The MTA – Course Structure
Every term at The MTA is structured the same way:
3 weeks of technical studies: A daily timetable of 2 dance classes, 1 acting or voice class, 1 singing class
1 week of specialist study:
2/3 weeks of technical studies: as above
3/4 weeks of rehearsal resulting in a public performance in an established off-West End venue
Please note all shows will be performed at an established off-West End venue and industry professionals will be invited to all. The production schedule is as follows:
| Term 1 | A play | |
| Term 2 | Something Old, Something New – The MTA Musical Theatre Revue | |
| Term 3 | A Musical | |
| Term 4 | An original Musical | |
| Term 5 | A pantomime | |
| Term 6 | Something Old, Something New – The MTA Musical Theatre Revue | |
| Term 7 | A Musical | |
| Term 8 | Agent Showcases (Acting and Musical Theatre) |
Additional options inc:
Individual singing lessons, opportunities to get involved with external projects e.g. Perfect Pitch developments, New Writing workshops, development of new shows as and when required.
PLEASE NOTE:
The MTA will only ever take a maximum of 22 students per year.
The MTA – Musical Theatre Curriculum Overview
A minimum of 10 hours contact time a week is devoted to the singing component of the course.
- Technical Singing
- Performance Seminars
- Choral rehearsal practice
- History of Musical Theatre
- Theory and basic keyboard skills
- Audition technique
1. Individual Technical Singing Class
Every student will have 30 mins/week of individual singing tuition during technical study weeks. You will be taught a variety of techniques including a classical singing style and traditional MT belt (where appropriate and safe to do so)
Finding your voice involves a process of negotiation – remember that what you hear reverberating inside your head actually sounds very different to those around you.
Continuing on the holistic approach of The MTA, be prepared for the statement that singing is only 10% technique, the rest…… Is psychological. If this sentence alarms you just think for a moment how much your own lack of confidence affects the development of your singing voice?
Singing in a modern musical is the vocal equivalent of running a marathon – it is essential that you get the technique right to remain vocally safe at all times. You need to understand your voice; it is after all the most basic and essential tool that any actor uses. To put it bluntly, you only have the one voice, once it’s gone – so has your career! The MTA understands that and takes its responsibilities seriously.
2. Performance Seminars
Technique is important (and vital for vocal safety) but it is your performance technique that will actually secure you work. Acting through song, finding out what works for you will be a vital tool in securing you that first job.
3. Choral Rehearsal Practise
Combining good professional practice with the desire to produce good sounds, with the need to hold a harmony, whilst performing your socks off. Learning how to play with your voice to enable it to blend with others is a key ingredient to being a successful Musical Theatre performer. In weekly ensemble classes you will explore the nuances of group singing, when to shine, when to hold back, when to let it rip! Working steadily through a traditional Musical Theatre repertoire your knowledge base will increase as your singing gets stronger.
4. History of Musical Theatre
To understand any art form you must look at the history that surrounds it. At The MTA the history of Musical Theatre is studied as an integral part of the course. In the first term you will be given a full historical context to the modern musical. In following terms you will explore in more detail the main contributors to the art form. With the links that The MTA has already forged with new Musical Theatre writers/producers you will top up the history with a healthy dose of the future.
By extending your musical theatre vocabulary you will be better placed to know the perfect musical theatre song for any audition.
5. Theory
All students will be given a basic grounding in music notation.
6. Audition Technique
From the moment that you embark on your training at The MTA you will be made aware of how the audition process works in today’s theatre. We believe that it takes time to create the perfect portfolio of songs that will show you off in the best possible light. Therefore audition technique and portfolio classes run through the entire eight terms. By the time you leave the course you should have sung the majority of your portfolio in a mock audition set up. In addition to the performance of audition material you will also be advised on your ‘image’, as very often it is the simple things that can let you down.
Through mock auditions you will be given constant feedback and appraisals from industry professionals on where you are currently going wrong (or right). You are constantly put under pressure to deliver the best possible performance at all times.
In addition to classes all of The MTA shows are cast from auditions only.
As you progress through the course there will be the chance to audition for outside directors/producers for various workshops developing new shows.
The MTA – Acting Curriculum Overview
At The MTA we believe that the essence of a good triple threat performer is a strong Actor. A minimum of 6 hours contact time per week is devoted to the acting component of the course which is taught by a number of leading acting specialists in a variety of environments including intensive classes, workshops, rehearsals and productions. The first public performance for a student at The MTA is a straight play.
Acting at The MTA
The Acting course at The MTA, in collaboration with our Voice Department, is designed to introduce students to all key aspects of drama and performance in the western theatre tradition. Although there is an emphasis on Stanislavski, the course actively encourages the employment of a wide-range of acting processes, research skills and critical thinking in order to identify creative pathways and philosophies appropriate to the individual in view of industry expectations. The aim of the course is to foster versatile, independent, and self-reflective actors/performers who will be equipped to enter both musical theatre and straight acting professions.
YEAR ONE
- Approaches to character versus neutrality
- Group and solo storytelling: including group kinaesthetic dynamics
- Classical Acting: Greek Theatre and Shakespeare
- Commedia dell’Arte
- Stanislavski: Applied to appropriate texts
- Theory: History of Acting, Performance and key practitioners
- Musical Scene Study: Technique application
YEAR TWO
- American and British Contemporary scene study: duologues
- Comedy: historic lineage and group scene study
- Personal Project: Writing and/or directing
- Acting for camera, resulting in a personal show-reel
- Techniques for Radio, resulting in a personal voice-reel
- Audition Preparation: Classical and contemporary monologues, and sight-reading
The MTA Voice Overview
The most important piece of equipment that any performer has is their voice. A minimum of 4 hours contact time a week is devoted to the voice component of the course.
Working with a specialist voice tutor you will be taught:
Breath Control
Projection
Resonance
Placing
Diction and articulation.
Phonetics
Dialects and Accents
The MTA – Dance Curriculum Overview
During technical skills weeks (1 – 3, 4 – 7) you will participate in 2 dance classes/day. Approximately 12.5 hours contact time a week is devoted to the dance component of the course.
Year One
Classical Ballet
Jazz
Street Jazz
Contemporary
Tap
Pilates
Body conditioning
Musical Theatre
Key Performance:
Public performance of Something Old, Something New – The MTA Musical Revue at an established off-West End Venue
Year Two
Classical Ballet
Jazz
Street Jazz
Contemporary
Tap
Pilates
Body conditioning
Musical Theatre
Pas de Deux
Key Performance:
Public performance of Something Old, Something New – The MTA Musical Revue at an established off-West End Venue
Agent Showcase at an established off-West End Venue
Dance at The MTA
Dance is an integral part of musical theatre.
At The MTA we aim to develop the student’s competence and confidence in Jazz, Classical Ballet, Musical Theatre, Pas de Deux, Street Jazz, Contemporary and Tap; a big emphasis will be based on how to perform with character, musicality and style; to work with a variety of professional choreographers and to be in command of a repertoire of varying dance styles. There will also be an emphasis on an understanding of the human body so that our students learn to express their emotions through dance and are aware of their nutritional needs and how to avoid injury.
The Jazz classes held three times a week, aims to develop flexibility and strength in order that the student can perform with energy, speed, stamina, co-ordination and control. Students will develop the ability to learn routines and retain corrections.
A Classical Ballet class is taken three times a week. This is the foundation for all the other dance disciplines and aims to develop the student’s understanding of stance, line, placement, use of floor and turn-out.
The Pas De Deux classes will enable the student to perform with care, consideration and coordination when working with a partner. They will develop an ability to respond to the energy and timing of their partner in a variety of musical styles.
The Tap class will enable the student to build up a vocabulary of steps, learn a repertoire of combinations, develop competence in differing tap styles and perform with versatility and a sense of dynamics.
The Street Jazz class focuses on commercial dance for pop videos, fashion and trade shows. In this, the student will learn a variety of street jazz styles.
The Contemporary dance class is taught using body mechanics, technique and conditioning to enable the student to dance with control, energy and dynamics.
The Musical Theatre classes will focus mainly on style and learning repertoire from West End shows and will also work on combining song and dance from term 1.
We will also be taking Pilates and Body Conditioning classes and during our specialist weeks will focus on certain styles and areas of dance.
The MTA – Specialist Skills Week Overview
In week 4 of every term regular technical classes stop and you will spend a week exploring a specialist skill with a visiting expert.
Skills week to be chosen from the following list, depending on the student group:
Commedia Del Arte/Clowning
New Musical Development Week in partnership with Perfect Pitch Developments
Stage Combat – leading to your Basic Stage Combat Certificate
TV Workshop
Radio Workshop
West End Workshop week – working with people involved in current shows.
Cabaret