Profile for MacMorighan

Dramamama, actually, yes, in subsequent interviews, she did say that things just fell in her lap and that auditioning was a mere formality her whole life as a professional. Also, you're looking at it from the wrong perspective. Not allowing uber-talented folks not to walk away with every role would not only make them more hummble (they were horribly conceited as a result!), but it would have opened up the understudies, etc. to having a leading role just ONCE! In fact, having a more equitable ...

Galveston, I know perfectly well what you mean by rejection, and being rejected had nothing to do with my feelings and views, and especially not with this thread. However, my post did highlight what shouldn't be a part of public schools, which is intentional bias by the teachers involved to intentionally highlight a single student or two that made it virtually not worth even auditioning when they were enrolled. This was apparently by the audition material our choir director dispersed unequall...

I wish that someone at my High School would have complained! In fact, if she actually had to work for a role for once, I think it would have been good for her character since she was highly conceited! But, my town tended to bend over backwards for these kids (especially if one came from money!). For example, to give these kids an extra boost in confidence and college resume credential they were allowed to read the regional news on the local radio station. This is a responsibility that no one ...

To reiterate, my point was that it was nearly impossible to get any sort of a role in the musical productions because to one or two students auditioning was a mere formality! In fact, it's pretty apparent that productions were chosen specifically to highlight and demonstrate a single ingenue! In fact, following their graduations it was also apparent that our choir director was doing this because she stripped down the show by totally removing roles and songs entirely, which was a fairly petula...

My comment has nothing to do with rejection, but about High School productions that were patently unfair in the sense that the musicals were chosen to highlight a single student or student to whom auditioning was a mere formality! After all, the fact they she received 3 solos plus a duet in one production, and a leading vocal role in every song in the other is almost certainly not a coincidence! Our choir director chose them intentionally to highlight a particular student so that she would ha...

Oh, and when we performed Camelot, despite having more than enough roles to go around, without her belting ingenues our choir director removes several numbers from the show, such as "Follow Me" sung by Nimue! Granted, Merlin's dialogue was still there; but there was no song to sing during that dialogue. Looking back, that seemed rather petty and undemocratic for a PUBLIC high school.

You are lucky to have a community theatre in your area, especially one that does musicals! I do not; and those that produce musicals are rare. I was in the community theatre when I was in college, and the first musical they put on (EVER!) was West Side Story, which I couldn't audition for as I'd moved over an hour away. I was bit miffed, but had to laugh at the cosmos's sense of humor.

I was also really put off by the fact that when our choir director had printed off sheet music with which to audition she had two stacks: one intended for ancillary and chorus roles that was basically spoken in rhythm (she gave me one of these), and to the folks who would land a leading role she gave an actual song that was sung! So, she clearly knew ahead of time who she would cast. Yet, after the graduation of her ingenues, she didn't bother to help students prepare any audition materials--...

Hey guys! Albeit's been years since I've been in High School, I've always been curious if anyone had an almost impossible time getting roles for plays and musicals because one of two students were cast in everything?In fact, auditioning for them was basically a formality! But, they received advantages not available to everyone else. If I had known then that I could take voice lessons at a major university renowned for its vocal department, I'd have begged my parents to sign me up for lessons!...

Hey guys, this is a shot-in-the-dark question, but.....  Back in 1997 I met my VERY FIRST-EVER on-line friend when I was in college, between 1997-1998 on this very message board by the name of Erik Allen.  What I can recall of him was that his name was Erik Allen, perhaps with a "C" as his middle name.  He was living/ working in Chicago at the time, whereas I was in Iowa (I still am, in fact).  He seemed to know more about Iowan Gay culture than *I* did because he mentioned a Gay bar by ...

Has anyone been put into a position--in a music program of some type--where they simply don't feel that they are learning anything from their voice teacher, nor are they progressing from their lessons, and they have had to request a different teacher as a result? Â (Due to my own experiences, I now insist that my teachers have at least their Master's Degree in the subject.) Â I'd love to hear your story, and how you tactfully approached the situation because, if this should happen to me again...

Anyone else get frustrated when they attempt to sight-read a piece of music that they should be able to play with relative ease, only to fail in a flaming ball of despair!? Â Ack, my head and hands sometimes won't coordinate! Â :P Â What terrifies me, of course, is being asked to sight-read as a part of a placement exam when enrolling in a new music program and being misplaced! Â It'd be a serious blow to my self-esteem! Â Heck, I can't believe that my previous piano teacher never taught me t...

None of the Public Universities I have been looking to seem to offer a degree in Vocal Ped. It seems to only be Vocal Performance (where coaching/ teaching classes are the reserve for the Master's Program, despite requiring a teaching resume), along with all these attached strings. But, still, there's always the audition requirement even for a bachelor's degree (now a days many Community College music seem to require a formal audition).

Hey guys, I want to return to college and earn my associates, then my bachelor's, and finally my master's degree in vocal performance! However, I have a lot of trepidation about doing so!The first time i attended college the program was a hot mess intended for a high rate of failure. Imagine, for example, assigning kids with marginal keyboard skills at best an assignment where they were given less than two days to memorize a song and be able to play it in whatever knew key the instructor call...

Wow! Considering how many musicians were once a part of this forum, I was expecting a more lively exchange of experiences! :P

Thanks. I'm still searching, of corse!

Hey guys, this is a shot-in-the-dark question, but..... Back in 1997 I met my VERY FIRST-EVER on-line friend when I was in college, between 1997-1998. What I can recall of him was that his name was Erik Allen, perhaps with a "C" as his middle name (I think he spelled his first name with a "K&quot. He was living/ working in Chicago at the time, whereas I was in Iowa. He seemed to know more about Iowan Gay culture than *I* did because he mentioned a Gay bar by the name of "The Garden," which I ...

HA! I was able to skim Barbara Cook's memoir, and I had similar experiences to her re: her first two poor voice teachers!

Hey guys, in your individual opinions, what qualities does a GREAT Voice Teacher possess (not just a good one)? Have you had a bad Voice Teacher? Care to share your experiences? How do you differentiate and quantify between just a good or mediocre Voice Teacher from a Great Teacher, as well as from a poor teacher?When I went to college my first Voice teacher was a fellow student who emerged from the womb with a gorgeous singing voice! She had taken voice lessons throughout college for years a...

I know this post is over a decade old, but I felt that I had to dip my toe in. :) This information comes straight from my voice teacher, when I worked with him several years ago, since I had been "miscast" as a Baritone throughout High School. Now, I would be remiss without explaining that my Voice Teacher had his Master's Degree in Vocal Pedagogy (I feel it's important, and always look for it when studying with a new teacher!). However, during one of my first lessons with him, he asked me wh...