Lulu'sMomma

Can anyone tell us about the vocal programs at Hartt and Peabody?My D, still a junior, has the school on her "list" for next year, but although she is a classical soprano, she always ends up with the lead in the school musical and it's going to be a rough time "transitioning" from "voice to voice", if I'm making any sense. This year, she is the "Baker's Wife" and has a terrible time coming home and going back to classical singing after hours of rehearsals (yes, she marked for quite a while, but we are a week away from "tech week" so it's not the time for holding back!). Next year, she'll be singing the role of "Jo" and although most of it can be sung in head voice, there are a few parts that just have to be belted. Of course, the show falls at the end of the first week in February and she does not want to let the school and the teacher down as they have really gone the "extra mile" for her and she feels honor bound to sing the role. Hopefully, it will work out.
Anyway, she's already looked at Oberlin,Cleveland and Eastman and we have to go to SUNY Purchase and then Hartt and Peabody. If anyone has a son or daughter at one of the schools, will you please share some of the good and not so good things they've encountered?
Thanks!

BassDad

She should try to get one of the early review auditions held the first weekend of December at Oberlin. That way, she can get at least one of them out of the way before the marking has to stop. I have a daughter who is a double bass performance major there and she loves the program. I can't tell you much about the voice program in particular, but feel free to PM me if you want general details about the Conservatory or College.

Lulu'sMomma

I wondered about that. If she does that and is accepted, she can go for the 'early decision' and not have to commit to the school, am I correct? That would certainly be a good plan and have one audition out of the way before rehearsals become too intense. Luckily, she is a director's dream and can learn quickly and always performs the same way each time once it is set, so they can work around her a bit of she has to miss a day or two. You've helped me before and I'll be in touch over the next few days with some questions via PM now that we've visited the school. Thanks!

operasinger2000

Hi there.
You are talking to someone who has a lot of experience with everything you are talking about. Exact experience, actually. I am actually in Into the Woods right now as Baker's Wife, as I apply to conservatories for colleges (including Hartt, but more on that later).
This is something that singers struggle with a lot. Especially people like your daughter and I who have specific interests in musical theater AND classical singing. What I can tell you is that it takes practice. I'm constantly switching back and forth. I'm also in an opera at school, so it is very hard. Last weekend, for instance, I had opera rehaersal for 3 hours, followed by musical rehearsal for 3 hours.
Here's what I would say. What I try to do is to "re-set" my voice everytime I make the switch. I worked a long time trying to feel the exact placement when I sing in the opera and when I sing in the musical. Once you can feel that, you know how you sing differently. But, even if you don't, try to warm up, even if you are already warm. For instance, if you come from musical rehearsal, come home and warm up, as if you haven't sung at all today. If you allow your body to re-set, it'll be a lot easier to make the switch. People also say a trick is to sing a classical song you know really well. It tends to switch your voice just because of how long you have been singing it, and before the song is over, your voice is back to being classical.
When it comes to auditions, Into the Woods for me ends in March, along with my auditions. What I chose to do was to do as many auditions as possible in the fall/winter. Duquesne allows for auditions in October and November, Illinois Wesleyan (Where Dawn Upshaw went) has the same thing, and Hartt has an Early Response audition on December 1st. With three out of the way by Winter Break, the transition becomes a lot easier. But, here is what I would say. Since your director is nice about these things - be smart about when you take off of rehearsal. With practice on how to switch your voice (which only comes with time), you won't need to take off so many rehearsals. What I do is that if I'm auditioning on Saturday or Sunday, no rehearsal on Friday. For me, that's enough, but some people needs longer.
This is something that will take some time and if she wishes to continue musical theater, it's a very important skill. There have been many voice lessons that I've had after a musical rehearsal where my voice teacher simply told me I had to reset because I was singing it all in a different place.
In terms of Hartt, if you need any information on that audition or the place itself, you can PM me.
Good luck and congrats on Baker's Wife (it's definitely the best part in the show)!
Stacey

BassDad

The early review at Oberlin Conservatory is a non-binding program. If accepted, she will have until May 1 to make up her mind. Having an acceptance there in hand takes a lot of pressure off later auditions, even if Oberlin is not the top choice. Make sure to get an early start on the paperwork and the prescreening CD, because those dates come up pretty quickly for early review applicants.

Things get a little more complicated if she is also interested in the double degree program. The Early Decision program at the college is binding, so she should not apply ED to the college unless it is her first choice and you do not need to try to leverage financial aid to the fullest. The Regular Decision program is, of course, non-binding but the decision comes much later. It is also possible (and not very hard) to transfer into the double degree program from the Conservatory side once she has been there a year. Transferring into that program from the College side is much more difficult because you would still have to pass the Conservatory audition.

violadad

My son was an '07 BM viola performance Hartt grad. Originally a 5 year double major (performance/music ed) and decided not to spend the additional semester to do his student teaching. My comments are based on his experience as an instrumentalist, and our general observations.

This might be of interest http://www.meninblackquartet.com/bios.html

The quality of the instruction was very high, as was the peer level. He had nothing but good things to say about all of the various faculty he worked with during his time there, and the overall atmosphere was one of support, development, and encouragement rather than competition, at least on the instrumental side.

Facilities, are ok, nothing lavish and the Fuller music building is in need of some upgrades, but they have broken ground on a slighty offsite building that will serve as the new home for the theater and dance programs, as well as the Community Division. Freshman dorms were redone a year ago, and a new dorm was opened in Sept '07. Campus is fairly compact, in a residential section of West Hartford.

Let me know if you need any additional general info.

thumper1

The Hartt School has an early audition for music majors the first weekend of December (I believe). Students hear the results of that audition before Christmas including any music merit money the Hartt School might be awarding. The acceptance is non-binding.