Pursue a career in the performing arts.
If you are interested in pursuing a career in the performing arts, one of the best ways to refine your skills and natural talent is to attend a performing arts school. Undergraduate and graduate programs in music, theater, dance, and filmmaking are available at a variety of colleges and universities. It is possible to focus entirely on performance, or to pursue a liberal arts education, as well. The application procedure typically involves filling out an online application, sending transcripts, and passing an audition.
Julliard
Julliard sets the standard for music and performing arts. Its location in New York City makes it an ideal cultural location for students who wish to pursue a career in the performing arts. Julliard offers undergraduate degrees in music, drama and dance. Students may choose from the Bachelor of Fine Arts program or the Diploma program. The focus of the latter is entirely performance oriented; it does not require the liberal arts courses typical of a college degree. Julliard offers a Masters and Ph.D in music. Students are selected based on talent and a judged performance. Julliard holds auditions in selected cites during the year. In addition to the audition, students must have a high school diploma or the equivalent, submit transcripts, letters of recommendation, and an essay.
Berklee School of Music
The Berklee School of Music is one of the leading music schools for students interested in contemporary music. Berklee offers a program leading to a Bachelor's Degree in music, and a program leading to a Diploma. The former includes typical liberal arts courses, while the latter is entirely performance-oriented. Berklee also offers a two-year Certificate for students who complete 48 hours of credit with a 2.0 GPA. The Bachelor's Degree is offered with a variety of approaches including composition, contemporary writing and production, film scoring, jazz composition, performance Application is made online. The applicant must supply supporting academic materials, like transcripts and letters of recommendation. Applicants are invited to Berklee for an audition and interview. The applicant should prepare a piece for performance. The audition piece is open-ended --- it can be a simple blues or jazz piece, or an original composition. The ability to read music is not required.
Chicago College of the Performing Arts
The Chicago College of the Performing Arts is associated with Roosevelt University in Chicago. The CCPA has two locations in the Chicago area --- one campus in downtown Chicago and a second campus in Schaumburg, which is a nearby surburb. The CCPA features a Music Conservatory and a Theater Conservatory. The Music Conservatory offers Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in performance and composition. The Theater Conservatory offers a Bachelor's of Fine Art degree in acting and theater. Application is made online. The student provides supplementary academic materials with the application and selects an audition date. Auditions are held between December and March.
Point Park University
Point Park University is located in downtown Pittsburgh. In addition to a Performing Arts School, the university also features a School of Arts and Sciences, a business school, and the School of Communication. The Performing Arts School offers degrees in three areas of the performing arts. The three programs are Cinema and Digital Arts, Dance, and Theater. Applications are made online. The applicant must provide supplementary academic materials and schedule an audition or interview.
