Vocal Performance Majors- Soprano Advice?

MomofWildChild
Fri, 10 Aug 2007 23:22:12 +0000

My daughter had a wonderful 4 years at Rice as a vocal performance major. She does feel that the focus is shifting a little bit towards more of a graduate student focus. She chose Rice for its strong commitment to undergraduates. She had many performance opportunities and as a junior had a major role in the opera. Her teacher, Kathy Kaun, is amazing and a nurturing person. She is one of the major reasons my daughter chose Rice.
Her Interlochen roommate (and maid of honor to be) got her music degree from Indiana. Yes, there are many graduate students, but there is a lot to be learned from these graduate students, too. I don’t see how anyone serious about vocal performance can leave Indiana off their list.
I think you need people around you that aren’t musicians when you are in college. You just miss too much if you are at a conservatory without a university affiliation. My daughter thought this would be the case, and after the Rice experience, she is sure she made the right choice.