<p>I saw this on Twitter this AM and had to share: </p>
<p>“Downfalls of going to Point Park University… All the COPA people just start singing outta nowhere. I feel like I’m in Highschool Musical” :)) </p>
<p>And this is wrong because??? When I was eating lunch in the IU cafeteria (a huge room) yesterday during a break in auditions, I was wondering that very thing. There were two different students playing the grand piano off in the corner. The cafeteria is right across the street from the MT building. The tables and chairs looked stable and strong. As I was sitting waiting for S and husband to come out of the food line, I wondered if students ever did spontaneous singing - just like all the townspeople and high school students in all those musicals. . . </p>
<p>I had to laugh at Rider too, one of the tour guides was not a MT major but she ended up in the MT dorms her first semester. She said “I love them, I have very good friends in theatre but I couldn’t live with them. They sing in the shower, in the bathroom and its worse in the hallways because then they sing and dance. Constantly, constant singing I couldn’t take it I had to move” 
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<p>My son and his MT roommate were written up freshman year several times for singing during quiet hours… quiet hours during the day… the RA just didn’t get them and was looking for any chance to write them up. He wrote up the roomie for singing in the shower without even seeing if it was him (tho it probably was)… such a pleasure to be out of the dorms and they can now sing to their heart’s content, at any hour.</p>
<p>Sigh…This house is going to be so quiet next year.</p>
<p>I know when my S is pulling into the driveway because I can hear the plastic parts of the car rattling in time to song being sung by a 50’s crooner. I’m afraid my S may become the first person to be pulled over and cited for violating a local noise ordinance with Frank Sinatra or Tony Bennett. It’s going to be hard to not have that sound around anymore. . . </p>
<p>I am certainly going to miss the evening shower concert series at my house next year. In the meantime, I’m just hopeful we are near other auditioners for the hotel room tap dancing and shower belting (and don’t forget the whistle tones my kid is now obsessed with!) this week at PHH. </p>
<p>@kategrizz, my H walked down the hall at PHH early this morning and heard many people vocalizing along the way, lol. I think the hotel is full of singers! </p>
<p>Aw! I think it really depends. In my four years at CCU I have had a mixed bag of experiences. Of course my freshmen year roommates (non-majors) were a little freaked out by the warming up in the shower… but that’s why you go to the practice rooms! Or warm up on your walk to class. My friends and I traveling in big packs have often gotten the “You must be theatre majors” comment or side-eye, but at the same time I’ve been stopped by so many students and teachers on campus who have seen me in productions and have been nothing but kind. There’s a group that “see everything” even though they aren’t part of the department and are really supportive “fans”, you could say. The impact of what we do can be a really large light on campus, and I think a lot of schools are like that.</p>
<p>I don’t have to go far for the answer- my 3 non-MT children made it clear what they thought of their MT sibling. OUr oldest son absolutely hates musical theater (although I was surprised to hear he did go see The Book of Mormon, and enjoyed it), and it was a constant fight when both he and our MT’er lived at home. She would be on the piano and singing full blast, so he would turn up the TV on purpose, so she would sing louder. He just doesn’t get it. The other 2 were slightly more tolerant, but her constant singing drove them crazy! She thinks nothing of twirling through the grocery store while singing, and they would be busy pretending they didn’t know her. Our youngest son would occasionally break down and say “Mom, can you please make her shut-up, just for 5 minutes!!!” On the other hand, their friends always thought it was kind of cool if they came over and she happened to be accompanying herself. She has a completely different personality from the other 3 (they are more science based/into sports) and she just does not have much in common with them. They all learned to cope, but there were definitely big conflicts at times. </p>
<p>My D has in some ways the best of both worlds at Ball St. She lives in the Honors dorm as do several of the MT kids. And she has made very close friends with a lot of the non-MT kids in the dorm. So she has her MT buddies and her non-MT buddies. It’s a great mix. Case in point: recently when she knew she’d have a killer day of master classes, dance classes, academic classes, etc then had to be at rehearsal till 10, when she got back to the dorm all her non-MT friends knew she’s be wiped out and were waiting with treats for her. I’m sure they look at her weird sometimes when she breaks out in song but they love her anyway!</p>
<p>Takeitallin - I thought you were quoting my youngest complaining about his sister! Of course when she started practicing belting after he went to bed wr did have to draw a line. </p>
<p>And jeffandann, un a fun coincidence, my daughter is in with Ball State right now (at unifieds) . </p>
<p>I have the double whammy: an MT S who’s also a drummer! So it’s either singing at the top of his lungs (the evening shower concert series, indeed - LOL, kategrizz) or banging away in the drum room in our barn (not far enough away from the house to dampen the sound, unfortunately). It is going to be SO quiet at my house next year…</p>
<p>maMTma, My son is a drummer too!! I prefer the singing…</p>
<p>Your posts made me laugh! It’s nice to know that all of our MT kids are similar. My daughter just finished her evening shower concert, I’m going to miss those next year too!!! I think it is so cool that she sings constantly, I know half the time she’s not even conscious that she is singing - in the car, in the shower, while she puts on her make up, while she does her homework (or pretends to do her homework, LOL), while she shops, before she falls asleep. I think she better have an MT roommate or she will drive the other girl crazy!</p>
<p>This is a fun thread, nice distraction from all the tension this all creates! My house will only lose some singing when my D goes off to school, she will leave us w/her (older-he’s still finding his way!) brother, who is a drummer, listens to more of a hard rock music at a very loud volume & when he does sing they are not show tunes!! Our house will not be quiet w/out her, just missing her sound!</p>
<p>I will NOT miss the dance belts laying on the living room chair, floor, steps. . . but the sound of silence will indeed be strange.</p>
<p>This made me remember… My D and constant music has been practically since birth. In 2nd grade, she got moved to the “annoying kids” table because she unconsciously hummed while doing seat work. She disliked sitting with the other “annoying kids” so much that she did break herself of that habit while at school. (Disclaimer… That is not how her teacher labeled the table… It’s what my D called it!)</p>
<p>Love reading this! It is much quieter without D here, but have a younger one who just finished her shower concert! All the theatre department freshmen live on the same hall at Wright State, which makes it noisy, but they love it! And they do have quiet hours. Also, after her first few weeks, D said they found out “everyone [non-theatre students] wants to be friends with the MT kids.” I think because they are always together and having fun. Hope all of you at Unifieds are having a great time.</p>
<p>A recent conversation in our kitchen:</p>
<p>Son (computer geek): “Going into the arts is a waste of time.”
Me: “What do you think would happen if no one pursued a career in the arts?”
Son: “Nothing.”
Me: “Exactly,” I said as I turned off the movie he was watching…</p>