mitchkroener

Hey all,
I don't know if everyone has been keep updated on the Tisch website, but the song requirements have change. Where they used to ask for 2 minutes or less of each song it now specifies that each song be 32 bars. I just wanted to make sure everyone caught wind of this so they could make cuts and things before audition dates for early decision.

Ciao,


Mitch

chrisnoo

wow thanks mitch...that kinda sucks though...but im glad i know

Wonderand

I definitely understand some of your comments about the way the auditions are set up; it is consistantly a challange to make it work better. The thing I think is most important to remember is Tisch has to audition almost 3000 students every year, 1000 of which are for CAP21 alone. The size of the program makes it extremely difficult to cater the auditors for each audition. I know it's confusing, but the faculty members at CAP21 are employed directly through CAP and not through Tisch, and Tisch runs the auditions so there is really no way to have them at the auditions. Although it may be of little comfort, each auditor has to go through a ton of training to be able to audition students and must sit with an existing auditor for a year before they are allowed to audition students. I know the member of the costume faculty you spoke of, and she has been involved with acting and musical theatre for 20+ years, in a lot of different regards. She is an extremely good judge of talent. All of your comments are definitely interesting, and I would strongly encourage you to contact Tisch with your critiques.

soozievt

Wonder....I don't need to contact Tisch because I like the program and my daugther is enthusiastically entering it! I commented about how it was run in order to familiarize others who will come next. I went to 8 BFA auditions and saw quite a lot of variation as to how they were done. Some of the drawbacks to the Tisch audition were being discussed a LOT by all the students and parents present. I believe, from talking to a CAP21 student who is entering her fourth year, whom I know quite well, that CAP is aware of some of these "problems" with the auditions, and there is a bit of discussion on how to improve it.

I realize that they have way more audition kids then most schools but I still believe that some of the things I mentioned COULD be changed. CMU told us they auditioned 1200 kids for the BFA program. At their audition, there was an info. session. They had current students available to talk with. The director of the program was involved in the auditions. Voice faculty judged the vocal part of the audition. Acting faculty judged the monologues. The director heard both with my kid anyway. She was seen by two different voice faculty (two diff. rooms) and two different acting faculty inc. the director (two diff. rooms). Most schools had a vocal warm up or space where you could do so. Most schools included dance as part of the audition too. At other programs, the info. session was beyond the very basics. Some schools had a Q and A, including some student reps as part of it. Most of the schools had audition rooms not adjacent to those, including parents, waiting on the other side of the door. Every school had a piano accompaniest, not CDs, as musical auditions usually go. Every school had MORE than one person judging the audition....either two (or more) in the room or one for one aspect of the audition and one for another, but not just one person who judged it all with no checks and balances. Also, at every school, the judges all saw the same kids who they could discuss later (as opposed to different judges seeing different kids and not overlapping). NONE of these things were the case at the Tisch audition. By the way, my D did not have the costume faculty person, but had the ETW auditor who was very nice. I think these things might be something for Tisch to consider.

It helps to have voice faculty judging voice, at least as perceived by those auditioning. It helps to have both faculty and current students in the program available at the audition, in both the presentation and for just chatting with. I don't quite get if ETW or Meisner faculty can do the audition, why CAP faculty cannot. Aren't these other folks from studios too? It helps for those auditioning to think that more than one person is judging them for checks/balance and that all the judges saw everyone, not some with you but some saw others, because every judge has different perspective and has not seen everyone to compare. It helps to have a place to warm up your voice. It helps to have a sitting area for the parents and students who are waiting. It helps to have the noise of that in either direction (the auditionees hearing the people in the waiting area or adjacent rooms practicing or the waiting people to hear the people auditioning) apart from one another. It is better to have piano accompaniment because that is how auditions in musical theater work and might as well do the way the kids will have to do it in the future, let alone have done in the past. It helps to have a little info. session that goes beyond going over the 8 studios (as is on the website anyway and kids should know before arriving). For many students, this might be their only visit to the school. For Tisch, this was NOT our only one but I am sure it was for some. But at some schools, it was our only visit and we did learn a lot in the info. session the directors of the program ran for those present, along with current students.

I don't really need to talk to Tisch about this because it does not matter to me if they change a thing. Actually, I am pretty sure they have heard ALL of this before because it really was not my PERSONAL opinion. I heard everyone there remarking the very same things that contrasted with the other auditions that they had attended. From chatting about it with current students ,they have acknowledged these perceived issues and that CAP is trying to address them. They must realize that those auditioning for CAP are also auditioning elsewhere and so are comparing the experience. For us, we did NOT judge the program based on the audition day (thankfully) as you can see because my D loves it and is going! I think people need to delve into the program ITSELF and not preconceived ideas from the way the audition is run or organized or they will miss out on great or appropriate programs. But I am cognizant that SOME people will walk away with judgements based on this one day and after having attended various other audition days, will compare. That is why Tisch might want to visit this issue because their day contrasted with some others. To be fair, there were "problems" at other BFA program audition days too! I could tell you that I thought Emerson's audition was not run quite as well and won't bore you with the details as this was about Tisch right now. I could group the best run auditions, fairly run ones, not so good run ones. It is NOT the same way I would necessarily order the PROGRAMS, that is my point.

I think it helps those who audition the following year, to get accounts of experiences from those who went through it and that was my only intention here because we benefitted greatly from the wonderful folks on this forum who were so willing to share about their experiences the years before my own kid went through this process.

I also feel I can fairly discuss the audition day at CAP because while I gave some of the "negatives" about it, I am someone who is gung ho on the school and program because my child has opted to go and we are excited and happy about it so are not down on Tisch in the LEAST! I think discussing the audition day is meant for those who will go through it to know what to expect but also to have a discussion as to what makes a good audition day, and what could be better. Also, the audition set up at every school differed SO much. I could do this same exact run down of the seven others but won't take the time.

It would be great if Tisch did look at these impressions that SO many had that day (it was really a topic in the waiting rooms). It helps to get feedback as I am sure they would want to keep improving the set up. It is a GREAT program and I am definitely a supporter of it, make no mistake. I do think the audition day had some things that could be better, that was all.

Susan

PS, just want to add that I likely would not share this with Tisch because my days of being a parent involved in school kinda ends once my kids start college....they are on their own and really it is not my place to get involved unless there is some big problem (hope not) that cannot be worked out that would need a parent but in general, I can't see parents being involved in school much in college! And, as I mentioned, I don't truly CARE how they do the auditions enough to ever say anything because we are done them. It is merely feedback amidst a discussion on this topic. I just pay the bills at this point, lol.

Wonderand

I definitely appreciate your comments and critiques, and do think it will be very valuable for other parents and students planning on auditioning for the school. The hard part of comparing the auditions for our program to that of CMU is obviously that they are very different programs with different setup. In regards to Tisch, some of the acting studios (there are 11 in total) are professional training studios that operate independantly of NYU and although they are under Tisch's jursidiction and work very closely with the school, they hire their own faculty and run their own programs. CAP21 is one of these, while ETW and Meisner are Tisch programs only and are administered by Tisch. The blessing of this setup is that Tisch can accomodate a much larger number of students in a wide array of programs, styles, techniques, etc. The curse is that because CAP21 and other independant studio faculty members are working for CAP and are not employed by Tisch or NYU, they do not audition students. Tisch is unique in this regard, as I believe most other university programs are university-only, so obviously there are unique issues. I do want to thank you for taking the time to write all of that, especially since you are no longer affected by it. A lot of the same issues come up every year, but it helps to hear directly from the parents and students on ways to improve the process. I printed out your email and will be passing along your suggestions to members of the Tisch administration (minus identifying names). Thanks!

soozievt

Randy, thank you for explaining that ETW and Meisner are Tisch programs as opposed to outside studios. I did not actually realize that and so that explains the faculty who were present at auditions. I have no doubt that they are competently trained to be auditors with much experience. They were VERY nice at the audition. My daughter thought her time with her auditor was absolutely fine and good, NO problems (other than how she could hear someone belting a song on the other side of the wall during her serious monologue, lol). The auditors themselves did a fine job, NO complaints. Was merely contrasting the set up of this audition from others. Perhaps Tisch can have current students available in the info. session and just mingling, as it really adds to the day, just an idea. I would appreciate removing names from that feedback because I was meaning to share with other families, not administration, lol. It can't hurt for them to hear feedback but I would never have chosen to get involved as a parent with the school itself. If they asked for feedback forms, perhaps then. I definitely understand that the programs differ widely and so it is understandable that the auditions would as well. I think there are some elements that all auditions could include (ie., like live pianists), however.

Thank you for being involved in this forum. You are an asset. I'm merely a PARENT so cannot offer any inside feedback or experience. The stuff I shared was merely as an observer of the organization of the audition day, not the actual audition. THAT was fine for my daughter, by the way. And THAT is what TRULY matters. So far, she has been treated VERY well by NYU and Tisch before attending.

Susan