<p>I feel I am in a very awkward dilemma. I KNOW I want to major in musical theatre because that is what I do but I’m worried about my chances of getting into schools that focus heavily on vocal ability and, that seems to be all of them.</p>
<p>I have been dancing since I was 2 and a half and acting for pretty much the same amount of time. I did not get into singing until MUCH later (around middle school when I first started doing musicals). Since then I have been working on my voice as much as I can but because of financial constraints and HS course scheduling constraints (I had to chose one elective and it had to be Drama for obvious reasons) I was not able to take private voice lessons or chorus.</p>
<p>By no means am I a BAD singer…not at all. I’m just not exceptionally amazing and of course, with real training and more practice then I get out of the musicals I am in I could be exponentially better.</p>
<p>So I suppose my question is, do colleges look for potential when looking at the singing portion of a MT audition (much like what I keep hearing about the dance auditions) or is it amazing or get out?</p>
<p>Do I have any chance of getting in to an audition required MT program when I am a great actor and dancer but a good singer?</p>
<p>Will they appreciate song selections that are not overly difficult but showcase what I have to offer well?</p>
<p>Is singing the MOST important aspect of auditions?</p>
<p>Are you a junior? If so, and you wish to pursue MT, do whatever you can now to get private voice lessons. Most who apply to BFA in MT programs are training in voice and you will be at a disadvantage. </p>
<p>In my view, with MT, those who stand the greatest chance of admission are very good at singing, acting, and dancing. It is so competitive that they can find students who are strong in all three skill sets. HOWEVER, it is still quite possible to be admitted if strong in two areas and you have potential in a third area. For instance, someone who is strong at singing and dancing but weaker at acting may have a shot. Someone who is strong at singing and acting but weaker at dance may have a shot. There are even some schools that do not have a dance audition in fact. But the one area where I feel one can’t be weak and merely show potential is voice. </p>
<p>So, I don’t know that much about you but I would do 3 things. </p>
<p>I would train in voice as much as you can and apply to some MT programs, possibly the ones that are not the most competitive of all, and even then, the acceptance rates are still low. </p>
<p>But I would also apply to BFA in Acting programs that have some MT opportunities (voice lessons, dance class electives, put on musicals that acting students can audition for, etc.). A few even have a MT Minor like Marymount Manhattan and UArts. I would also consider BA programs in Theater or MT.</p>
<p>Lastly, you need some “evaluation” of your voice and how competitive it is for BFA admissions. If you know others who have been admitted to BFA in MT programs, self assess your singing against theirs. Meet with a voice teacher or vocal coach who is familiar with college auditions and has had students who have been admitted and get their assessment of your voice skill set and if it is in the ballpark of BFA admissions.</p>
<p>Also, how do you do in MT casting at your HS or in your region? Have you auditioned a bunch for musicals? How do you fare? That is just within one’s own community of course. The talent pool applying for BFA in MT admissions includes all the kids who played leads in their schools and regions and in summer programs and the like and even they have a tough time with the low acceptance rates. So, if you are not competitive locally (not saying you are not but speaking generally), it will be tougher odds when in a national talent pool that includes the vocal standouts from every community. I don’t know anything about you and am speaking in VERY general terms but just of things to consider.</p>
<p>I do do fairly well in my local area. At my High school I have had featured roles but seniority plays a part in who gets the leads and we have a large department.</p>
<p>In community theater I have been able to get larger roles (such as Iago in Aladdin).</p>
<p>I am applying to schools that don’t require audition and for all the ones that do I am also selecting the option to be considered for both MT and regular acting if that is possible.</p>
<p>I also know that some, like Southern Cal, have MT as a minor and I’m applying there as well.</p>
<p>It sounds like you are a senior and male. Good news is that while it is still highly competitive, the odds are a little better for boys, than girls. It also sounds like you have a good plan in that you have some non-audition schools and some schools that allow you to be considered for either Acting or MT. At many schools (and in this field in general), you can major in theater/acting and still do musicals. I understand the seniority issue in casting at your school, though thankfully our school did not cast that way. Hopefully, as a senior, you stand a chance to be cast well this year. Sounds like you have done well in community theater. Good luck to you!</p>
<p>One last thing…I understand how costly voice lessons are, but if you are going to the effort and expense to audition at colleges for BFA in MT programs, it makes sense to at least have some vocal coaching to prepare for the singing auditions, even if you can’t improve your technique in a short period of time, you could get help in how to show off your voice in the best possible light with the most appropriate material. If your parents cannot or will not pay for some vocal coaching, I suggest offering to get a part time job and to pay them back and/or to get a job next summer to help defray the expense of the vocal prep. Also, if you are going to train in college in this field, time to start training now, not just for admissions reasons but because you want to be a MT singer.</p>
<p>But yes, I am hoping to get some help with at least my audition songs so that I can show my voice off as well as possible. Thanks for the advice.</p>
<p>The above replies are excellent, but there is a lot of variability from school to school. My son had no private lessons of any type prior to his auditions although he did get some individual help from the music/voice teacher at his high school in selecting his songs and monologues. He got accepted to four of the nine MT programs he auditioned for and is now a sophmore at U Miami. At the schools with a bigger emphasis on dance he did not fare well, since he had virtually no formal dance skills. The staff that we spoke to during the audition process, as well as seeing how they approach the audition process, the emphasis on acting/singing/dance is different from school to school and even from year to year. At Miami it seems that acting was considered as much as singing, and that dance carried less weight. Getting some individual help with selecting your songs and monologues will be very helpful, even if you don’t improve your individual skills, you need to make sure you really highlight your strong points. I also asked about potential vs current skills, and while it was hard to pin down some of the auditioners, they did reluctantly admit that if two students had equal skill but one never had any lessons and the other had private lessons for many years, they do consider how much improvement may be ahead with proper instruction.</p>
<p>Might I ask, which schools place allot of emphasis on dance?
It’s all so hard to tell…</p>
<p>And, U Miami is on my list. I figured they didn’t care as much about dance since, unless I interpreted this very wrong, dance is optional and if you want a dance audition you bring your own solo.</p>
<p>Soozievt speaks the truth - but then she usually does! When my D auditioned last year one school said they were looking for kids who were really strong in two of the three areas (voice, acting, dance), and had potential in the third. Then they said that voice had to be one of the strong areas “after all, it is MUSICAL theatre.” Now, that was only one school but based on what we saw in auditions and learned from research, I’d say that’s a pretty common opinion.</p>
<p>A school whose MT degree is offered through the School of Music is probably going to place more emphasis on singing than perhaps a school whose MT major is in the theater department. Although, as a previous poster said, it is MUSICAL theater, so everyone has to be able to sing.</p>
<p>I disagree with a lot of what has been said. I believe that, yes, while you should be able to sing, the acting is the most important. If singing were the most important, we’d call this opera. The truth is in order to be successful in this field one needs to consider themselves an actor first, then a singer, then a dancer. I know from personal experience. (I myself considered myself primarily a singer first, I’m currently an MT major). Also there are plenty of examples of fantastic performers who aren’t the greatest of singers but can act like none other. In fact, I’ve heard that Nathan Lane cracks practically every night, but the reason where he is is because he CAN ACT. So is the case for Bernadette Peters. Anyone who has heard her can tell you she doesn’t have a beautiful voice, but omg watch the Sunday in the Park with George dvd and it doesn’t even matter. It is the acting that matters most. Sorry about the speech, I’m passionate about this. :-)</p>
<p>I do believe also that acting is crucial in a MT performer and I’d rather see a believable actor on stage who is not the top singer, than a great singer who can’t act. </p>
<p>That said, this thread was about MT College Auditions…and in that regard, I believe that singing well is crucial in a college audition for MT programs and can’t be the weakest of the three skill sets one presents.</p>
<p>First of all, to the original poster. There is no point in fretting over your situation. Know that singing is obviously an important aspect of musical theater. Showcase your strengths in your audition. If you are a great actor then chose song material that allows you to show that skill through your singing. Assemble a varied list of schools that include some non-audition schools. Consider auditioning for BFA acting programs at the same time as BFA mt program where those schools offer both. Look into schools that have a strong dance component–your skills may tip the balance in your favor. (there are many acutally: Otterbein, Point Park, Hartt) Get some coaching or lessons if you can manage it and then give it your best shot and when you get your results you can make an informed decision about the right fit for you. There are so many paths to achieving your goals, relax. Worrying won’t help you at all.</p>
<p>For the poster who said Bernadette Peters can’t sing. WOW, you must be an amazing singer yourself to claim such a thing. I have heard her sing live numerous times and yes she is a great actor, but she is both a great singer and performer. Tastes in singing styles vary a lot from person to person, some prefer an operatic sound, some a broadway belt sound, some a rock-scream sound, some that breathy pop sound, luckily there is room in this world for many different styles and sounds. Play your strengths, admire and respect those whose talent is different from yours.</p>
<p>CalMTMom, I agree with that wise advice for the OP. </p>
<p>I also think Bernadette is a great singer!</p>
<p>One comment for breezer…I know you are still in college. My kid has graduated from a BFA in MT program. For many professional musical theater auditions in NYC, you first have to sing and that’s it. It is at callbacks that you might have to read the sides for the part and/or do the dance call. Not all auditions are like this but most have you sing before they cut and do the rest (unless it is a call for dancers). For example, my kid is on a national tour right now. At the audition, she only had to sing. At the callback, she had to sing, read the sides for the part and do the dance call. If she couldn’t sing, she would not have had the opportunity to show them her acting or dancing skill set. That’s just information you may want to know about how many (not all) MT auditions in NYC work.</p>
<p>Soozievt: I agree with a lot of what you are saying. However, when your kid auditioned did she stand there and sing or did she act AND sing. there is the difference. Since she got cast, I imagine she acted and sang. i think that if she just stood there and sang (which there is a time and place for i.e. practice room or the like) then she wouldn’t have gotten cast. As a lowly college student, I have learned that the integration of all three of these things, or in this case 2 is crucial. I’m sorry for the bernadette peters comment. hopefully you can still see the point I was trying to make. Rex harrison is another example of this. Great performer, not a great singer. I’m here to help those who have questions about this profession as it applies to education from a students perspective not to bicker. Have a happier day :-)</p>
<p>breezer, your student perspective is most welcomed. I don’t see it as bickering. A message board offers many opinions and perspectives. I have already agreed with you on how crucial it is to be a great actor in MT performance. A singer who sings well but can’t act is not so great on stage. Again, I’d rather see someone who is believable as an actor in a musical who is not the best singer, than a great singer who can’t act. </p>
<p>This thread is about auditions though, and the importance of singing in auditions for college MT Programs. I don’t think they will take a student with a weak voice who is a great actor. I think the voice needs to be there. Ideally, the student needs to be able to both act and sing. </p>
<p>One thing I agree with you to the max about is the extreme importance of acting a song. A MT audition (just the singing part itself) is not just based on singing well but on how well you present the song and interpret it through acting. It is not enough to have a great voice but you must act the song in a MT audition. </p>
<p>What I was saying in my most recent post is that many professional MT auditions start with the song only. Yes, you MUST act the song!!! You have to sing very well and act the song very well…BOTH. But this part comes before performing the sides for the scene and the dance usually at many professional auditions. I just don’t think a weak voice is going to do as well in such an audition as someone who has the singing chops. Yes, if they can’t act the song, they also won’t do well. But they MUST be able to sing. And they MUST be able to act the song. It is not enough to act the song in a MT audition and not sing well though. It helps compensate some for sure. </p>
<p>I truly believe for MT COLLEGE auditions, that ideally you should be strong at singing, acting, and dance, but that strength in two areas and potential in a third can gain admission. I don’t believe strength in dance and acting but weakness in voice is going to fare as well. This is generally speaking. And this is just related to college admissions, not performances on stage.</p>
<p>“I believe that, yes, while you should be able to sing, the acting is the most important. If singing were the most important, we’d call this opera. The truth is in order to be successful in this field one needs to consider themselves an actor first, then a singer, then a dancer.”</p>
<p>This is from my initial post and I stand by it. I believe you were trying to say the same thing?</p>
<p>No we are not saying the same thing in total. I agree in terms of performance on stage that acting is essential!</p>
<p>But this thread is about auditions for MT college programs. And I believe that one must be a strong singer to be admitted, as well as be able to act the song. I don’t believe the odds for a student with a weak voice but good at acting and dance is going to fare as well in MT college auditions. </p>
<p>I am not talking about what I like to see on stage in performances or what is important in what makes a good MT performer. I DO think acting is extremely important. Just to give an example, my own kid did a MT studio at Tisch for five semesters and did an acting studio for 3 semesters. She feels acting is essential and I agree, in terms of her training. </p>
<p>In terms of a MT audition for college, it is important to be able to sing, act, and dance. The most successful candidates can do all three. But much success in admissions is still possible if you are very good at two and fair at the third. I don’t think you can be fair at voice. As well, many MT professional auditions START with the song (and yes, acting the song is essential to a successful audition) and you must be able to sing well. You go through that screening often (in many auditions) before you ever are presented “sides” (script) and do a dance call. </p>
<p>By the way, there are some BFA college programs who don’t have any dance as part of the audition for admission! I haven’t found a college MT program that doesn’t make you sing for the audition. Almost all make you sing TWO songs. Some require two monologues and some require just one monologue.</p>
<p>You are talking about what you need to be “successful in the field”. This thread and my post was focusing on COLLEGE AUDITIONS.</p>
<p>haha i understood your post the first time. I, of course, believe you should be a strong singer. I also believe you should be a strongER actor. I have a friend who got into a great program and he is easily a better actor than singer. Take from that what you will. That being said, I would rather not continue going back and forth like this. It’s really not helpful for anyone and defeats the purpose of my posting here at all.</p>
Hopefully, as a senior, you stand a chance to be cast well this year. Sounds like you have done well in community theater. Good luck to you!</p>