In my final installment of spotlighting musical theater training at the college level, I spoke with Kevin Covert, the new director of musical theater at the Shenandoah Conservatory. Kevin is implementing some exciting changes to the training at Shenandoah that will set his program apart from other standard musical theater college curriculum. His background as a professional performer (Broadway’s “Memphis,” “Spamalot,” and more) make him keenly aware of the need to develop contemporary pop-rock singing styles in order for graduates to be relevant in today’s market.
When and why did there become a demand for a musical theater degree?The MT degree at Shenandoah began over 45 years ago. We are a conservatory housed inside of a university and are also the host to a professional summer stock company, Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre. I believe that our mission statement beautifully identifies the reason that a degree in MT is vital: “As a community uniquely committed to rigor, nurture and innovation, Shenandoah Conservatory inspires artistic and scholarly excellence, preparing talented students for successful careers in the arts.” The popularity of musical theater in the United States is
Leave a Reply