<p>I am hoping I catch some of the students and parents that started this journey using CC 5 or 6 years ago. I was involved with CC MT discussion from the beginning. I remember finding it when there were only about five posts. I had a different name then, but now my s graduated last May in Mt.
At this point, he is working at a restaurant in OKC with about a half dozen fellow OCU grads (they were also in MT or VP). They seem to have no confidence to try much else. S loved his voice teacher and many of the people in the program. He sings better than he ever has, and says he is a musician, but doesn’t feel ready or confident to audition for anything in the world of professional music or singing. During his four years at school, he and many others never had a lead role in a show. He was in opera chorus each year, and had one part that had a name, as he says, but that’s it. His fellow restaurant workers had a similar experience with parts. Their class was big, but the many of the same people were chosen for each show. I know that is how it is in the real world, but I feel like we paid so much for a college education, and many of us had made great sacrifices to do it, and it didn’t turn out the way it might have. </p>
<p>When we started, I was confident that he had chosen the best program for him. Now I am frustrated with the outcome. Anyone else still here or having similar issues?
Anyone having success?</p>
<p>D3smom,
My D is a 2007 graduation of OCU (MT & VP degrees). I’m sorry that things haven’t turned out the way you had hoped for your son. Does he audition for local shows in the OKC area? There are numerous good local theaters there and it might be a really good step for him to audition and hopefully get cast in some shows…building up his confidence and his resume at the same time.<br>
I believe the training he received at OCU was top-notch because that is the OCU way…and it has always been one of the negatives at OCU that they have such large classes that it is very difficult to get cast in shows much less as leads/supporting roles.<br>
My D moved home for 6 months after graduation, worked at an office job, saved money…then left for a summerstock gig. Then, last August, she moved to NYC. Since then she has been working her tail off at numerous jobs, anything she can get her hands on…and going to auditions. It is not an easy life. She has been cast in 4 different shows…only one in NYC; the rest she had to travel to which meant giving up the apt. and starting all over again when she returned to the city. Her life is carried around in two suitcases…it is a gypsy life. I mention all of this to say…is this success? I suppose each of us defines success differently. She is happy. She is getting to perform (occasionally) but she works VERY hard to pay her bills…and she has nothing left over for fun or emergencies. It isn’t exactly what I, as a parent, would have wished for my kids…but it isn’t my life.
I do hope your son hasn’t given up on his dream…clearly he is talented or he never would have been accepted into OCU’s program in the first place. Starting slow at some local theaters just might be what he needs for now. NYC will be there when he is ready for it.
BTW, one of the jobs my D has is writing a blog for the NY Examiner about living/working in NYC as an actor. I’d be happy to share that link with you if you think your S would like to read some of her posts…get a feel for life in the BIG city.</p>
<p>D3, so sorry to hear that your son doesn’t feel ready to work professionally, I have no advice because my son is starting his senior year at OCU so he is not where your son is yet.
Also he switched to VP early on so while a different path I feel that probably the post graduate difficulties would be similar. But I would say this to anyone in MT or VP that it is a matter of getting yourself out there. And while the performance opportunities in OKC are limited he should be auditioning for anything around town. While your son may not be ready to work professionally, I know there are several venues in the area that put on musicals and I know they cast heavily from OCU. Some of these rehearse in the evenings so people can also hold a job and others like LOOK in Tulsa are a summer series that pay, usually enough to support you through the summer season. It’s got to be daunting for any MT/VP graduate to make the switch from the comfortable world of school to working especially in the unstable world of MT. D2’s daughter is doing what most do, go to NY or another city with alot of MT opportunities audition like crazy, work and keep at it. There is no guarantees in this business for anyone, not even the most talented, but you’ve at least got to get yourself out there and perform as much as possible in any venue you can find. I don’t know of anyone who gets out of college and gets a job on Broadway right away (OK, I know it happens, but it’s extremely rare). Did your son audition for / work in any summer theater? There is a wonderful book “Making it on Broadway” by David Wienir and Jodie Langel, I think I heard about it here, anyways, I got it when my son was still in HS, read it and insisted he read it also. I wanted him to understand how hard this all was. I think what struck me when I read this book was not only how hard it was to get hired on Broadway, but that many performers, even ones that had won Tonys, would go long stretches, years, without work. I think it’s a pretty crappy business, but these kids love it so, nothing will deter them from giving it a try. When my son was in HS his voice teacher was a good friend of Shuler Hensleys and Shuler came to town for a week or so to work with the kids in the voice studio and to perform a benefit concert for the voice studio. My son got to spend several days with Shuler and pick his brain. One of the things Shuler stressed to my son
was when you go to NY you’ve got to audition, audition and audition, don’t be afraid, ignore the nos and keep going.</p>
<p>I think what you have brought up here is a fear that most of us parent have, will they get work? When we went through this process initially what I eventually came to believe that it was a college degree and many people work in areas that aren’t related to their degrees or he could always get his masters and teach/work in a related field.</p>
<p>I also think your son should go back and talk to his voice teacher about his feelings and see what he says also he could talk to Dr. H, there might be some good advice there.</p>
<p>I sincerely wish the best of luck for your son and really everyone else trying to make a career in this business.</p>
<p>D3, I know your son and some of the others he is working with at the restaurant. I have seen most of them in shows and/or recitals, and they are all very talented. Just as talented as those who were cast over and over in lead roles. My D wanted to stay in OKC, too, but I talked her into coming home so she could save money. I am a single mother and cannot continue to support her in another city, so she needs to be self-sufficient with a little in savings for emergencies when she leaves here. We are blessed with two very, very good community theater groups here and she has been cast in lead roles this summer, which has helped to build her confidence, but does not pay. We are in the Dallas area, and she plans to audition for some equity theaters, but so far nothing has come up that is suitable for her type. (Or the Caucasian soprano roles have been precast.) She is working in a restaurant, but not getting as many hours as I would like for her to have, partly because she is working around her performance and rehearsal schedule. She has plans to stay here until sometime in the spring and then go to a bigger theater scene, but not necessarily NYC right away. She has also mentioned grad school. If she ever teaches, it will be on the college level as she is not fond of children! LOL Good luck to them all. It is hard to transition from student to adult, no matter what your major.</p>
<p>2Ds, I would love the link to your D’s blog!</p>
<p>My d is headed to OCU in a week for a BM in MT so your posts are very interesting to me. I think all parents of children that want to perform no matter what the route they choose are worried about them being able to get work. I hear from alot of the “drama mamas” the same thing about their S or D not getting lead roles or name roles no matter what school they go to (some more so than others). I don’t think its just an issue with OCU. </p>
<p>When we were in Wichita last month we saw a wonderful production of “Kiss Me Kate” at the Wichita Music Theater there were alot of OCU students in the production. My D is already planning to audition for them for the next summer series. </p>
<p>I would also like the link to your D’s blog!</p>
<p>just post the link on here for all of us I would just echo what the others have said. This is a field that is incredibly hard. Our S is a jr. It took him until this summer to really begin to understand and deal with rejection. At this point I’m beginning to think he may be over the hump in that regard. But the most important thing is that you simply MUST step up to the plate and swing at every pitch, borrow a baseball metaphor. No one lands the work without trying. If you think back to the process to get into the schools in the first place and how stiff that competition was and is now, you’ll recognize that the competition for the work itself is even worse. Encourage him, keep him pumped up, but mroe than anything get him into a steady stream of auditions. Good luck. You’re only a few years ahead and are voicing and dealing with very real fears the rest of us know are out there. But passion and patience will pay off at some point.</p>
<p>AMEN! It is a tough row our kids have chosen to hoe… but they have to keep on trying and most of all believing in themselves… they are talented and special and there is a place for them!</p>
<p>D3smom and others, your posts makes me, as a parent, as nervous as ever for my S and it shows that even with great training like there is available at OCU does not make the road any less difficult for an MT major. My S is a freshman this year and is enjoying what he has been exposed to up to this point with the exception of not getting a callback for any of his auditions which was difficult to take. As a parent I am still learning a lot about this world of MT and I wish my S the best but he and I both know this is a very difficult road to take.</p>
<p>I feel after reading through this blog all the way for the first time I should say soemthing.</p>
<p>First off, I enjoyed my experience at OCU very much. From the beginning I felt a strange connection with the place. I went to the camp in the summer of 2002 and fell in love with everything I saw, even the freezing theater we were performing in. When I got accepted, with a decent scholarship, I decided it was the place to go with no question.</p>
<p>Secondly, What I have learned at OCU has prepared me to succeed in whatever I could want to do with my life. When my mother posted her comment, some of what she was feeling was a misinterpretation of me making decisions about my life. I am currently taking time to figure out what I want to do with my life; as well as saving up for grad school. I got the best vocal training I could at OCU, and I was invloved with productions all the way through school. I know, with the education I recieved at OCU, if I wanted to pursue theater as an actor or many other things, I could be successful. And just to say, I’m happy with my life at present.</p>
<p>Third and Last, I didn’t know my mother had posted this until far after the fact. I may have said some things to her that led her to think I regreted going to OCU, but people say things with more emphasis than they deserve some times. </p>
<p>Feel free to post questions if you have them. :)</p>
<p>Hi, D3. Good to hear from you. You are awesome! I’m glad to hear you are not giving up on your dream so soon. You could come down here and audition for a professional production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat that opens in June. I have an extra bedroom. My D is auditioning, but as you know, there are far more men than women in that show. PM me if you want more info. Auditions are coming up in a couple of weeks.</p>
<p>DR3, Good for your! I am so glad to hear that things are going well for you and that you are happy! Many times since your mom made her post I have wondered about you, so I am so glad you took time to let us know! Best wishes!</p>
<p>2DsnMT- Could I get the link too? I’m a newly enrolled OCU MT student, and I think that the blog would really help me gain some perspective on my chosen path. :)</p>
I would just echo what the others have said. This is a field that is incredibly hard. Our S is a jr. It took him until this summer to really begin to understand and deal with rejection. At this point I’m beginning to think he may be over the hump in that regard. But the most important thing is that you simply MUST step up to the plate and swing at every pitch, borrow a baseball metaphor. No one lands the work without trying. If you think back to the process to get into the schools in the first place and how stiff that competition was and is now, you’ll recognize that the competition for the work itself is even worse. Encourage him, keep him pumped up, but mroe than anything get him into a steady stream of auditions. Good luck. You’re only a few years ahead and are voicing and dealing with very real fears the rest of us know are out there. But passion and patience will pay off at some point.</p>