Student Blog: Back To School - How I Built My Own Concentration at NYU Gallatin

When I was applying for college I had no idea where I would end up or what I wanted to study.  I grew up performing and doing musical theatre, and was sure I wanted to follow that path into my career, but struggled with the reality of balancing rigorous academics, and my other interests, with a musical theater program. While I love to perform, I also felt as if I had to be somewhat practical because I know that talent and a degree in theatre doesn't guarantee a successful or viable career in the industry. While it is absolutely the right fit for many people, I was hesitant to put all my proverbial eggs in one basket, so to speak. After a year of college in California, I ended up at NYU Gallatin where I am now a senior. Unlike Tisch, our arts school, or the other colleges that together comprise New York University, Gallatin is a small program where every student designs their major. These “concentrations” can be anything, with the interdisciplinary nature of learning highly emphasized. I actually didn’t know about Gallatin when I was applying for colleges. I knew I wanted to spend my time taking musical theatre related classes, that was what I enjoyed most, but that seemed unachievable if I wasn’t going to major in it. I settled on a small liberal arts college with a yearly musical and a robust music program that was open to non majors. Within a month I decided to transfer. I missed living in NYC where I grew up and my proximity to Broadway shows. And I was so unfulfilled artistically. 

When I transferred to NYU my sophomore year I wanted to incorporate arts into my concentration; Social Media Marketing for the Entertainment Industry (with a focus on theatre). This concentration allows me to combine multiple of my passions and skills. My concentration offers a practical background within the industry I hope to work in, and I have access to many of the same theatre resources as NYU students who major in the arts. Gallatin actually has strong theatre classes, both performance based and academic which surprised me. We do have the ability to take classes at Tisch, Steinhardt, and other NYU schools, but the courses Gallatin offers have been so amazing. My first semester I took a class focusing on acting through song, and the following semester, an acting course. I supplement with vocal lessons through Steinhardt's vocal performance track and I could write an entire blog post alone singing my voice teacher’s praises. 

All of this is to say, I think there’s a certain idea of what it looks like to go to college with the goal of pursuing theatre professionally, and there truly are so many different paths. You don’t need to study it in school at all - many super successful performers didn’t - and you can still immerse yourself in it without being in a BFA program. Gallatin really clicked for me because it allowed me the flexibility to design my major, study with some of the best professors, and form valuable connections, all while getting to sing and act.