Music-al Theater: My College Experience as a B.M Student

Whenever I go to see a musical, the first thing I do when I get the Playbill is read the bios of all the actors. I love learning about where they come from. Through reading these bios, one thing I’ve observed is that many of them earned their BFA degree in theater. But as I read them more, I always notice that not everyone goes down this path and they’re still actively “doing the thing” professionally. This inspired me to talk about my experience getting a BM (Bachelor of Music) instead of a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts), which seems to have been noted as the "industry standard". I think the BFA path is a very well-established and beneficial path to take, and this should not take away from that in any way, but I would also love to bring to light how there are many ways to pursue a theater career.

For those who don’t know me, I’m currently in my senior year at Berklee College of Music in Boston. I originally attended Berklee as a Flute Performance major, but eventually decided to prioritize musical theater in my career path (though the flute is still near and dear to my heart). But I didn’t transfer schools to earn my BFA. I’m still pursuing a music degree. So what does this mean? Am I still getting a high-quality education in what I want to pursue? I believe I am, and here’s why.

One thing I love about Berklee is that everyone enters with an undeclared major. This gives students the chance to explore different classes and career paths before committing to a certain major. Even once you’re declared, you have the option to change your major and work with the flexible success advising team to modify your course plan to adapt to these changes.

So this is what happened to me. I came to Berklee wanting to pursue Flute Performance and declared it as a major in my third semester of study. Through my minor in musical theater performance, I found more of a connection to storytelling through musical theater, and changed my major to Professional Music in my sixth semester, over halfway through my studies. The Professional Music major is built for aspiring independent musicians and gives you the flexibility to take courses of your choosing using “tracks” of study. Because of the major’s flexibility, I’m able to take singing/dance/acting classes through my track in musical theater performance, and still graduate on time. I also still have the track in Flute Performance, so all the credits I used on that will still show up in my skills (and my degree).

So what exactly are some things I’ve learned through getting a music degree rather than a theater degree? Of course, it goes without saying that my education had a large focus on the music side of things. All students at Berklee College of Music are required to take “Harmony” 1-4, which goes in-depth about music theory in ways such as analyzing chords and songs, types of scales, and so on. This is taken alongside “Arranging 1,” where we learn how to notate, write, and arrange music for a rhythm section. We are also required to take “Ear Training” 1-4, which helps immensely with transcription, singing from sheet music, and being able to hear certain harmonies and rhythms. Some other required classes include “Introduction to Music Technology” to gain proficiency in using Logic Pro, a music recording software, a certain amount of “Ensemble” credits to apply musical skills to an interactive setting.

Understanding Music

All of these classes have given me incredible skills and insights into how to better understand the music behind musical theater. I strive to be a versatile musician and performer, and I have my music education to thank for a lot of that. The theory and ear training courses have been great for sight-singing and analyzing music (Being a woodwind musician and having to sight-read some crazy lines and melodies has also helped with this!). Knowing why the chord progressions are written exactly as they are in a song could even help with character and choice analysis, which could impact my acting.

Making Music

I’m also currently in the process of putting together a “senior recital” for myself, where I will perform a headlining “cabaret-like” show in March. With that, I will be arranging and orchestrating all of the songs I plan to perform for a rhythm section, string section, and background vocalists.

Thankfully, through the Contemporary Writing minor at Berklee, I’ve taken courses about writing and arranging, and I’m grateful to have the chance to use these skills and see it all come together!

Working with Musicians

In general, knowing how to interact with musicians is one of the biggest skills I’ve gained at Berklee. I’m learning how to lead rehearsals and performances in various settings, from staged readings to musical productions to recording studios, which will set me up for success working in multiple areas of the industry. Even as an actor, being able to put myself in the shoes of the people around me is an important quality to have so you know how to work as efficiently as possible.

Working with Writers

As I’ve mentioned in previous articles (like this one!), Berklee is very well-known for its writing programs, one of which is the Musical Theater Writing minor. Their classes and initiatives for promoting new works are highly influential, and as a performer, I am grateful to be at the forefront of it. I work as a student performer for the Musical Theater Writing classes, where I get to sing original music and help in workshopping it to its final form. This experience has been very eye-opening because seeing the writing process behind every note and melody in these songs affects so much, like the character choices I make and how I can tell the writer’s stories as authentically as possible. I’m grateful to have gained the skills from music school, like sight singing and analysis of the music, for opportunities like these.

Networking

I’ve also gotten to network with more than just performers through being at a school with all kinds of people. The majors at Berklee range from Performance to Writing to Music Production and Engineering to Music Business. Everyone is able to craft their own path during their college experience, which makes the chance to work with different perspectives very prevalent. You never know what will happen with the people you connect with, so networking with a diverse range of people, even if they’re doing something different than you, could help you out in ways you never knew. My major in Professional Music also requires me to take Music Business classes to learn how to establish and market myself as a business.

"Side Hustles"

With the range of musical courses I’ve taken in general, I know I have the skills for other sources of income! For instance, I know that I could make some money writing a few jingles from the skills I learned in my “Jingle Writing” class, or playing the Flute for performance gigs and recording sessions (such as film scores!). Through my involvement in student clubs, I also have experience in marketing and administrative work which could help me out with many opportunities in the future.

Theater Experience

With all of this, I’ve still been able to take a wide range of Theater classes. I’m taking at least 1 dance class per semester, using Acting and Theater Performance ensembles for my ensemble credit, and I’ve been taking private voice lessons on the side. I've also been involved in many of the student-run theatrical projects, including work as the Social Media Manager for my school's Musical Theater Club, and performing in shows. Although my education is definitely not as in-depth in the acting field itself, I still feel that surrounding myself with other actors and having courses where I perform for credit have taught me through doing. I have still learned from many amazing peers and faculty members, and I know that the process of learning also doesn’t end in college.

I’ve seen the standard spread that the BFA is the “path to Broadway”. This can definitely be a great experience for people, and I commend anyone who goes down this path! With that, my experience with getting a music degree allows me to say that there is no “one way” to pursue a career. You don’t even need a creative degree to pursue something creative as a career. As long as you are actively putting yourself out there to learn about the industry, degree or no degree required, you are worthy and capable of the dreams you work for, and the opportunities that are meant for you will not pass you by if you keep looking out for them. 

If anyone is reading this and has any questions about my experiences, my messages are always open. You can find me on Social Media @angelinakardos

You got this, I’m rooting for you!

Cover photo: Julia Aronovich