NYMT/BYMT 2021 (2)

[doesanybodyhaveamap]

Continuation of the NYMT/BYMT 2021 thread because the other one got full!!!

Hope everyone hears good news soon!

I really think we should keep this thread going and call it the 'Stageparents Waiting Room'. Because even after this particular chapter is over, we're all going to be waiting for something else, right!?

I wonder if today is the day that people start hearing from NYMT

Fingers crossed we have some news by the end of the week!

Good idea @doesanybodyhaveamap - We need diversion so you start - what are you and yours waiting on apart from/after NYMT??

Ds is only waiting for NYMT. There is a possibility his theatre group might do a summer school depending on covid restrictions. He thinks if they do he will ask if he can be involved musically or technically some way rather than as a performer.

Dd is awaiting her MA musical theatre audition outcomes. She's also got virtual and (hopefully real live) agent graduate showcases coming up. (although severak agents have said they are reluctant to take on this year as they still have last years grads languishing on their books with no jobs. I don't want to get political but unfortunately a lot of grads from her college have in the past gone to work in places like Germany (they actually do a module in German musical theatre singing) and those jobs are starting to be advertised as only available for those with an EU passport.

@comefromaway how many MA audition results is DD waiting on? Does she have any offers already? Has she cast the net wide? Graduate showcases are a bit of big question mark now aren't they...

She's still waiting on three. One offer (her favourite, the least known but small and specialist but only part funded), she's had one recall (her least favourite) but no result from that yet. There were limited places she could apply due to her age.

Yes- I remember she is very young to be so accomplished! Wishing her much luck.

It is a problem with dancers to be honest. The mantra is to start young and when she was 16 we were thinking of her going back to mainstream school to do A levels then apply for college aged 18. But her dance teacher said she would struggle to maintain her levels at our local dance schools. But now she has definately moved across to Musical Theatre from dance is is becoming more usual to train later plus with the covid issue (disrupted training, no industry) she feels in between. He current Level 6 diploma precludes her being eligible for funding for a normal degree course but maybe she is not quite ready for MA yet. She feels with the covid disruption and her age she's probably more on a par with someone going into their final year of undergrad.

And every decision changes their path, yes. We have fought to keep as many options as possible open - but in doing so have taken the risk that specialization may win the day. So hard when they have to make life determining choices at a young age.

@janinlondon

And every decision changes their path, yes. We have fought to keep as many options as possible open - but in doing so have taken the risk that specialization may win the day. So hard when they have to make life determining choices at a young age.

ohhh this!!!!! DD has been walking a line trying to balance serious music and serious MT since forever. She's just coming up 14. I'm wondering how sustainable this is... She's now at a specialist music school but it also has a v v strong performing arts offering and she is getting great private dance / singing / drama training. She literally could go any which way and I don't want to close any doors for her!

I had a really great conversation with a choreographer of one of her shows a couple of years ago where we waxed lyrical over this. He told me that no matter how bloody hard it is for us (parents) to keep doing what we are doing and hold strong. We might have a time where we/she feel like a 'jack of all trades'. But he told me about a friend who had followed a similar multi-disciplinary path who had recently said to him 'it might have taken me longer, but now I feel like a MASTER of all trades'. She's always in work (well, had been pre-covid...). So that gave me some confidence, but we do constantly question ourselves, don't we?

@janinlondon

And every decision changes their path, yes. We have fought to keep as many options as possible open - but in doing so have taken the risk that specialization may win the day. So hard when they have to make life determining choices at a young age.

Absolutely

A big part of the decision for dd to stay at her specialist dance school aged 16 rather than apply for one of the mostly London based colleges like Bird or Urdang or Laines was that as well as her diploma she could also study for 2 academic A levels.

Quadruple thread/actor musician is a big thing now. Dd regrets that she had to give up piano in Year 8. But she had a very long commute each day, normal school hours were 9am-6pm with compulsory Saturday morning dance and something had to give.

She's finally got a date for her Adv 1 Modern exam which should have been last year by the way. She's hoping she can also get to do her Adv 2 tap before the end of the academic year.

crikey, quadruple threat! I wouldn't say DD is that. She can move, but is a long way from what I would call a 'dancer'.

It's all so complicated isn't it, we don't know what to do for the best!

I've recently had a conversation with someone who has told me in no uncertain terms, not to wait till 18 for my DC to start training - to look at somewhere like ArtsEd where they can do their A levels while training. Not even something that had been on my radar, and now I gather that isn't the only school.

Time to think and look as currently only Y8 but the time passes quick... If applications would be y11 that means going to open days etc in Y10 (not to mention training) and this year will be the start of Y9 so it's closer than I think!

Currently only at a local community centre based dance school and was also told to step up a couple of steps - I have no idea where that would be round here, it would cause merry hell with current teacher/dance school, and covid doesn't help. It's very easy to feel totally alone in making these decisions.

Arts Ed is unfunded at age 16 AllHailThe Brain. Dd wanted to audition, but there was no way we could afford the £18k per year with accommodation fees on top. Her friend whose parents are very wealthy went there and loved it. The school is separate to their college/degree course. Even then their degree course is only part funded with Student Finance, you can borrow £6k per year to go towards fees of over £15k per year although they do have more scholarships etc available for their degree course.

For Musical Theatre as far as I am aware there is only one institution (Hammond in Chester) which offers professional musical theatre training alongside A levels and is funded. If you are a dancer you can add Tring Park to the list and for ballet Royal & Elmhurst. Tring also do a Musical Theatre course but that is not funded, unlike their dance course. You do need to pay for accommodation and living costs.

There are quite a few places now (that weren't available when dd was looking 3 years ago) that offer a Level 3 Btec/RSL/Cambridge Tech that are funded, but they don't offer A levels.

If applications would be y11 that means going to open days etc in Y10 (not to mention training) and this year will be the start of Y9 so it's closer than I think!

Start now. Applications open in the September of Year 11 and all of dd's auditions were over by January (apart from funding recalls). You really need to get most applications in by November of Year 11. We started looking at the end of Year 9. Covid doesn't help but we attended Move It & a Summer School in year 9 and CDMT careers conference and another summer school in Year 10 plus an open day.

Dd's first audition was October of Year 11.

@allhailthebrain DS is at Arts sixth form if u want any advice-I can confirm it is eye wateringly expensive and without my Mum’s help we wouldn’t have been able to consider it and know we are very lucky to have had the option. We live in the middle of the Cotswolds and he just couldn’t get the training he needed to stay competitive and find time to do ‘normal’ school. It is very lovely not to be driving all over the county every night but I do miss him!

This is all the stuff I now need to look in to. The person I spoke to had a granddaughter who had done her A levels while at ArtsEd. I'm definitely aware the money could be an issue! However as it stands, DC is at a private school which is only possible because of scholarships and bursaries. If it were the full fees it would be about the same as that...!

So many things to suss out, really appreciate the info. Thankfully very lucky in that over lockdown the stage school he joined just beforehand have been wonderful, and he's gelled very well with one of the founders, who is high up in MT-land. I'm hoping that he will be able to give good advice, effectively be a bit of a mentor going forwards. When the world allows us to properly chat face to face, I think he will be able to give us some sound advice on it all. The people from up here who we have known go to drama school have all waited till 18 (I can't speak - yet - for their successes as they were 2020 graduates that we were closest to!).

At the moment I am paying just over £900 per term for dd on a DaDa, plus her accommodation and living costs. This amount is based on a family income of £65k. You earn less, you pay less, earn more, pay more om a sliding scale. There are still many who cannot afford that. (The full fees without a DaDa would be similar to those at Arts Ed).

It's wanting the A levels that complicates things. There are lots more options for those who don't want A levels such as vocational Btec courses. When dd applied most of the MT college Btec courses were not funded, now many more are.

Ok we’ve been asked by NYMT to do another musician video pos because ours wasn’t quite right. So they are def looking at them!

What did they say wasn't quite right? Ds's was a little unconventional.

Oh that's interesting @Newgirls ! What did they ask for?

I don’t want to be too outing but they asked for a dif style of piece.