Here is an extensive checklist of questions to help you narrow down your school choices. In-depth answers to some of these items will probably have to wait until you actually visit the school, but some preliminary scouting should reveal basic information on each topic.
Tuition:
* Does this school fit my budget?
* What scholarships and other forms of financial aid are available?
* How will I cover tuition if I can’t get financial aid?
Admissions:
* What are the criteria and can I meet them?
* Are there academic criteria, or is admission mostly talent/potential based?
* How many people are admitted into the program I’m interested in?
Degrees:
* What degrees are offered?
* Can you get a performance certificate or artists’ diploma?
Faculty:
* Are there teachers, or a particular teacher, at this school to whom I would like to entrust my technical development?
* What is the ratio of voice teachers to students? Does each teacher carry a course load that allows him or her to give the appropriate amount of attention to each student?
* Are some of the voice studios very crowded, with waiting lists, while others are begging for students?
* What are the qualifications of the voice teachers? Have they enjoyed substantial professional singing experience, including professional solo singing experience at major venues such as the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, San Francisco Opera, major regional American companies, or European houses? Have they performed on Broadway, off-Broadway, on national tours or international tours?
* Do the teachers have substantial experience and/or training in vocal pedagogy?
* How many alumni of this school are currently making a living performing, or in related musical activities?
* How do their current students sound? Are these singers you would like to emulate?
* Are any of these teachers published? Do any of them have a discography (commercial recordings)?
* How do other students speak of these teachers?
* Are these teachers supportive and nurturing?
* Do the teachers lead studio classes?
* Do the teachers educate and encourage their students to audition for appropriate competitions, summer training programs, and Young Artist Programs?
* Are the teachers knowledgeable about the current state of the classical singing industry and/or the world of theater?
* Do they have current connections and knowledge within the industry, i.e., with general directors of opera companies, administrators of Young Artist Programs, or agents and producers?
* How long has it been since these teachers actively performed professionally outside their immediate community?
* If the teachers are currently performing professionally and must be away for several weeks at a time, how is this handled in terms of your weekly voice lesson? Will you study with another teacher in their absence, or make up lessons on their return?
* What is the ratio of coaches to students?
* What are the coaches’ qualifications? Do they include a superior knowledge of vocal repertoire, diction, and style? Do they work with professional opera and musical theatre companies or in well-known teachers’ studios?
* Are the coaches supportive and nurturing?
Studio politics
* Are students allowed to change teachers without a major fuss? Nothing is more
critical to your performance career than learning a good vocal technique, and a great deal of your success in that area depends on your teacher. You should be allowed to switch studios without a hassle—as long as you can make a good case for doing so and are not abusing the privilege by “studio-hopping” (moving frequently from one teacher to another).
* Is the faculty generally friendly, and supportive of each other and the students in other studios, or is there a great deal of competition between studios? A little friendly competition is a good thing, but sniping between teachers and their students creates an unhealthy and unnecessarily difficult learning atmosphere. Still, some people thrive on such competition, and some people feel that it prepares students for the type of climate they will find in the professional world. Make sure you know where you stand before you select a highly competitive school.
* Is there a great deal of competition to get into certain studios? Make sure you can get the teacher you want before you commit to a school—or that you’ll be happy with an alternate choice.
Course offerings for voice majors:
* Does each student receive a weekly one-hour private voice lesson? If not, this school is unlikely to be able to prepare you adequately for a performance career.
* Are you expected to attend and participate in a weekly studio class? Studio class is an important development tool for young singers, offering an opportunity to practice performing and perfect your repertoire, as well as develop analytical skills.
* Does the school have an opera and/or musical theatre department, or classes
focusing on performance? If you wish to sing opera or Broadway professionally, don’t
waste your time on a school that doesn’t offer professional training in these areas. You can receive excellent vocal training from a school that doesn’t offer courses in opera or musical theatre—but you will miss out on an important part of your education, and it may put you behind other singers when applying to graduate school, Young Artist Programs, or for professional auditions.
You may feel there are compelling reasons to attend a school that doesn’t offer all the courses you need. If you attend such a school, make sure you can get that education somewhere else, through private instruction and workshops, or courses at another institution.
* Does the school regularly offer master classes with visiting artists? Students need regular exposure to the great artists of our time, to learn what great art is, how great artists behave, and to help develop critical analytical skills and self-perception.
* Are language classes in French, German, and Italian readily available and required? As a professional classical singer, you will need to be able to sing and eventually take stage direction in these languages.
* Are diction classes in French, German, Italian, Latin, and English available and required? Singing diction often differs somewhat from spoken diction, and a good diction class will teach you timesaving tools such as IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet).
* Are classes in drama and stagecraft available to voice majors? Some schools do not allow non-majors to take classes in the theater department. If this is the case, your school should offer special classes for music majors.
* Is any instruction in Alexander Technique, Feldenkreis or yoga offered? This is not a requirement for a well-rounded musical education, but many performers find these body-awareness techniques very useful.
* Is any instruction in fencing, stage combat, and dance available? Again, this is not a requirement, but most male opera singers and lyric mezzos who do pants roles will need to know how to handle a sword convincingly. Every performer should have at least some basic training in stage combat, for safety’s sake if not for drama’s. And dance comes in handy, not only for dramatic purposes, but for general health, grace, and training the body to do what you need it to do when you need it to do it.
* Are classes in music theory, music history, opera or art song history, and repertoire offered? How about courses in sight-reading, ear training and vocal pedagogy? Although you may be determined to concentrate on performance, it’s wise to keep your options open and to get a well-rounded musical education. Most musicians make their living from doing a number of different music-related jobs. The more you know, the better equipped you will be. If your school does not offer these classes, you may be able to take them privately or from another school, such as a community music school.
* Does the school offer a business course for singers and/or instrumentalists? Sadly, most schools do not offer any kind of business training for their students and no formal career guidance or placement. Those that do offer such courses rarely have one specifically for singers. I believe that every school should require a business course for performance majors. This is why I developed “The Business of Singing,” my own workshop to advise young singers on how to get a start in the music industry (www.thebusinessofsinging.com). If your school does not offer business training, you should seek it out on your own.
Solo performance opportunities:
* <b.Does the school offer fully staged and costumed opera and/or musical theatre performances with student casts, as well as scenes programs and other performance opportunities? If you want to be an opera singer or Broadway baby, and your school does not offer fully staged performances, you will be at a serious disadvantage upon graduation. It is vital to have some stage experience under your belt when applying for Young Artist Programs and professional auditions. If you choose to attend a school that doesn’t offer productions or only offers a few, you will need to supplement your education with summer training programs (a good idea in any case).
* How many operas or musical theatre productions does the school produce each year? As a performance major competing with many other talented students, you want as many casting opportunities as possible.
* Do students fill most or all of the roles, or does the school bring in professional singers? Ideally, most roles will be filled by students. However, it can also be tremendously educational to work onstage with distinguished artists.
* Are the productions done with orchestra? Ideally, you should graduate with some experience performing staged works with an orchestra.
* How many scenes programs are produced per year? Opera or Broadway excerpts give younger students who may not be ready to take on a full role an opportunity to get their feet wet performing.
* Are undergrads allowed to audition for and participate in fully staged productions? If not, in which performances are they allowed to participate? Some schools cast undergrads only in the chorus, reserving solo roles for graduate students. Others cast undergrads in comprimario (secondary lead) roles only, and others still have no restrictions on casting. You can get a fine education regardless of the school’s policy, but obviously, it’s desirable to get the right performance opportunity at the proper stage of development. Sopranos will face the most rigorous competition, because they are the most common voice type and also because there are fewer small, “starter” roles for sopranos. Remember, if you aren’t getting the performance experience in school, get it somewhere.
* Are you required to belong to a choir or opera chorus?Choral singing is an important part of a singer’s development and most schools require a certain number of chorus hours.
* Are there opportunities to perform solos with chorus?
* Are there opportunities to perform solos with orchestra, outside of stage productions?
* Are other performance opportunities available, such as chamber ensembles?
* Are there juries each semester? What are the jury requirements? The final exam for performance majors is usually a jury, a short performance before a panel of faculty members, similar to an audition. Usually, a student is expected to develop and present a minimum number of songs or arias. You may also be required to give recital juries—a demonstration that you are prepared to give a degree-requirement recital.
* How many recitals are necessary to fulfill the degree requirements? For undergraduates, you might expect to present a junior and senior recital. Graduate students will usually be expected to give a series of recitals, including some dedicated strictly to performance and others to lecture recitals on a thesis, depending on the course of study.
* Are you required to take an opera or theatre performance class? Opera and musical theatre involve special performance issues above and beyond art song and oratorio. At some point in your undergraduate education, you should be enrolled in a performance course.
* Are you encouraged to audition for productions outside of school? Some schools will not permit you to do outside performances that may conflict with your studies; others require permission from your teacher.
* What kind of performance opportunities exist in the community? Local opera companies, Gilbert & Sullivan societies, musical theatre companies, professional or community choruses that use soloists, and paid church soloist positions all provide valuable chances to increase your experience and your resume while still in school. You may also decide to create your own performance opportunities, such as giving recitals at nursing homes, creating a caroling group at Christmas, or putting together a one-man show you can market to art galleries, restaurants, corporate events, or private parties.
Music library
* Is there a separate music or fine arts library?
* Does it include a good and readily available selection of scores, both standard and rare?
* Is there a good selection of research materials, such as Groves’ New Dictionary of Music, study scores, or the Musical America directory?
* Is there a good collection of historical and modern recordings and videos?
* Are industry publications such as Opera America, Classical Singer magazine, Backstage, Opera News, NATS Journal, and perhaps a few foreign opera magazines, such as Opernwelt or Opera, available?
Quality of facilities:
* Is practice space readily available or at a premium, and if there is competition for practice rooms, where will you be able to practice?
* Are the practice rooms kept clean?
* Are the hours rooms are available reasonable or even generous?
* Are security measures in place to protect students who practice late at night or at other times when few people are around?
* Are there enough pianos? Are they in good condition and serviced regularly?
* How many performance venues such as recital halls and theaters are available?
* How large are they?
* Are they clean and comfortable, with state-of-the-art equipment?
* Are the classrooms well lit, well ventilated, clean, and free of dust and mold?
* Are they run-down or recently remodeled?
* Is the seating adequate and comfortable?
* Are blackboards, overhead projectors, and other equipment in good repair?
* Is the building that houses the music department generally clean, well lit and ventilated, and aesthetically pleasing?
* Are there areas in the music building where students can comfortably congregate between classes?
