shellipearl

Would love some information about the program. Any MT student in the program who might be able to tell us about it or anyone else who has a good sense of the program

Ericsmom

Use the search function, and you should be able to find prior discussions.

Singalong Mom

Hi Shellipearl,
We met at the Buffalo audition. Did you hear yet? My D got in, and she was thrilled. We're waiting to hear from a couple of other schools, but Buffalo is a definite possibility. I'm also looking for more info--perhaps some feedback from MT students- but frankly, I'd like to know more of the logistics of travel back and forth from the NYC area. Plane, about 75 minutes, and possibly expensive; Amtrack, 7 1/2 hours, and bus, I think about 12 hours. And then there's the weather. I think that I just have to adjust to the idea of her coming home only for Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. But, as a MT students, she will probably be busy every weekend anyway.
She's really excited about it. She (and I) really liked the people who ran the auditions, and although she is not really interested in studies outside of theatre, she likes the idea of meeting students from all different areas of interest. Plus, Buffalo is a city--so it looks good.

shellipearl

We went to visit UB a few months ago and I was totally impressed about how beautiful the theaters were. We did not get to see any of the MT students but there was an amazing production of the Nutcracker going on and UB is well known for its dance dept. The MT students do take classes with the dance majors and acting majors. There are opportunities to work with theater professionals from the theaters in town and a group of UB students get parts in the town productions each year. Summerstock opportunities are supposed to be good. It is a large university which gives the advantage of taking other courses including buisness or anything you like to enrich your studies. The school is like a city unto itself with stores and hotels running through it because its so vast. Jet Blue and several other airlines have very reasonable airfare (depending on when) from JFK to Buffalo. So all in all it looks like the school has quite a bit to offer including sororities and frats if you have time and are interested. You also get the advantage of a small selective program within a large university. I saw the dorms and they were really nice. There are underground tunnels with cafes and study areas and they make it fairly easy to stay out of the cold. I will probably go there to see a musical review Berlin to Broadway. Fill you in when I get back.

soozievt

Singalong Mom....I'm not sure how much your D would be going home as these programs are all encompassing. For example, my D was only home 2 days at Thanksgiving, 8 days at XMas and four weeks in May/June for the entire year. We live six hours away. The distance was not the reason for the number of visits, however. We have been to her school (and other locations) to see her in performances, however.

Singalong Mom

To Soozievt and Shellipearl
Thank you! Between the two of you, you answered most of my questions.
It sounds like Buffalo could be a really good choice.
Soozievt, you seem to be especially knowledgeable--why do you think that Buffalo's MT program is not on the CC radar? It's not on the list of MT programs, and I only found out about it through word-of-mouth last year at one of my D's auditions. Is it a relatively new program, or is it just too far north?
At any rate, it seems like an excellent fit for my D.

Lulu'sMomma

PLEASE don't count on 7.5 hours for Amtrack to get from NYC to Buffalo!! Just to get from NYC to Rochester is usually over a 12 hour trip (but they WILL never tell you that!). The big hang up is always in Albany, where they have a layover and nothing ever works (HOW, I mean HOW do you hook up 3 different engines to a train and NONE of them work!)

paying3tuitions

Shellipearl,
In Buffalo, we love JetBlue from JFK, but I've also found fares competitive or identical through Continental and U.S. Air, so you can also advantage yourselves of Laguardia or Newark, if those airports are better for you.

paying3tuitions

Some side info re: weather:
Yes, there's plenty of cold and snow up here, BUT our spring, summer and fall are simply beautiful. That's the stuff that doesn't get onto the news.
So come visit your daughter in the summer, when it's hot and sticky in NYC but it's a perfect 83 degrees up here in Buf and Niagara Falls.

Singalong Mom

Thanks for the Amtrak info on NYC to Buffalo. (12 1/2 hours is very different from 7.) It's good to know all the options. If you can give me any other info about Buffalo, (the city, the university, especially the MT program) I'd appreciate it.

musicman87dc

I don't know if this is way too late or not...but the MT program is a baby program..so it's not the best it could be. The program was great when Lynn was there..but now that she's gone and it's under new control...the program is definitely suffering. 3 of the 9 freshman already have transferred...another auditioned for another program but didn't get in...another one plans on dropping the MT major all together..and another one plans on auditioning for schools next year to transfer. I, myself am transferring in the fall. Most of us are very unhappy with the program. The dance aspect, you complete all your dance freshman year, then have to start over taking levels one and two again if you wish to take more dance. You also only get half hour voice lessons..which will not change. There are no additional vocal classes at all. The acting faculty is great though..but for your first year you're with anyone who wants to take acting so it's not that serious (like random dance majors, pysch majors..whoever.) Also for the Repertoire class, you only get through two songs during the whole semester...so you'll have 8 songs by the time you're done. There are a lot of flaws with the program...but they also are working on fixing things...or so they say. It also wasn't a good fit for me because I'm a serious actor..who auditions in NYC for shows and such...and is not used to working in a program where people aren't quite as serious. Some of the people are great, some you wonder why they're doing musical theater at all.

it's a very competitive business, and if you just like theater, want to try out MT and still be at a school where you can take other classes, I'd say go to UB. If you are serious and plan on making it in this business, I would not support going to UB. But, the program also could change through out the years, who knows. Feel free to contact me if you have any other questions.

musicman87dc

ps. thought id say if anyone is going for the BFA in dance....DEFINITELY DEFINITELY DEFINITELY GO! the dance program is one of the best at UB. very very great. and i also harped on all of the negative qualities of UB for their MT program..if someones going, definitely go in with a positive attitude. the seniors are pretty great coming out of the program this year..and a lot of people do grow and learn a lot from the program. changes should be made as well...the head of the department is trying to get a senior showcase, which would be great if it comes through! so def look at it positively if you're going to UB, the CFA is so great and it's a nice place to live when you're not in the dorms

MTlive

The information from musicman87dc is incorrect.
The students who left the Buffalo program last year changed their career paths from MT to other majors.
They came to realize that a life in MT is demanding and that the UB program is demanding.
Most BFA programs have such attrition.
Musicman87dc, who was a freshman, could not have taken the core courses he chooses to criticize. These are courses upper level students often choose to repeat because they find them so valuable to their career preparation.
Good things are constantly happening in the UB program.
The singing teachers, Nancy Townsend and Keith Ersing, are excellent.
And Tracy is a wonderful dance teacher!
The sophomore song rep class is about learning to do a song well, as opposed to a class about singing through lots of songs. It is taught by the UB MT degree program's director, Nathan Matthews, who has worked with major Bwy artists and has many years of NYC music directing and vocal coaching experience.
FYI on another positive note - Buffalo provides yearly opportunities to work with New York City based directors, choreographers and music directors with Broadway and other national and international credits. This has led students to immediate work in touring companies, as well as Off-Bwy and Lincoln Center credits.
By the way, as long as anyone can post here, a disgruntled person can post incorrect and misleading information about viable, positive and successful education opportunities.

mtdog71

My main connection to UB retired this summer, so my info will probably start to get less current. Musicman would actually have been a junior this year had he stayed. Between he and MTlive probably lies the truth. What is true is that there are only one non-tenure track full-time and one part time voice teacher at UB. This provides only a half hour lesson per week. This half hour is below the norm for top tier BFA MT programs. Fredonia, another SUNY school by contrast, has 13 full-time voice faculty six tenured and several tenure-track voice teachers, augmented by some part time teachers. This results in hour long voice classes - much more the norm in BFA programs. An institution shows its commitment and investment to a program by vesting it with dedicated tenured employees, most of the more established programs have several tenured faculty assigned specifically to MT. UB has none, and only one on a tenure track. What musicman says about access to dance training is true. It also remains true that no one on the faculty has ever directed or choreographed an equity professional musical. What is great about UB are its facilities, support staff, friendly environment, and very affordable tuition. Any student that applies themselves every day can improve and become successful even at schools that are not necessarily considered "top tier".

MTlive

UB students are receiving top drawer vocal training from their instructors.
A shorter lesson with an excellent teacher is always better than an ineffectual or mediocre longer lesson.
The amount of singing teacher/student contact time at UB is comparable to NYU CAP 21.
Tenured or not, fulltime or not - the results of the teaching "sing" for themselves.

UB students receive the dance training that they achieve.
Music Theatre students who are strong dancers can and DO also major in dance.
The Directors of Dance and Music Theatre work together to see that students with strengths in dance are able to pursue their gifts.
These students often perform in UB's dance companies.

Any comparison to SUNY Fredonia is at the least misleading and in some ways incorrect and would certainly be unfair in either direction that the comparison would be pointed.
The program at the Fredonia college is not comparable to that at UB.
SUNY set them up to be different. Otherwise, why have both programs?
They are like apples and oranges.
Each of these SUNY degree programs admirably and effectively serve their students with different focuses.
They are both incredible values for NY State residents who want to train for this increasingly competitive field.

UB hires guest Directors for ALL fully mounted musical productions who are members of SSDC, the stage directors' union. They are almost always from NYC, and all have directed many, many Equity productions, sometimes on Bwy.
This is an invaluable connection for students to the industry.

UB students and alumni are being hired by previous guest directors to work in their productions and are receiving their Equity cards sometimes before graduation.

This is proof that UB is preparing students to effectively and successfully enter the profession.