RAM Junior Academy - Musical Theatre

[ChocolateNowPlease86]

Does anyone have a DC on the Royal Academy of Music’s Junior Academy Musical Theatre course?

DD’s classically trained singing teacher has suggested DD should apply, but I can’t see that it would be any better than the weekend courses at ArtsEd or West End Musical Theatre, and those courses would provide dance training as well as singing and drama.

It would be different if the RAM course provided an academic angle, eg joining with the other Junior Academy pupils for composition, conducting, improvisation and general musicianship training, which would help with her Music GCSE and A level and potentially open the door to a traditional Music degree, with all the wider career options that could lead to, including composing for musical theatre or being a musical director, rather than just the small chance of perhaps a maximum of 10 years on stage (for a female musical theatre actor) following a vocational performing arts degree.

Any advice from other families with DCs already on the course?

You'll probably get more answers on the music thread. Lots of experience there, including musical theatre.

If musical theatre is her interest I would strongly recommend that she looks at training that offers ballet and technical jazz as this what is need to get on to the professional training courses. They are not looking for a fully trained dance, but someone who has talent and is prepared to take correction.
My DD did none of the big courses instead had singing, ballet, tap and jazz classes and was part of a local musical theatre group. She is now at Italia Conti.

I agree with @Needanadultgapyear in that musical theatre is the 'triple threat' and you need to be able to dance (ballet, jazz and tap) and act as well as sing.

If she is keen on auditioning for full-time musical theatre courses, then that's the sort of training she needs.