one high school student's opinion, based on people he knows.
Respectfully,
Lisa

CMUJohanna

Well, I get on this site sporadically, and looking at this this morning, I could not help but laugh. I had no idea that a conversation online included my experience at CMU. My mother brings up very good points. (hi mom) I love this school and don't believe I have ever had my heart broken . .except perhaps by a boy or two. Indeed, the school is demanding and can be grueling at times, but the truth is, this business is grueling at times. The professors are incredibly supportive ~ I have babysat one of my professors kids for three years and have been over to another professors house for a dinner countless times. I could not have asked for a better 4 years.

As far as the vocal training, my voice teacher has trained me in both classical and belting techniques. I have been blessed to have had opportunities playing roles in both Candide and Urinetown. As many other people before this post have said...Please talk to current students at the schools you want to attend. Hopefully, they will be honest with you and you can ask any questions you want about any aspect of the program.

I also must add one more thing. To high school seniors: this can be a very emotional time in your life. Rejection from schools can be heart breaking, but let me remind you, these programs are INSANELY SELECTIVE. The first time I auditioned for CMU, I didn't get accepted. In fact, I didn't get accepted to any MT schools. I went to another school for a year and then decided to audition again for 10 programs. The second time around, I was accepted to all but one and the rest is history. If you are meant to be in this business and you have the passion and drive to stick it out, you will succeed. Best of luck, and please send me questions if you have any.

NotMamaRose

CMUJohanna,
Thanks for checking in here personally, and thanks for the words of encouragement to the students going through the college admissions process now. Your mom told us a bit about your journey to Carnegie Mellon and it inspired us all! Congratulations on setting your goals high and achieving them through hard work and perseverance (and talent)!
My D is only a high school sophomore but CMU has been on the top of her "dream" list for a few years now, and everything you have told us here only reinforces that. (Of course, there is the "small" matter of actually getting in .... )
We appreciate hearing what you have to say about your time at CMU and what you experienced. Please check in often, and maybe my D and I will see you when we visit.
L

wct

CMUJohanna-

Good luck to you at the CMU showcase this year! My S is a CMU junior and will hopefully be in showcase next year.

If you have time it would be great to hear about your showcase experience. I know that you have just finished the east coast showcase and that LA will follow in May. There has been discussion in the past on CC about showcase on both coasts and it would be great to hear first hand your impressions and how beneficial you feel the opportunity is.

Good luck to you as you enter the working world after graduation!

MTMama

I thought Sutton Foster went to UMich's MT program -?

MattSingsAlot

Nope. Her brother, the immensely talented Hunter Foster, went to UMich. Sutton went to CMU for a couple years then dropped out to go work, and it certainly paid off for her! It must be great to be their parents!

MTMama

Thanks for setting me straight! Thought both Hunter and Sutton Foster went to UMich....

MTActor

As a highschool student with three of my close friends in the program at CMU I would have to say that the training there must be incredible. The work I have seen them produce was unbelievable. One of my friends who is a sophmore MT at CMU absolutley loves the place. One thing that gives me a weird feeling about ther program is the is how he talks about the amount of smoking that goes on with the MT kids. It's common sense that smoking is not good for your voice. I was shocked to see the lead in Urinetown smoking a cigarette before the show when I visited this winter. I understand that the acting training you recieve there is arguably the best there is. I am just confused in why this is such a big issue within the MT department. (Be it that I am looking to apply for MT schools.)

MTActor

CMUJohanna

As a senior MT at Carnegie, I want to reply to this. I agree with you on the whole smoking issue. There are certainly kids in the MT program (and other MT programs at other schools who I know) who smoke. Does it affect their voices? I don't doubt that it does. However, this is the decision that they are making. Will their voices suffer in the future? Who knows, but I would lean more towards yes. And as you said, there are actors that smoke as well. And if you ask me, an actors voice is just as important as a singers voice. When I was visiting various MT programs in high school, I thought that same thing as you: Why are such talented people smoking? And to be honest, I still ask myself that question. But I know that all I can do is make sure that I take care of my instrument to the best of my ability. Sorry this may sound like a corny public service announcement...I just wanted to add my two cents.

littleMTgirl

hayhayden: I have to say though that I went to Carnegie Mellon Pre-college and loved the program, had an amazing experience, and learned so much, but vocally I felt the only thing that was taught was belt. Since I'm solely a soprano, who can belt and is a strong mixer, this was the one area that I felt was not as good as the others in the program. Of course since it was pre-college they were not really able to teach full on technique in six weeks but a majority of what we did in singing class was belt and I don't think we did any work on legit or a classical technique. Of course it's about what is right for certain people, and for some people that kind of training is perfect, but for me I feel that I need a classical foundation in order to belt correctly and to maintain my legit so I decided not to audition there. So for someone like me, CMU's MT program is not necessarily the best for them, granted that everything else in the program is fantastic.

CMUJohanna

I feel obligated to respond to LittleMTgirl's post. I graduated from Carnegie Mellon's MT program and felt like I got a very well rounded vocal education. I was fortunate enough to play two main roles in the musicals there. One being Cunegonde in Candide (a collaboration in which the casting pool was Voice and MT majors) and Hope in Urinetown. These roles required very different vocal techniques and I felt that I was taught both by my voice teacher. While there is a professor that is more belt driven, there is also a professor who is more legit driven...in fact, she majored in Vocal Performance in college and is a former opera/music theatre professional. As always, I would encourage prospective students to sit in on classes, voice lessons, rehearsals, etc. before they decide on a school, as its hard to tell if one would fit in and grow in a program that one has never observed first hand.

NotMamaRose

CMUJohanna, lovely to have you post here, as always. I am hoping you can answer a question about auditions at CMU: several people have said that it is extremely importantn (crucial) to belt in a CMU audition for MT and that is you cannot belt really well, forget about getting in. Is this true? Are they solely interested in admitting belters, or do they also admit legit sopranos with a mix, and work further with them on developing belting technique?

nate

this school is my number 1 choice. It's just sooo expensive. And my parents aren't taking out any loans for my college tuition. Their paying all in cash....so if I hopefully get into this school I can get some scholarship!

NotMamaRose

Nate, you may end up being surprised that an expensive private college like CMU can end up costing some kids less than a less expensive public university. It all depends on what financial aid/scholarships/work study are available. Don't lose hope. Get in and they may be able to help you figure it out.

nate

thank you very much! I feel alot better now!