PI NRODUCTION S TUDIES PERFORMING ARTS A Nationally Distinctive Bachelor of Arts Degree
THINK OUTSIDE www.clemson.edu/Perf-Arts
THE BOX
Greetings from the Department of Performing Arts, Thank you for your interest in Clemson University and our nationally distinctive Production Studies in Performing Arts degree program with concentrations in Audio Technology, Music, and Theatre. Peers, parents, and potential students frequently ask me, “What makes your Performing Arts Department and major at Clemson so different from other educational programs?” As you read through this brochure, I hope you will find the answer. Our Performing Arts Department offers training at one of the best facilities in the country. Clemson’s Brooks Center was ranked eighth in 2014 on the list of the “Top 25 Most Amazing University Performing Arts Centers” as published online by bestvalueschools.com and is where academics and handson professional training merge. Our students not only attend world-renowned music, theatre, and dance events, but they have the opportunity to interact with industry professionals, which is at the philosophical foundation of our major. This core experiential approach, both on- and offcampus, as guided by our nationally prominent faculty and staff, helps lead to performing arts employment and/or admittance into prestigious masters programs upon graduation (Please see our alumni highlight page for more information).
THE BOX
In addition, Clemson University itself is recognized as one of the most outstanding, highly selective public universities in the country. And, within the department we audition and recruit some of the brightest student applicants. Wherever you work or travel, people recognize the Clemson tiger paw, admire the Clemson educational experience, and value graduates of our unique Production Studies major. So if you are interested in a well-rounded, undergraduate training program, where you can perform, collaborate with professional artists, and work in a state-of-the art facility from day one, we invite you to become a part of our program. There truly is something magical in these Clemson hills and especially in the halls, classrooms, recording studios, laboratories, and performance venues of the Brooks Center and Department of Performing Arts. We invite you to join us! Sincerely,
David Hartmann, Chair Dept. of Performing Arts
IT’S TIME TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
UNIQUELY PREPARING STUDENTS FOR CAREERS IN THE ARTS Here is a sampling of jobs our graduates may pursue: Actor Acoustic Engineer Adverstising Executive Arts Administrator Arts Journalist or Critic Arts Manager Arts Marketer Audio Engineer Box Office Manager Carilloneur Church Music Director Church Organist Composer Costumer/Costume Designer Events Coordinator Festival Coordinator Film Technician Freelance Musician House Manager
Lighting Designer Lighting Sales Executive Live Music Technician Music Educator Playwright/Screenwriter Production Supervisor Recording Engineer Rigger Music Sales Executive Scenic Designer Sound Designer Sound Sales Executive Sound Technician Stage Director Stage Manager Technical Director Theatre Technician Tourism Manager Touring Production Specialist
“Applicants for the plentiful job openings in artist management and other related fields often lack the very skills the Clemson program teaches. � -Marc Baylin, President (Baylin Arts Management)
PRODUCTION STUDIES IN PERFORMING ARTS The Bachelor of Arts in Production Studies in Performing Arts degree is a multi-disciplinary program that includes classes in performance, production, history, theory, and arts technologies. Graduates are uniquely prepared for entry into a wide variety of traditional, commercial, and community-based careers, as well as graduate studies.
THE CURRICULUM The Core Curriculum (17 credit hours) Introduction to Performing Arts Career Planning and Professional Development Arts Administration Senior Project/Capstone Presentation Performing Arts Practicum I and II Digital Portfolio I and II
CONCENTRATIONS AUDIO TECHNOLOGY MUSIC THEATRE Intro. to Audio Technology Music Technology Acting Audio Engineering I Music Theory Theatre History Audio Engineering II Music History Production Studies in Theatre Sound Reinforcement Music Ensembles Theatre Technology Acoustics Applied Music Studio Directing Production Workshop Conducting Structure of Drama Audio Practicum Dramatic Literature
THE CLEMSON EDUCATION General Education Requirements Foreign Language Minor Concentration Electives 121 credits hours required for graduation.
MUSIC MINOR The music minor requires 18 credit hours, including private lessons, music theory, music history, ensembles, and electives. No audition is required.
*There is no minor in audio technology.
THEATRE MINOR The theatre minor requires 20 credit hours, including dramatic literature, theatre history, a specialty area of concentration, practicum, and electives. No audition is required.
“This broad-based curriculum offers invaluable preparation for students in areas otherwise neglected by the standard curriculums. Offering this type of training makes Clemson more appealing to students and its graduates more marketable to the field at large.” - Dr. Jamée Ard, The Julliard School, New York City
ADMISSION Admission to the Production Studies in Performing Arts degree is a two step process. First, students should apply to Clemson by the December 1st priority deadline, send an official high school transcript with senior year courses listed, and request that official SAT or ACT scores be sent to Clemson directly from the testing agency. The admissions website can help answer any of your questions (http://www. clemson.edu/admission/). Secondly, the Department of Performing Arts requires all students to complete an audition and interview. On-campus auditions/ interviews are preferred, and in most cases should be completed by mid-February of the student’s senior year of high school. For complete information, visit the department’s website at www.clemson.edu/Perf-Arts.
FINANCIAL AID & SCHOLARSHIPS The Department of Performing Arts offers talent-based scholarship opportunities for Production Studies majors. The on-campus audition/interview can serve as a scholarship audition. Additional scholarship opportunities are available through each of the department’s major ensemble and keyboard programs.
Contact Information 864-656-3043 Perf-Arts-L@clemson.edu Brooks Center for the Performing Arts 141 Jersey Lane Clemson, SC 29634-0526 “The performing arts industry desperately needs well-trained professionals. The Clemson University program fills a crucial gap in the arts field by helping students pursue their passion for the arts while training them for nonperformance careers in the arts” - Toby Tumarkin, Booking Representative at Columbia Artists Management, Inc.
EMPHASIS AREAS & PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES BANDS The Clemson University Bands exist to provide all Clemson University students the opportunity for aesthetic experience and growth through excellence in performance, exposure to music of the highest quality, and creative thought. Including more than 400 students from almost every major on campus, performance opportunities include Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Marching Band (Tiger Band), Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combos, Basketball Pep Bands, Percussion Ensemble, and Steel Band.
CHORAL MUSIC The choral music program at Clemson offers a wide range of music to suit all tastes, from chamber music to popular tunes. The ensembles include the Clemson University Singers, a mixed-voice choir; Women’s Glee and Men’s Glee, which are designed to explore the vast wealth of literature for women’s choirs and men’s choirs; and Take Note and Tigeroar, small a capella ensembles for students who enjoy singing popular music.
ORCHESTRA The Clemson Symphony Orchestra performs works from the standard repertoire, concertos, choral/orchestral music - even jazz and opera. The orchestra performs regular oncampus concerts and at invited off-campus venues. String players can also audition for the Clemson University String Quartet, a scholarship ensemble that performs throughout the area.
THEATRE
Intense and diverse, the theatre program is an exciting combination of performance, production, and academic aspects of theatre. Over a four-year period, students are exposed to a wide variety of performances and plays, from classical to contemporary, with special emphasis placed on the production of new student works. The Clemson Players, the student theatre organization, cosponsors an annual season of plays with productions designed and directed by faculty, guest artists, and students. Theatre Unhinged (a student run production company) enhances the program with workshops, festivals, and shows. Clemson theatre students have built successful careers in every aspect of the profession.
KEYBOARD STUDIES Keyboard majors have the opportunity to specialize and study in the areas of solo piano, accompanying, organ, and carillon. We offer the only carillon program in South Carolina. Students have weekly applied lessons and ample opportunities to perform on- and off-campus. Piano classes include private instruction, beginning class instruction, and accompanying. Individual organ lessons feature instruction on a one-manual G.C. Klopp Continuo and on a two-manual Allen Digital/Pipe Hybrid Organ. The Clemson University Carilloneurs have the opportunity to play the 47-bell Clemson Memorial Carillon atop Tillman Hall. Cast in France, the bells range from 32 to 4,300 pounds, and can be heard up to a quarter mile from the campus. Carillon classes and private instruction are offered.
Many of our students choose to pursue graduate studies after they complete the program. Here is a selection of schools where our alumni have been accepted: Belmont University Carnegie Mellon University Catholic University of America College of Charleston Columbia University De Paul University Florida State University
Naropa University New York University Northwestern University Ohio State University Roosevelt University Swiburne University of Technology University of Alabama
University of Central Oklahoma University of New Mexico University of North Carolina School of the Arts University of California at San Diego University of South Carolina University of Tennessee Virgina Commonwealth University
ALUMNI HIGHLIGHTS ALUMNI HIGHLIGHTS We have an impressive number of alumni employed in the performing arts. Here is a selection of the organizations at which our alumni have worked: 701 Center for Contemporary Art Actors Theatre of Louisville Berklee College of Music Boston Symphony Orchestra Brave New Films Carnegie Hall Cleveland Playhouse Dock Street Theatre Flat Rock Playhouse Greenville Symphony Orchestra Harbison Theatre Omaha Theater Company Orlando Shakespeare Theater
Peace Center for the Performing Arts Playhouse on the Square Productions Unlimited, Inc. Professional Audio Designs PSAV The Assembly Theater Project Technical Theatre Solutions The Old Globe Silvercreek Records Spoleto Festival USA STAGES St. Louis Stephen C. O’ Connell Center Victory Gardens Theater
National and International Tours Disney On Ice: Frozen Work Light Productions: American Idiot The Musical Avenue Q Mamma Mia Nice Work If You Can Get It The Ant and the Elephant A Year with Frog and Toad
Many of our alumni pursue freelance work and several have started their own companies with fellow graduates. “Every single faculty member here is deeply committed to the students- and that’s the game changer. The Brooks Center is not just about bricks and mortar- it is about the people inside, who are exceptional creative mentors and leaders- who inspire each other and encourage one other. And as wonderful as it was to get my performing arts education in an all-star facility like the Brooks Center, I would not be where I am today without the guidance and opportunities given to me by the PEOPLE of Clemson.” - Caroline Ritchie ’09 (Asst. Corporate Relations and Sponsorships at Carnegie Hall)
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Our professional development opportunities rank high on the list of what makes our major so different from a standard performing arts program. The Brooks Center is a professional road house and our students help run the facility. Performing Arts majors get the hands-on experience of working with industry professionals on all genres of touring performances. Student workers are also employed in the box office, scene shop, costume shop, audio studios, band areas, and administrative offices. For students who want an in depth look at what it takes to launch a national tour, a two-week internship with Work Light Productions of New York City and Technical Theatre Solutions, of Charleston, South Carolina, is offered to select students during certain school years. These companies have opened several national tours at the Brooks Center including Mamma Mia! and Avenue Q. Many students participate in other internships on- and offcampus which also result in jobs after graduation, such as the Spoleto Festival USA, Flat Rock Playhouse, Paste magazine, Disney, Forty One Fifteen recording studio, and the Goodman Theatre, among many others. Additionally, the city of Greenville, South Carolina, is not far down the road and has a vibrant, ever-growing arts scene. The city allows for even more professional performance and employment possibilities for our students right outside of Clemson. Finally our students have performed across the United States and internationally. The Clemson University Singers performed in Italy, band students performed at the London Olympics, and select Carillon students performed at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Opportunities for students to attend conferences abound. Such opportunities include, but are not limited to: Audio Engineering Society International Convention Audio Engineering Society Central Region Summit NATS competition and the Mid-Atlantic NATS competition Percussive Arts Society International Convention Southeastern Theatre Conference United States Institute for Theatre Technology All of these opportunities are not limited to upperclassmen. You can get to work from day one of your Clemson performing arts experience! “In my first year, I was exposed to nearly 100 different productions ranging from chamber music, to jazz, to musical theater, to magic shows. The range of productions exposed all of us students to new technologies and to new ways of problem solving. The big range of performance types also meant there was something appealing to every student who worked on this stage; the musicians got their fill and so did the actors.” - Mike East ‘07 (Vice President of Operations at Technical Theatre Solutions)
A STATE OF THE ART VENUE TO CALL HOME The Department of Performing Arts is housed in the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts. This merging of professional and educational programming provides students access to every level of arts participation. The Department of Performing Arts and the Brooks Center operate in a mutually supportive partnership. The Center promotes the educational mission of the department while presenting outstanding artists and attractions, encouraging new artists, experimental works, and developing and educating diversified audiences, from children through seniors.
The Brooks Theatre is a state-of-the-art 1,000 seat proscenium theatre that opened in 1994. In 2014, the Center was ranked #8 on the bestvalueschools.com list of “The 25 Most Amazing University Performing Arts Center.” The Brooks Center features computer-controlled lighting systems, a DigiCo digital sound board, a 35-speaker Meyer sound system, and a 66foot fly loft. All performing arts students have numerous opportunities to work with the more than 75 annual productions hosted in the theatre. Performances from Broadway touring shows to international chamber music ensembles are featured each year.
“Quote about the program from a former student. Blah, blah, blah.” - Former Student ‘06
A LIVING LABORATORY The Brooks Center serves as a living laboratory, providing hands-on experience for each concentration: audio technology, music, and theatre. This experience-based approach sets our graduates apart.
VISITING THE BROOKS CENTER
Visits to the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts are encouraged for all applicants or interested students. Tours and faculty visits may be arranged by telephoning 864-656-3043 or by emailing Perf-Arts-L@clemson.edu
CAMPUS VISITS The Clemson University Visitors Center serves as the “front door” to the campus and the Clemson experience. It offers a variety of informational services, including guided tours, audio visuals, and publications about the University and surrounding area. The Class of 1944 Visitors Center is located at 109 Daniel Drive, adajacent to the Alumni Center. Regularly scheduled tours are conducted at 9:45 am and 1:45 pm, Monday through Friday when classes are in session. http://www.clemson.edu/visit/ “Having opened seven shows at the Brooks Center, including the national tour of Avenue Q, I consider Clemson students to be on par with the professional crews we have worked with in theaters across the country. It is for this reason that we hire so many Clemson grads.” -Stephen Gabriel, President (Work Light Productions)
Visit Us: www.clemson.edu/Perf-Arts
Department of Performing Arts 221 Brooks Center for the Performing Arts Box 340525 Clemson, SC 29634-0525
Contact Us: 864-656-3043
Non-profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Clemson, SC Permit No. 10
06/2014-1000