<p>We found this at a number of the auditions, and from the results. NCSA/CCM/FSU/MN/Rutgers, all seemed more drawn to MT students than straight acting. D can sing and dance, but not in MT fashion. That might be something she will have to work on. </p>
<p>But at Rutgers you can’t even take singing and dancing. Unless I got that info wrong. </p>
<p>It seems some schools put more “focus” on either the MT or acting program- others have a balance, and at some schools there is enormous fluidity between the two. Someone with a student there would be better able to answer, but in tours/at auditions etc CMU stressed (hard) that acting and MT had strong collaboration and crossover. Kids from both programs would be in straight plays AND musicals etc. Again, no 1st hand knowledge, but they made a big deal about it on audition day, as well as the fact that when you were auditioning MT, you were genuinely being considered for both programs. I wonder if there were any acting kids they asked to sing…</p>
<p>I cannot speak for what the CMU decision-makers are thinking. But I can give you my observations from watching my daughter go through the program. My daughter was an MT – graduated last year. The program is very much acting based. The MTs and the actors all take the same classes together (acting, voice, movement, etc). The MTs and actors are mixed together in these classes. On top of these core classes, MTs take dance and private voice; actors take additional acting classes like swordplay, physical acting, etc. MTs are in the straight plays; actors generally are not in the main stage musicals. I can guarantee that the program is not going to all MT. The focus always has been and always will be acting. What I do know is that when they audition MTs, they consider them for the acting program also. There were some acting majors in my daughter’s class that had auditioned as MTs. I believe CMU is looking for actors – some of them happen to sing and dance.</p>
<p>My D found this was definitely her take at the NCSA audition.</p>
<p>So, I guess the question is… What schools are the best Univ programs for a straight actress? She loves classical training (Britsh style). I guess I already have my answer. </p>
<p>The bulk of NYUs studios are “straight” rather than MT. Boston is another very well respected program that does not offer MT (therefore by definition is focusing on straight acting)</p>
<p>My S wants straight conservatory acting training, although he does sing well and dance serviceably. He looked into programs specifically for straight acting training. I can’t speak for schools he didn’t audition for, but UNCSA definitely focuses most on straight acting training, as does Juilliard and the UK conservatories he auditioned for. They all asked him to sing a cappela during their auditions, but my S chose a song that highlighted his acting more than singing. They didn’t ask him to dance at all. </p>
<p>A few years back, my D was also auditioning and was looking for the same thing. She has a lovely tone but isn’t a MT actor. Coastal Carolina, Mason Gross, the NYU studios and BU are all schools that focus on straight acting. She is at Northwestern where she is getting straight acting training. There are definitely others as well, but these were our own experiences. </p>
<p>We had excluded BU & NYU from our list due to $, but after seeing how much even the lower cost schools turn out to be this year, she’s put both back on the list. She loves UNCSA so much, I will be shocked if she does not give them a second try. Not sure why she was unmoved by CC. I think her impression was that they were a MT school. D already had heard about CMU from a former class mate, who took their summer program. He ended up at Michigan for Drama, after not getting into their MT program. So much we will do differently this time. ;)</p>
<p>The question I have is, how many of CMU’s incoming acting class are MT majors? We know from these boards that at least some of them are students who auditioned MT, wanted MT, then decided to accept CMU acting. (did I hear mentioned that they will just take the specific singing classes on their own?) </p>
<p>You can name a spade a different thing, but if they are filling both programs with MT kids, how is it they are not just an MT school? The take away that I have is that the ONLY reason my son stood a chance is because he can sing, and that even the most talented young actor, isn’t going to stand a chance at CMU’s acting program because it’s not really an acting program. It’s their second string MT. Just my opinion of course. </p>
<p>I’m not sure it’s just CMU. I was really rather surprised to see so many MT kids auditioned for places like UNSCA and Purchase. I guess D and I were naive in thinking that most MT kids would want to be in a MT program, at least that’s where most all her classmates ended up, though one very talented MT gal ended up on two acting WL (just accepted into Syracuse for acting). </p>
<p>This is what I need to understand, so I can help support D as we journey through this process again. Should she work more on her MT skills, even if auditioning just for Acting? Sorry to have high jacked this thread… maybe I should start a new one. Help, for the straight acting student, in a MT BFA world… LOL</p>
<p>Octaviar, I think what you’re asking is what sorts of students CMU is interested in accepting, not necessarily what sort of training it gives. If it’s true that they accepted nearly all MT-focused students - meaning students whose interests and training have been primarily MT, and who, at least now, wish to continue in that training - then that is at odds with their own showcase videos, which absolutely do <em>not</em> stress MT at all, but instead stress commercial marketability as well as camaraderie within the school (look for yourself: <a href=“CMU Showcase 2014 - YouTube”>CMU Showcase 2014 - YouTube). It is also at odds with their own alum, many of whom have gone on to TV/movie/commercial success.</p>
<p>I’m curious–Does anyone know this? Do they now have a shift in vision and are seeking to tap into the B’way market mostly? Or do they simply want those students who they feel are best positioned to be marketed broadly? Or is it true that they are really recruiting most MT? Maybe that’s just peoples’ impressions. Again, I have nothing at stake here–I ask purely out of curiosity.</p>
<p>I can tell you though, for schools my S & D auditioned for, as well as many others, they stressed their acting training primarily. There is definitely room for straight actor training!</p>
<p>As I said before, CMU is an acting school where some of the kids sing and dance. It’s not an MT school where some of the kids act. My daughter (an MT) graduated from CMU in 2013 with a BFA in Drama, not a degree in MT. All the actors and MTs graduate with a BFA in drama. The emphasis at the school is on acting. In my daughter’s class all but a few of the “actors” auditioned for acting only. Yes, some of the “actors” each year auditioned as MTs – CMU says in their audition materials that those auditioning for MT will be considered for acting. There are plenty of CMU MT grads that are making a living as “actors.” Likewise, there are CMU “acting” grads that are making a living as MTs. And those last two sentences say it all about CMU – it is an acting program. You come out of it trained as an actor. At CMU there is not much of a division between MTs and actors. They are all actors. They are all viewed as actors. CMU even eliminated the dance portion of the audition this past year. They focus on the acting.</p>
<p>I wonder if a factor is how many kids audition at CMU for BOTH MT/Acting - and what sort of breakdown there is between them. I know they see thousands- but ON your application they ask if you are applying MT, Acting or Both. D (in mom’s opinion) has a really really good voice (note that I don’t say “great”) and felt that she had a true shot at MT programs. And she was right- her Syracuse acceptance was MT. But her strongest skill is acting. She felt she had a better shot to be accepted in Acting rather than MT at CMU (where one assumes you really do need the “great” voice) but since CMU makes a big deal about being considered for both, she auditioned MT b/c she figured “why not give yourself more than one shot?”. If they had told her things were either/or- she would have done straight acting. I wouldn’t be surprised to find others felt the same</p>
<p>I wanted to add a little something to our background since it has changed a bit. I had always wondered if my daughter had settled for the BA option because she didn’t have a BFA in the mix (other than URI). Yesterday my daughter was offered admissions to Chapman’s BFA program. I thought for sure we would eat our deposit on Drew and she would snap up the BFA opportunity. But clearly she knows more about what she wants than I do. 
She adamantly voiced all the reasons she wanted Drew and then declined Chapman’s offer. I am so proud of her for knowing what she wants and isn’t swayed by the allure of an auditioned program. (although her mother is very proud that she snagged one). </p>
<p>Kudos to your daughter!!! I wonder if Chapman was not one of those “fate” things to boost her confidence by haveing an acceptance in hand to a well revered BFA program. I hate, for your sake, the thought of her moving cross country, but have thought for awhile, that Drew is a great match for her, due to the non-acting perks it offers </p>
<p>@xatty, I get your point. Students graduate with a degree in acting and what CMU primarily offers, is training in acting. </p>
<p>My point, is to ask the question, are they offering that training primarily to MT students? </p>
<p>I know of several acting spots (significant in a program that accepts less than 20 people) that went to surprised MT applicants. The posts and tweets reflected complete surprise that they, an MT applicant, were being offered an acting spot. </p>
<p>My initial question was, do they or have they ever, offered an MT spot to an acting student who happens to be able to sing? </p>
<p>@riptide96 , based on what we have been told from various sources and what we’ve just noticed lately. MT is just hot right now. Everyone is into musical theatre. I blame Glee. We also heard rumors that disney is buying up broadway.<br>
I have a suspicion that theatre in NY is going to continue to change and become less diverse, and more commercialized. I really know very little about theatre in NY though, so have no real data or experience to back up my suspicion. </p>
<p>I hope theatre programs continue to support a foundation for acting students. Some of the greatest actors in my opinion don’t happen to have strong voices. Imagine what our entertainment world would be like if it was all just people who could do both, but left out those that really excel in one of the other… </p>
<p>@connecions, I agree that commercial marketability is CMU’s main gig. I also think MT is marketable right now and might explain the lean toward MT student acceptances. Again, I am totally guessing here. Just basing my opinion on what I have observed and experienced. </p>
<p>My understanding is that CMU has always offered acting spots to MT applicants but never the other way around. </p>
<p>@Octaviar - As was already stated, the audition sheet asks if you are auditioning for MT, acting, or both. If you put down just acting, you will not be seen by Gary to sing so, no, you wouldn’t be considered for the MT option. But both actors and MTs audition their acting chops in front of Barbara and Kaf, who are ranking/judging them as actors. They then take (what they feel) are the best actors for their program. </p>
<p>@Octaviar -my D will be part of Pace’s BFA acting program with your son! If you want, you can PM me and we can discuss in more detail issues related to the program etc. I understand that there is a FB group/chat going on already amongst the classmates which is great! Sounds like they have 12 states and 5 countries covered in their group of 30. Looking forward to sharing this journey with you from the parental perspective. We are east coast based a couple of hours away.</p>