It looks like I missed a few posts from above–all GREAT information!
So what I’ve learned is this:
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Even though my D loves the oldies and has been successful in that area she knows she’s going to need to start digging deep into the classical repertoire. It appears to be necessary for most of the auditions and she realizes classical may need to be her main focus for a few (four) years. She’s okay with that knowing she might also be able to join an accapella group on the side which would be a bit more “fun” as an extracurricular activity.
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Visiting schools has proven to be invaluable. She’s been able to eliminate schools from her list after personal tours that she would have otherwise wasted time preparing an audition for–only to find it wasn’t the right fit. One small example… my husband went to NEC and let her know he was spending 8 hours per day in a practice room sometimes. Each of Oberlin’s practice rooms have windows. None of Gettysburg College’s practice rooms had windows. This alone is not a deal breaker but a consideration when you account for the amount of hours potentially being spent in a small enclosed space. Food for thought.
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Some schools don’t offer musical theatre to voice majors. Some of them have you audition through the dram a department. That’s neither the norm nor the exception but is in fact the case at some schools. Something to consider.
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The more I spend time with my D on campuses the more I realize she truly does gravitate to smaller, more intimate settings. In order to go to a big school, she’s really going to need to love the program.