cartera45

Ray - which audition day was your D at Westminster? We were there Feb 29th. She had already done a tour and taken a sample lesson in December so she is not going tomorrow. She is going to admitted student day at UNCG on Saturday. The positive with having the rehearsal rooms in the dorm is that they won't have to walk from them at night but I think ear plugs would be a necessity at other times. I think practice time ends at 11 pm.

ray198

Crera45, yes we were there on 2/29. Tomorow's visit is pivotal I am sure.

cartera45

We probably saw you at some point. My D met some really nice kids there and I met some really nice parents.

Juggling Mom

OperaSinger2000, can you pin down in a little more specificity the differences you see between Westminster and Hartt? Son and I visited Hartt, and sat in on two lessons with the head of the voice department. We were turned off by the total emphasis on opera (this may not be an issue for others), but I really wasn't sure what to think of the students. It was fascinating to watch the lessons, however.

At Oberlin, son had a visit and lesson with the head of the voice department that went very well. However, the head of the department asked that son not attend the group studio later that day...Maybe it is hard to evaluate students in the process of their training?

Hartt Admissions

Dear Juggling Mom,

Hartt's Bachelor of Music degree program in vocal performance is classically driven not opera driven. It is a comprehensive program designed for the student whose goal is to be a professional performer. What sets Hartt apart from other conservatories and music schools is its commitment to providing performance opportunities for its undergraduate vocal performance majors in each of three areas considered essential for the training of a well-rounded vocalist: recital singing in the Undergraduate Recital Series, choral singing in both a cappella choirs and major works with symphony orchestra, and opera singing in black box and main stage opera productions chosen specifically for the developing undergraduate vocalist. Hartt’s vocal performance major includes private voice lessons; coaching; vocal pedagogy; language and diction study in English, Italian, French, and German; stage movement; acting; and Hartt’s core music curriculum.

ray198

Hi All,

Thanks again for all of the incredible advice you have offered. Here's an update on our decision process.

My D and I attended the accepted student day at Westminster yesterday. I have to tell you that we were completely and totally impressed by the faculty, program and facilities. The students audited a class, "The Singing Actor" with Professor Laura Brooks Rice. My D said that Professor Rice is amazing and the experience was incredible. My D then audited a lesson with another professor and felt that the style and personality was the perfect fit. Meanwhile the parents met with the Director of Admissions, Katherine Shields, who answered questions for over an hour. I felt Ms. Shields was very engaging and answered each question completely and honestly. I had no idea how many performance opportunities there are at Westminster. The faculty is top-notch, the proximity to NYC and Phili is great and Princeton is a beautiful and very safe town. The student body and the entire campus felt very warm and welcoming to my D. This experience has put Westminster very high on our list!

Juggling Mom

ray198, thanks very much for the feedback on your trip to Westminster. It is very positive and encouraging. We will certainly take a close look at it next year. One of the advantages of Westminster is that they have a rolling admissions program.

lorelei2702

Some reminders about WCC: there are only keyboard and vocal majors, no winds or strings. This changes the dynamics in theory classes, etc., probably gears them more appropriately to where singers are. It probably helps the singers feel less like second class musicians, which is typically the status they have when among most instrumentalists. There is a fine spirit of comraderie amongst the students and the faculty.

operasinger2000

Juggling Mom,
Unfortunately I do not know enough about Westminster to comment, but a couple of my friends go there so I see their performances occasionally and I think the caliber of their work is wonderful. Some of them applied to Hartt as well and chose Westminster over it because they felt it would give them the push they needed.

BassDad

I have a friend who is a Westminster grad who is doing quite well as a member of the Met Opera chorus. Children of two other friends are studying there right now and seem to like the place quite a bit.

Juggling Mom

operasinger2000, thanks for that feedback, it is also very helpful and encouraging re Westminster. Son is very interested in the opportunity to build in organ/keyboard along with voice which seems possible there. I am very glad to hear about the positive aspects of the Westminster program.

ray198

Thanks for the additional feedback everyone.

Juggling Mom, Your S can definitely study both voice and keyboard at Westminster.

lorelei2702, At first, I was at first concerned about the lack of an orchestra program there. I did find out that they do perform with a pit locally and with major orchestras as they travel. Now I can see the advantages of not having to compete on a daily basis with other music majors. Thanks for clarifying this point.

SeansMom

ray198, did your S decide on Westminster?

ray198

Hi SeansMom,

Yes, my D had decided on Westminster and she is very excited!

I posted the following in reply to a musical theatre thread that you had been on. I have pasted it here and I hope the information is worthwhile. Good luck to you and your S. Keep in touch as the fall semester begins if you would like.



"My D is a senior and has decided to attend WCC as vocal performance major in the fall. Evasmom is right on with her advice but I thought I would add my two cents. My D visited many of the popular music schools on the east coast which come in various sizes and environments, city, suburban etc. She too originally felt that she needed to be where the action was and was interested in some of the larger universities. In the end, she chose WCC for several reasons:

- First and foremost, we believe the quality of the education, training and the faculty are excellent and the performance opportunities are abundant.
-She determined that she wanted a school focused on music and performance but connected to a university.
-The campus is smallish but intimate vs. other larger schools and she feels that the camaraderie there will be very good.
- She realized that she would be very busy and focused on her studies and the travel to and from classes and her dorm would be easier vs. some of the other schools.
- And finally, she felt that the close proximity to the main campus was good and visiting there for a little excitement and a change of pace would be easy. Plus it is a college town and with Princeton nearby there would be life after school.

As evasmom suggested your S will have to make his own decision, but I thought you might like to consider the thought process of another. Best of luck in your S's journey and I hope you stay on the boards. I have found the advice of the folks here extremely helpful.

ray198"

cartera45

ray - congratulations on the WCC decision! It is a great place and I believe my D would have been very happy there. I'm sure yours will. Mine would have liked to have been able to choose about 4 different schools and making this decision was one of hardest things she has ever done. The choral director at James Madison, the school she chose, got his MM from WCC, and he has great things to say about it. He said it was the perfect place to immerse yourself in music. I think it will be high on my D's list for graduate school - I know it will be high on mine since I would like nothing better than to spend time in Princeton.