Hi! I'm going to CSSSA for classical voice and I'm really excited but I also have a lot of questions. :) Is there a lot of homework each night? What's the typical day schedule like? Do we get free time everyday or only on weekends? Are most of the vocalists there classical or pop? Are there tests and/or grades? Or is it just credit or no credit? Thanks soooo much! So sorry for all the questions (I'm just really nervous!) :)
Hi! Don’t be nervous! Just remember that everyone’s in the same boat as you. A typical day goes like this: You have three classes in the morning that will vary in order based on the random group you are put in at the beginning of the program. Your morning group consists of all kinds of musicians, not just vocalists. You’ll be in classes with guitarists, bassists, trumpeters, violinists, pianists, percussionists, etc etc and you’ll be in those classes with them for the entire 4 weeks. So in the morning you’ll have composition, and a couple types of world music. African drumming, probably, and some other kind. The first year I went we had an Indian music class and the second year we had Indonesian Gamelan class. Then you have lunch, and then the vocalists have studio class for an hour. This time is just vocalists, and you’ll go over how to prepare for interviews, college auditions, and just how to present yourself as a vocalist. You’ll sing in studio, and you get to pick your own repertoire, but the vocal teachers are huge assets and you should ask them for song suggestions based on your voice. The CalArts library has a ton of great sheet music in the library so make sure you check that out too! I used music I got at CalArts for my college auditions. After studio, you have a private lesson once a week that takes place during your 2 hours of daily rehearsal time. After rehearsal time you have theory, and then dinner!
The voice department never really assigned “homework”, per say. We are put into ensembles for the final performance and it is up to you to practice and prepare with your group during rehearsal time, but apart from that there’s not really extra work, unless your theory teacher assigns work, which can vary in amount based on your theory level. We never had tests, and it is impossible for you to “fail” out of the program. There is free time everyday, usually 2 hours of rehearsal time in the afternoon. Some nights, we had master classes, lectures, or rehearsals after dinner and onto about 9 pm, but if you aren’t scheduled for anything, after dinner is a great time to socialize, jam with friends, or go to Mom’s Cafe (a hangout spot in the residence hall where you can sing, play pool, etc…). Saturday mornings are open mics and presentations, and usually Saturday afternoons are free for you to do whatever you want, like walk to the shopping center nearby or, (if you live close to campus), you can go home on the weekends. Sundays are completely free with occasional optional activities.
As for people’s genres, there’s everything, ranging from jazz to classical to show tunes to pop. The ratio of genres changes with every year’s students, but the teachers are fully equipped to handle whatever repertoire you want to cover. As for grades and that kind of stuff, CSSSA is there as a place to learn, and not a place to be judged on what you already know. As long as you are respectful, show up to class, and don’t do anything stupid, like bring drugs or weapons onto the campus, you’ll stay in the program. Remember that CSSSA is a once in a lifetime experience, and that it’s not worth losing over something that you can wait to do until after you leave. The most important thing is to be friendly and outgoing, and talk to people. If you hide away in your dorm, you’re not going to make friends and it’s not going to be fun. So, go to all the scheduled events, like the dances, the movie screenings, and the performances. Embrace your awesome artistic surroundings and enjoy this time that is just for you! (And if Carin and Adrian are still the vocal teachers then tell them Rebecca says hi). Good luck and have fun! CSSSA can be the most incredible experience of your life if you throw yourself into it wholeheartedly! (sorry for the long response I just love talking about CSSSA.)