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[0:00] Charlie Murphy: Hello, hello, and welcome to Mapping The College Audition. I'm your host, Charlie Murphy, director of MTCA. That's Musical Theatre College Auditions. Check us out at mtca.com. And today we've got Jennifer Hemphill from Baldwin Wallace University. The much anticipated episode, I know we promised it at the beginning of the season, and here it is. For our newer listeners, it's another one of our college deep dive episodes, where we explore the landscape of the college theatre world and try to demystify this daunting audition process. And this is another one of our Act Two episodes. So I encourage listeners who want that additional context to listen back to the Victoria Bustard episode, which was our second ever episode of this program, to get additional information on the history of Baldwin Wallace.

But as with all of our Act Twos, this is a really great snapshot of where we are now in 2025. And then of course, we'll go back where we visit programs as they continue to grow and evolve. And as we always talk about with MTCA, you know, no program is one teacher or one director, one program head. That's certainly true of Baldwin Wallace as well, right? We get a lot of questions when we know like a well known person is leaving, like Vicki or Caitlin from Texas State. It's certainly worth clocking for yourself. And I'll talk about this a little bit more in the takeaway to this episode. But I'll just say at the top here, you know, a program is not made up of one person. MTCA is not just me, it's not just Leo, not just any individual coach.

We are a collection of all of our talents and history and contributions of so many people that have made us who we are. And that's absolutely true of Baldwin Wallace, absolutely true of all these colleges. So it's really exciting to hear about Jennifer's vision for the future of BW. And as for the MTCA side of things, all is good here. We're back from some really fun back-to-back weeks of PUA, that's Pittsburgh Unified Auditions, both in person in Pittsburgh and then virtually. And I got to meet many of our listeners there. So shout out to all of you. Thank you again for the love for those who came up and said hi, both in person and then digitally. I got some messages. I really appreciate all of you.

I'm sending all of you love and hello to our newer listeners as well. I know we met some new families who frantically jotted down, what's that podcast you mentioned? So hopefully you've searched, you've Googled and you found us via this very episode. And for those of you who've been loyal listeners for a long time, hopefully you already know how much we appreciate you. And we really appreciate you spreading the word to those newer listeners, whether that's via a rating and review on your own podcast platform of choice, or by sending this pod to someone you think would find it useful. It is all very much appreciated. And I'm looking forward to seeing many more of you at our upcoming mocks on November 2nd in New York City, and then in Chicago and LA on November 9th and 15th slash 16th, respectively.

Always a really fun warm-up trip for us before making the unified rounds later in the winter. And I hope I will see many of you, or I guess really I will think of many of you as you will see me this Thursday. That's this Thursday at our parent panel webinar. It's with one of our college advisors, Kristen Denlea, who's an MTCA alumni mother. And then we'll be joined by two other been there, done that parents who are MTCA alumni parents. They both have college freshmen currently, so they've just gone through the process, and both of whom I do believe are podcast listeners themselves. It's not why I chose them, I promise, but I do think that's true of both of them. So it'll be kind of a fun little family experience.

You get to chat with some parents and get to know their experiences. That's this Thursday at 9 p.m. Eastern, and it is open to all. Like all of our webinars, whether you're an MTCA student or not, it is open to all. So feel free to check that out on our website at mtca.com. All right, let's get right into this episode. I can't make you wait any longer with Jennifer Hemphill from Baldwin Wallace.

[3:52] Charlie Murphy: Well, we are so excited to be joined by Jennifer Hemphill. Jennifer has a BFA from NYU Tisch and MFA from Kent State University. She's a performer, director, choreographer. Her performance credits include many Broadway and national tour credits, including lots of time with Mamma Mia, with both the Broadway and national tour. I was telling you about my four-year-old daughter who saw the Mamma Mia poster in the subway that is coming back and was fascinated by it. She was like, what's a wedding? What's happening? She wanted to hear the whole story. Anyway, I digress. To say, Jennifer's also formerly the dean of the Conservatory for the Performing Arts and chair of musical theater at Stevens College before becoming the music theater director at Baldwin Wallace University, which is still located in Berea, Ohio.

They take classes of about 20 musical theater people, about 20 acting BFA people. We can talk through that, offer those degrees in acting, a BFA and a BM in music theater. Jennifer, welcome on the show. How are you feeling today?

[4:45] Jennifer Hemphill: Thank you. Thank you for having me. I'm really excited to be here. I've been here at BW for, I guess, like a month and change. So lots going on and, you know, diving in headfirst. Can't wait to talk to you about it.

[5:03] Charlie Murphy: Yes. And you'll feel my excitement is not just caffeination, though I am, of course, well caffeinated today, but you can see how excited I am to talk to you. And, you know, this is an episode I know many of our students and families have been asking about and excited about. I will have said some of this in the introduction to the episode, you know, just reminding people about what these act one and act two episodes, but just a reminder, this is like an act two episode for us. We had Vicki Besser on to talk about the program in our second ever episode of the podcast way back in 2021. But here we are in 2025, doing a bit of an update under what will be your stewardship. As always, I do really encourage folks to listen back to that episode.

If nothing else, you'll get to see me before I was so wonderful at my own podcasting and interviewing skills. But also you get a sense of where Baldwin Wallace has come from. And now Jennifer is going to really try to address some of that bridge into the future with this episode. I won't ask all of the questions that I asked Vicki back in the day. So, you know, there'll be a little bit of overlap, but I'll try to ask most of them so that you can address them and get a sense of that. Before we get into the Baldwin Wallace questions though, just anything you'd want to add in terms of like your bio, you know, if we talk about your performing career or moving into academia generally, I then want to talk about this specific transition that you mentioned, but anything just from like your journey from performing into academia?

[6:07] Jennifer Hemphill: Sure. You know, I've always taught, I've always loved to teach and I come from a family of educators. So it's just sort of in my blood. So even when I was performing, you know, full time, quote unquote, I was still doing masterclasses and things of that nature. And, you know, I literally felt a calling. I woke up on a Saturday morning and said to my husband, John, also an actor, I said, I think I'm going to go to grad school. He said, okay. And within about a week I was going to grad school. So I think it was just like a neon sign, you know, I just felt it. And then things just really lined up and I couldn't be happier. It's just, it's a wonderful opportunity to get to create on all sides, you know, and that's really fun.

[6:54] Charlie Murphy: You're preaching to the choir when it comes to that. And sort of helping mentor the next generation. Before we get into, I want to talk specifically about Baldwin Wallace and your experiences there. Can we just talk, you mentioned you're a couple weeks in, we record this in the end of September, you know, a little bit, maybe almost a couple months in here now. Talk to me about where we are on the point of transition, right? Our season finale episode from last season, we talked to Vicki a little bit, mostly about Oberlin and her transition out. I know, of course, we were trying to find the right time for us to talk about, like with this particular episode, everyone wanted that information yesterday, but also you wanted to get a sense of getting your feet on the ground. So just catch me up. Where are you with your feet on the ground? How much of the ship that you're trying to helm do you feel like you have a sense of now in these first couple of weeks?

[7:31] Jennifer Hemphill: I have a solid foot and a half on the ground. That's pretty good. There's always room, right? There's always room. But no, you know, there's so much that's great about the program. I mean, there are so many wonderful things that Vicki has done and she left. It's certainly a great legacy. And we are celebrating that. We are honoring that. We are carrying on with all of those magical things. And we're sprinkling in, you know, some new glitter a little bit. We're bolstering the acting program a bit more. We're expanding masterclasses. We're expanding the season. We're working on some new partnerships, dot, dot, dot. So we are well underway with those things. We've also we've already mounted a production.

We did a concert version of Assassins and we've cast the remainder of the season and now we're in week two of rehearsals for nine to five. So it's so exciting, you know, in so many just the sort of quantity of schools that we talked to in this podcast are often emerging schools, competitive, but not yet most competitive schools that are sort of on the journey to go. How do we keep increasing our competitiveness? It is a rare opportunity to get to talk to someone who's taking over a program that's already in that most competitive tier. You know, we did it with Rick and Jerry being like, you're taking over Carnegie Mellon. What does that feel like? Like there's that experience of, you know, when it's really got legacy, it's got legs already and you're jumping into the ship. It's a really specific challenge. So I'm excited to talk all about it.

[8:55] Jennifer Hemphill: Thank you. I'd love to hear, you know, you've worked different places, you've seen different programs, you know, as you now have gotten the sense of what a Baldwin Wallace student is or has been, at least we'll talk about a little bit more your vision for growth, but how do you see Baldwin Wallace? How do you see sort of like what the kind of student who shows up there, what the kind of work that's done, what is the ethos of a Baldwin Wallace student to your eye?

[9:15] Jennifer Hemphill: I think it's, I can give it to you in kind of one phrase, but we want people and we have people who have a love of the game. They really love all aspects, you know, from process to product. They want to be supportive. They want to be part of a network and a cohort. You know, they understand that there's so much connective tissue in this industry and it starts now. And so I think that's who we have here and that's definitely our first year class coming in. And that's what we want, you know, going forward, just this community.

[9:55] Charlie Murphy: I love it. I love it. And now let's talk a little bit, you mentioned the curricular changes. Can you just give us, again, this for maybe people who haven't listened to that first episode, give us a little bit of curriculum overview and then can we maybe talk about some of the changes? So what are the four years? What do they look like? Especially let's talk about Baldwin Wallace Musical Theater. What does that curriculum look like and then how are you updating and changing it?

[10:12] Jennifer Hemphill: Absolutely. So we're a BM as opposed to a BFA. And so the BM is really a BFA with about 10% more music. It's kind of a good way to look at it. Historically speaking, there's been a trajectory of what are called MT workshops and those have offered some wonderful, you know, instruction certainly. But what we've done is decided to make the acting workshops an acting trajectory. So it's acting foundations and then basically into acting one, acting two, and so on. And this is for the musical theater students you're talking about.

[10:52] Jennifer Hemphill: Correct. Correct. Yeah. So, you know, certainly there's acting through song and as part of it, but also we're really starting with Stanislavski and we're introducing Michael Chekhov and we're introducing Uta Hagen and we're reading about it and we're applying. And so we have a whole trajectory that wasn't really in place before. And we're excited about that. It's still under the auspice though of MT workshop. But basically when you see that it's akin to acting classes.

[11:19] Charlie Murphy: I love it. And we talk about how the BM really does a model closely to the BFA. I do think that's where that's the kind of thing where someone who's looking at the curricular differences might go, well, does the BM mean I get a little less acting than some BFAs? And you're trying to supplement some of that. Would you say that the focus of the BM is still going to be more music based than the average BFA in musical theater?

[11:37] Jennifer Hemphill: Well, I think it is slightly because they have more music classes. Do you know what I mean? But I don't think that they're losing anything. Like there's still choral singing and stuff like that. There's choral singing. There are the theory classes, primary instruments, secondary instrument for some, one hour voice lesson a week for the duration of your time here. All of those wonderful music staples, but on top of that,

[12:05] Charlie Murphy: Welcome back to Mapping The College Audition. Today, I am thrilled to have Jennifer Hemphill, the new Music Theater Director at Baldwin Wallace University, joining me. Jennifer, thank you for being here.

[12:25] Jennifer Hemphill: Thank you for having me, Charlie. I'm excited to be here and share about Baldwin Wallace and our program.

[12:45] Charlie Murphy: So, let's dive right in. You’ve recently taken on this role at Baldwin Wallace. How is your leadership shaping a new chapter in the program’s curriculum?

[13:05] Jennifer Hemphill: Absolutely. One of the things I’m focusing on is creating a curriculum that emphasizes the importance of process over product. I believe that if students can value the journey of learning and growth, the end results will naturally follow. We want to cultivate an environment where students feel safe to explore and take risks.

[13:35] Charlie Murphy: That’s such a refreshing perspective. I think a lot of students get caught up in the end goal, especially in a competitive field like musical theater. How do you see that reflected in the students you’re working with?

[13:55] Jennifer Hemphill: I’ve noticed that students who embrace this mindset tend to be more resilient and open to feedback. They understand that every experience, whether it’s a success or a failure, contributes to their development as artists. It’s about fostering a growth mindset.

[14:25] Charlie Murphy: I love that. It’s so important for students to have that resilience. Speaking of development, how do you feel about faculty checking social media and a student’s digital footprint?

[14:45] Jennifer Hemphill: I think it’s crucial. In today’s world, a student’s online presence can say a lot about them. Faculty members are looking at social media as part of the holistic review process. It’s not just about talent; it’s about how students present themselves and engage with the world.

[15:15] Charlie Murphy: That makes a lot of sense. It’s a reflection of their professionalism. What advice would you give to students regarding their digital footprint?

[15:35] Jennifer Hemphill: I would advise students to be mindful of what they post and how they interact online. It’s important to curate a positive and professional image. Think of your social media as an extension of your resume.

[15:55] Charlie Murphy: Great advice! Now, let’s talk about the mindset at Baldwin Wallace. You mentioned a “Match or Beat” philosophy. Can you explain what that means?

[16:15] Jennifer Hemphill: Sure! The “Match or Beat” mindset is about collaboration rather than competition. We want students to feel that the schools they’re auditioning for are partners in their journey. We’re looking for students who align with our values and vision, and we want to support them in their growth.

[16:45] Charlie Murphy: That’s a wonderful approach. It must create a more supportive atmosphere for students. How do you see that impacting their experience at Baldwin Wallace?

[17:05] Jennifer Hemphill: It creates a sense of community. When students feel supported, they’re more likely to take risks and fully engage in their training. It fosters a collaborative spirit, which is essential in the arts.

[17:25] Charlie Murphy: Absolutely. Community is key in this field. What are some specific changes or initiatives you’re implementing in the curriculum to support this philosophy?

[17:45] Jennifer Hemphill: We’re introducing more collaborative projects and interdisciplinary work. For example, we’re encouraging students to work with peers from different disciplines, such as dance and music, to create original pieces. This not only enhances their skills but also builds relationships across the program.

[18:15] Charlie Murphy: That sounds fantastic! It’s so important for students to learn how to collaborate with others. What other skills do you think are essential for students to develop during their time in college?

[18:35] Jennifer Hemphill: Communication skills are vital. Being able to articulate your ideas and collaborate effectively with others is crucial in the industry. Additionally, adaptability and a willingness to learn are key traits that will serve students well in their careers.

[19:05] Charlie Murphy: Those are great points. As students prepare for their auditions, what final thoughts or tips do you have for them?

[19:25] Jennifer Hemphill: I would encourage students to be authentic and true to themselves. Auditions are an opportunity to showcase who you are as an artist. Focus on your unique voice and what you bring to the table.

[19:55] Charlie Murphy: Thank you, Jennifer. That’s such an important reminder for all students. I appreciate you sharing your insights today.

[20:15] Jennifer Hemphill: Thank you for having me, Charlie. It’s been a pleasure!

[24:12] Jennifer Hemphill: Can we talk a little bit about the audition process? So from a broad perspective of where you will audition students, how you will audition students, what does that look like for the calendar year 2025-2026? Great, so anticipating that you might ask me that, I wrote it down so that I wouldn't miss anything. Heck yes! Oh, the glasses are coming on! For those not watching the video, we're going to Pittsburgh Unifieds, we'll be at Munifieds in Dallas, we'll be at Los Angeles, yeah, MTCA, New York Unified—sorry, we have to underline that—you said MTCA in December, weekend in December. Oh great, okay, thank you! Amazing, amazing, amazing! You know, experience. So yeah, New York Unifieds in Chicago, and then on campus we have November 15th, November 22nd, February 14th—Valentine's Day, we'll be handing out candy—January 24th, and February 21st. And then we also have an additional Zoom day, and that's February 21st. So, you know, we've got a lot of opportunities to see a wealth of talent, and we're excited about that.

[25:21] Charlie Murphy: And where did you guys land on the pre-screen of it all? I know that was traditionally—

[25:25] Jennifer Hemphill: Oh, go ahead, Charlie, please.

[25:30] Charlie Murphy: No, we're not doing it.

[25:30] Jennifer Hemphill: Yeah, you're back out, back off. So traditionally you had not—it looked like it was flirting with yes, but now we're back to no. I just think we want to give every individual the best shot that we can, and sometimes the pre-screens knock people out who actually might be a terrific fit. And so right now, that's still what we're committed to.

[25:54] Charlie Murphy: I love that! Yeah, I mean, it's really true for even people who might eventually be very good at putting things down on film for this live art form. There are students that we see it every year, we go, it is our job now. We have to help you if we're helping you to go, you're not representing yourself right now on film the way you can, and not everyone can do that. So it takes a commitment, like what you guys just mentioned. I mean, for those who didn't see the sheet, Jennifer just read six things on a long sheet. You know, to take schools, go into a lot of different places, if you're going to see the students that you need to see, there's a lot of time you're giving up to not watch pre-screened videos instead.

And we're really making a concerted effort to select as a unit, which is exciting. So a member of voice, a member of dance, MD, and myself, we will be watching. We'll do some videoing, you know, at the unifies and bring it back, and we'll have a popcorn and watching session.

[26:47] Jennifer Hemphill: That's right! It's a commitment of resources. Alright, well let's talk a little bit, so then just about the live audition. Nothing to talk about pre-screens here, but let's talk about what makes a great audition for you. So as you're having that popcorn conversation, what are the things that you're bringing up? What are the things, hey, this person does this really well, I really love this about this person? What are the things that you're really highlighting as you watch these auditions to ultimately come down to those final numbers?

[27:05] Jennifer Hemphill: Absolutely! Authenticity is really at the head of the class, you know? Skill set, yes, yes, yes, but that's to me kind of baseline. But beyond that, just sense of self. Authenticity—I really like to see people singing things that they love. You know, you can tell when someone's given someone a song and when somebody has really connected with a song, you know? And so I think that selections are really telling. I think we see a lot of insight into the individual based on selections and sensibility. Again, we're looking for process-oriented people. We are, and you can see that in the work as well. You know, if it's really big and performative, that's a sign that it's less process-oriented, you know?

And so we're looking for simple, specific storytelling. I would rather hear a less aspirational song that really leaned into simplicity and storytelling than a song that sometimes I have that big note and sometimes I don't have that big note. I would rather, you know, an individual bring in something that they connect to and can do eight days of the week and twice on Sunday.

[28:28] Charlie Murphy: Yep! I'd love to just burrow down a little bit on that idea of authenticity. I mean, that is certainly a word that they hear on this podcast a lot. I mean, a lot from us. That certainly "authentically you" was a tagline of MTCA for a long time. It's the idea that we do believe it's about representing your most authentic material. You know, I'm not—I think that's a word that sometimes goes over people's head in terms of like, what does that really mean? You gave two examples there we can highlight against. Too much size can feel inauthentic to you. Material choice that feels inappropriate can feel inauthentic to you. Are there any other things that feel like they could be red flags or something that's inauthentic? And, or is there anything that you're like, hey, when this happens, it really feels authentic? It feels even weird to talk about, like what are the tips and tricks to be authentic? But like, what do you mean when you go, that felt authentic to you?

[29:06] Jennifer Hemphill: You know, I think—and I understand how this happens—but I think sometimes young artists grow up thinking that they need to sound a certain way or like a certain person, or they've heard the song on the recording and that that is what it needs to sound like. And that's inauthentic to me. Trying to mimic someone's performance or mimic someone's vocal quality is what we don't want. We want the individual to do the material how they do it. Of course, we want the notes and the pitches to be right, you know? The music is the music, that's not what I'm talking about. I just mean bring yourself into it and live in it, don't act at it.

[29:49] Charlie Murphy: I love it! It makes so much sense. I really love it. Can we talk a little bit about, you know, with the BM focus of it all? You know, is there anything from like an individual musicianship perspective that you're looking for in the audition? You know, we talk about instruments being played or, you know, music theory stuff. Is there anything additional they'd be doing from a music audition for you?

[30:10] Jennifer Hemphill: Yeah, you know, our students come in at different levels with theory, so it really is okay if an individual doesn't have that kind of training. And it's great if they do, and oftentimes they can test up or test out of things. I do think it's wonderful when we see, you know, actor-musicians. I think that's terrific, but it's not a deal breaker if they're not. Moreover, again, I think we're looking at if someone's singing a pop song, does it have a pop sensibility? If someone's singing golden age, does it have a golden age sensibility? So for me, as far as musicianship goes, it's more about stylistic choices and being in that within the pocket and knowing what your skill set fits, if that makes sense.

[31:02] Charlie Murphy: Yeah, totally does! Do you have a sense—and it's okay if you don't, you didn't know 79.5 exactly—but do you have a sense of the percentage of students or the numbers in terms of like how many you're going to see to ultimately get down to those offers? Do you have a sense of what you go through in a year?

[31:12] Jennifer Hemphill: I would say close to a thousand. I mean, when you add up all of the unifieds and then you add up all of the in-persons, and then also we have a day that potentially students who—if we have students who potentially want to transfer into MT from another major, we also have that day. So, I mean, gosh, I would say encroaching on a thousand.

[31:40] Charlie Murphy: Can we talk a little bit about what do you do in the room? You know, other than if I sing monologues and songs, are you giving interview questions? Are you, you know, having conversations like that? Are you doing adjustments like, hey, here's a redirect? You ask for additional material a lot? What tends to be in the audition beyond just the initial songs?

[31:54] Jennifer Hemphill: Sometimes I will give a redirect, I will give an adjustment, and sometimes it doesn't have anything to do with the performance they've just offered. It has more to do with the reaction to the adjustments. And, you know, if somebody's game, if they're like, yeah, I'm gonna throw spaghetti and see what sticks—aces! You know, if someone's resistant or if they do it the exact same way, you know, it's something to think about. It's something to think about.

[32:23] Charlie Murphy: Yeah, you described us as gamers. You're looking for gamers!

[32:27] Jennifer Hemphill: You gotta be game! You know, what about, okay, so then you like a student artistically. How does that now interact with the office of admission in terms of academic needs? And how does that work for you? Are you seeing students, at least in some of these cases, who've not yet applied? I know so you wouldn't necessarily know academically. How does it work in terms of the timing and how it works with your office of admission?

[32:44] Jennifer Hemphill: Sure! As far as on campus, they do the application for the institution and, of course, for the program. And we have that before they come. Obviously, at the unifieds, it's a little bit different. So it's chicken and egg, you know, kind of type thing. But we do have some deadlines. So if you want to come to the on-campus auditions in November, say, you would have to have your applications in by November 1. And there's no fee for applications to the institution. There is an audition fee that's, with certain circumstances, might be able to be waived. That's $125, but there is not an application fee.

[33:24] Charlie Murphy: I love it! And then, you know, do you have a sense of what the school is looking for in terms of a GPA or in terms of like what the academic side of Baldwin Wallace says?

[33:28] Jennifer Hemphill: Yeah, I think it hovers around about a 2.5. And I would say that we have, you know, many, many students who have 4.0s and some who have come in with a 2.5. And I think it varies on what it is that you're here to do, you know? And do you interact with any part of the academic application? So are you reading their essays? Do you look at their letters of recommendation? Is there anything on that you—do they require on admissions that you look at?

[33:49] Jennifer Hemphill: Not in general, but if we're looking at a transfer student, they have to come in with, I think, two recommendation letters. And oftentimes I will take a look at those because, you know, you want to further investigate what was—if it didn't work at the previous institution, you know, I'm always curious to know that. And oftentimes, in general with newer students, it's mostly the interactions you're having live in the audition.

[34:20] Charlie Murphy: Absolutely! Which is, again, I think that is typical for many people. Some people will be like, oh, I totally look at those, and I'm like, do you really? I don't think there just aren't enough hours in the day.

[34:29] Jennifer Hemphill: For sure! If I had them, I would look at them.

[34:35] Charlie Murphy: Yeah, for sure! I love it! You know, as you're thinking about the cohort you're putting together, you know, you mentioned some of the qualities they're all going to share of a gameness and some of these things that you're looking for in a student. You know, what are you thinking about as you're filling out the whole class? You know, are you thinking about balancing things like gender and height and size and racial diversity, geographical balance? Like, are you thinking about all those kind of things in terms of ability? Sometimes people worry about thinking about more sopranos and tenors. How do you think about the class that you're putting together, how they're going to interact together for your school?

[35:03] Jennifer Hemphill: You know, we don't have files and we're not rigidly checking boxes, but the reality is we do productions. And so we need various people, various actors with various skill sets and various sensibilities to be part of that. So that is definitely taken into consideration. And of course, I think like every program, we want as much diversity as possible because that just strengthens, you know, humanity really, the training, but also just us as humans. And so yes, but there aren't rigid files, you know?

[35:41] Charlie Murphy: And do you know, in terms of like the weighting of different skill sets? Like, as you, you know, look at some schools will talk about, and I don't always ask the question to every school, but some schools will talk about, hey, we look at your—you get three scores and we drop the third one, or we look especially at music. Or is it more of a holistic thing, or is it more of you're scored with each of these?

[36:00] Jennifer Hemphill: No, it is holistic. And I think, you know, the truthful answer is it depends on the individual as to which skill set we're drawn to or not. Does that make sense? I mean, there are certain people who are not going...

[36:17] Charlie Murphy: Welcome back to Mapping The College Audition. Today, we're diving deep into Baldwin Wallace University with the new Music Theater Director, Jennifer Hemphill.

[36:47] Jennifer Hemphill: Thank you for having me, Charlie. I'm excited to be here and share what we’re doing at Baldwin Wallace.

[37:07] Charlie Murphy: Absolutely! So, Jennifer, can you tell us a bit about how your leadership is shaping a new chapter in the program’s curriculum?

[37:27] Jennifer Hemphill: Certainly! One of the main focuses has been to create a more holistic approach to training. We want to ensure that students are not just learning the technical aspects of performance, but also developing their artistic voices and understanding the importance of the process over the final product.

[37:47] Charlie Murphy: That sounds fantastic. I know that social media and digital footprints are a big topic these days. How does that play into your program?

[38:07] Jennifer Hemphill: It's crucial. We encourage our faculty to check social media and help students understand how their online presence can impact their careers. We want them to be aware of what they’re putting out into the world and how it reflects on them as artists.

[38:27] Charlie Murphy: That’s a great point. It’s so important for students to be mindful of their digital identities.

[38:47] Jennifer Hemphill: Exactly! And we also emphasize a “match or beat” mindset. We want students to feel that schools are working with them, not against them. It’s about finding the right fit for both the student and the institution.

[39:07] Charlie Murphy: I love that approach. It really fosters a supportive environment for students during such a competitive process.

[39:27] Jennifer Hemphill: Yes, and we believe that when students value the process, they become more resilient and adaptable, which are essential traits in this industry.

[39:47] Charlie Murphy: Absolutely. Resilience is key. What other aspects of the curriculum are you excited about?

[40:07] Jennifer Hemphill: We’re integrating more collaborative projects and real-world experiences into the curriculum. This allows students to work together and learn from each other, which is invaluable.

[40:27] Charlie Murphy: That sounds like a wonderful way to prepare them for the industry.

[40:47] Jennifer Hemphill: It really is! We want to create an environment where students can experiment and take risks without the fear of failure.

[41:07] Charlie Murphy: That’s so important. It’s all about growth and learning.

[41:27] Jennifer Hemphill: Exactly! And we’re also focusing on mentorship opportunities, connecting students with industry professionals who can guide them through their journeys.

[41:47] Charlie Murphy: Mentorship can make such a difference. It’s great to hear that you’re prioritizing that.

[42:07] Jennifer Hemphill: Yes, we believe that building relationships is key to success in this field.

[42:27] Charlie Murphy: For sure. So, what advice would you give to students preparing for their college auditions?

[42:47] Jennifer Hemphill: I would say to focus on authenticity. Be true to yourself and choose material that resonates with you. It’s important to showcase who you are as an artist.

[43:07] Charlie Murphy: That’s excellent advice. Authenticity really shines through in auditions.

[43:27] Jennifer Hemphill: Absolutely! And remember to enjoy the process. It’s a journey, not just a destination.

[43:47] Charlie Murphy: Wise words, Jennifer. Thank you so much for sharing your insights today.

[44:07] Jennifer Hemphill: Thank you for having me, Charlie. It’s been a pleasure.

[44:27] Charlie Murphy: And to our listeners, if you have any questions about the college audition process, feel free to reach out to us at mailbag@mappingthecollegeaudition.com.

[44:47] Jennifer Hemphill: Yes, we’re here to help!

[45:07] Charlie Murphy: Don’t forget to check out MTCA for personalized preparation for your college audition journey at mtca.com.

[45:27] Jennifer Hemphill: And follow us on social media for more updates!

[45:47] Charlie Murphy: Thank you for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time on Mapping The College Audition.

[48:23] Charlie Murphy: A few quick hitters from this conversation. I really love what Jennifer said about looking kids up on social media. I have heard faculty members say that in private, but I do believe that this is the first faculty member who has said it publicly while being recorded. But a really smart lesson for you just in life out there. Your digital footprint is your resume as you get into the business itself. What happens when someone Googles you or looks you up on social media, whatever it is, it's almost more important than that piece of paper you might hand them. Of course, both are important, but you cannot neglect that idea of what your digital footprint is. Like we always say at MTCA, for the college process, you absolutely do not need to go out there and create a digital presence for yourself.

There's nothing about how many followers you have or anything like that, God forbid, in this process. That does not need to be a focus of any of your time really for a second compared to all the other prep that you've got to do. Your pre-screen, your actual auditions, those are more than sufficient to show off all the talent that you have. However, you do want to be aware of what is on social media and what is online generally, and just make sure that there's nothing there that you don't think represents you well. If there's anything inappropriate or embarrassing, if a faculty member were to see it, all of you are digital natives. You all can figure out how to make stuff private, make it unsearchable, whatever it is.

You don't need to scrub it necessarily completely off the internet, off the dark web or whatever, but just make sure that nothing comes up where if I were to search your name on social media that I would find out whatever this is. That's not that you can't have a social life with your friends, but you should be conscious of what a faculty member could potentially see. The most important part of that advice when it comes to social media, at least as far as I'm concerned, and this is the most common instance where we see social media playing a potential negative role in students' acceptances, is please, please, please don't post any of your results online until your process is done. If I see a picture of you proudly wearing a Michigan hoodie and saying, I got in, even if you haven't said you've committed, but you go, I got into Michigan and you're wearing that hoodie, and I see that on your Facebook page, if I'm another college faculty member, I'm going through my wait list, I got five days before May 1st, absolutely, I might just move on from you and say, well, I'm not going to give you a spot on my wait list.

That absolutely can affect faculty members. We've seen that happen before. It's just the nature of this business. I've heard faculty members admit to doing exactly that. While you might not feel too bad for that kid who got into Michigan, they'll be fine. You can switch around those schools, insert them in any order you want, and the effect can be the same. You might assume, well, yeah, but of course, but if I got into this school off the wait list, I'd choose this school, but I wouldn't assume that for the sake of the schools. I think in this process in general, just keeping your results, keeping your cards close to your chest until decision day is absolutely the right move. Then, of course, after decision day, after May 1st, you can proudly post it.

If there are schools that they've still wait listed you, and they're going to potentially give you an answer after May 1st, you can absolutely then directly communicate with them, and they'll understand you had to put down a deposit at a different school because, of course, you had to. That would be the norm then for many people, but certainly up until May 1st, if you can keep those cards close to your chest. I feel just in general, you're likely to do yourself more harm than good with your social presence. As we've talked about a bit in just a lot of these episodes, especially the artist episodes, you're also likely not helping yourself a lot psychologically with too much of that social media consumption.

Maybe you want to remove yourself entirely, at least for a period of time. I think it can be a double-edged negative sword in some ways. You're not necessarily helping yourself with what you post, and you're not necessarily helping yourself with what you consume. Of course, if you've got great YouTube videos that you're proud of or reels or whatever it is, there's nothing wrong with it. Nothing wrong with having that digital footprint. I know for some of our really strong dancers, you may have a bunch of cool videos showing different styles from different recitals that you're really proud of. Of course, that could be a nice thing for people to see. But again, none of you now go out there and start thinking you need to add a bunch of videos to your Instagram or to your YouTube.

You don't need that to happen. I would just give yourself that little audit of, what is there if someone were to look me up? Is it something that I would want a faculty member to see? Then just be careful with any of that additional information that you might put online. I talked about this a bit in the opener, but that idea that a single faculty member doesn't make a program, I think it's absolutely true. Though, of course, it can really vary how much it's true in different situations. I think I did a version of this takeaway before using one of our favorite sports metaphors, but today is the opening of the NBA season, so I have to make an NBA analogy for all of you. I really do think, like so many things, this is case by case.

I'm going to make my little NBA analogy here, which is like, am I more of a Golden State Warriors fan or am I a Steph Curry fan? Honestly, with me, it's a bit of both. I'm not sure I could tell you exactly what my percentage is. I love their style of play as a team, but how much of that style of play is attributable to Steph? I don't really know. How much will continue in the DNA of Golden State after he's gone, and will I still be a fan? I don't know. Maybe after he's gone, the team will look completely different or maybe it'll be totally the same, so maybe I'll stop following them. I really don't know. Most people, if you're going to continue with the NBA, most people are more Lakers fans than they are LeBron fans.

Maybe they follow the Lakers from Kobe or from before to LeBron, and now on to Luka. We're at this moment where LeBron is passing the torch of the Lakers to this new guy, Luka, who's a phenom, and that Lakers legacy will almost certainly continue past Luka, too. You just know the Lakers are always going to be relevant in the NBA for as long as the NBA exists. In Miami, they have this thing called heat culture, if anyone's a big NBA fan, you've heard of the term heat culture, which they truly believe. This idea of heat culture is a really strong work ethic. They're all crazy low body fat and they just work so hard and to get more out of their talent maybe than would naturally you would assume from the players they draft.

They really believe there's something in the water, there's something in their GMs, there's something in their system, and it has nothing to do with the individual players. Okay, so how do you apply? For those who are like, I don't know anything about the NBA, that was nonsense for the past 45 seconds. How do you apply that metaphor to college programs? Again, I do think it's case by case. I don't mean to say that I think you should ignore faculty movement and that it's irrelevant because clearly I don't think that's the case. You heard the Steph Curry metaphor, right? The faculty and students and administrators combined make up the program and the campus and all these other things, right? The same way that in the NBA, the players and coaches in front offices make up those NBA teams.

There are some schools where a single faculty member moving will barely have a ripple effect and some where it could feel like a seismic shift. I think that's all fair. It is again, a little bit case by case. Though also I'll say not every seismic shift necessarily will have the effects you predict, right? Sometimes that infusion of fresh blood can actually carry on the legacy of one of these mainstays really beautifully in ways that you might not expect. And other times an amazing new flashy hire might not pan out as well as you'd hope, right? I do think like with the Lakers example, a decent percentage of this likely is the case of like perception is reality, right? There is actual reality of course in the integrity of like what those individual faculty members bring to programs and the teaching itself.

I'm not going to say they're all identical, but I think from a reputation perspective, your reputation as a school is a lot about what people think your reputation is, right? And that might seem like the most obvious thing in the world. Of course your reputation is what people think it is, right? But if you really think about it, it's kind of deep, right? There's this great Game of Thrones quote, where Varys tells this riddle about there's a king, a priest, and a rich man in the room, and then there's like a swordsman in the middle, and they all say, hey, kill the other two guys, right? Varys sort of asks, where do you think the power resides? And of course the answer is the power, who's got more power, the king, the priest, or the rich man?

It's whoever the swordsman believes, right? And that's way more true in this process than students realize. The schools that get the best students end up being the best schools reputation wise, way more than this idea that the best schools create the best students out of whole cloth. Now again, that's not to say that all training is identical. Of course it's not. But so many of these programs have fantastic training available, like from top to bottom, right? Each season, these students choose and remake the reputations of programs based on where the students think the best training exists, right? And of course they all get better while they're there. That's the goal, right? But it sure helps to start with amazing students.

And of course, there's no universal school that's best for every student. Fit is a huge part of the equation. Of course it is. But I do think when we talk about reputation, which is a huge part of what people are worried about when they see faculty members moving around, and a huge part of what students will ask us about at the end of the process, what are these schools reputation, since they already have their own impressions, they already have their own gut instincts, right? That reputation answer is really more malleable and changeable than people realize. Of course, it's worth noting that reputation, it usually doesn't change overnight, right? Since it only changed in the outside world, like one class at a time, it can take a little while for those ripples to actually take hold.

So it's not like a new faculty member is going to all of a sudden change a program's reputation overnight for the good or for the bad, right? Okay, that ended up being a bit deeper than I realized it was going to. So let's end with a fun one, which is just to underline Jennifer saying that idea of match or beat with negotiations. We talked about this a bit in the financial aid meetings at PUA, and boy, did those schools on the panel last week talk about the idea of please negotiate with us, right? But I did get a laugh out of that idea of match or beat. I haven't, in my years doing this, had a lot of schools proactively beating offers during the negotiating process. It's not normal to be like, they give you what?

I'll give you double, right? But I also really like how Jennifer ended this idea of like, we'll beat it, we'll match it if we can, right? And that's where I think families sometimes get a little tripped up. They feel like they're like taking from a school, and maybe they don't want to be too greedy, or they feel like it's an adversarial relationship as they negotiate. But really, you don't want to think of it as an adversarial relationship. You're working together to see if you can make this work, right? All of the artistic faculty, you're not taking money out of their pocket. They're not giving you this money themselves, right? All of them will want to give you as much money as they possibly can, and they want to yield all of the students that they gave one of those coveted acceptance spots to, right?

They might be strategic in realizing, hey, if I look at this landscape, I can give a little more here where this person might really need it, and they might be being competed for, so I need to give them a little more for them to sign on the dotted line, whereas maybe I don't know if I need to give you as much to get you to sign on the dotted line. Absolutely, there's strategy there. And they also can be strategic in realizing, hey, I'm not sure this person is necessarily super interested in me, and if I'm not sure that they're really interested and might not end up actually going here, maybe I'm not going to tie up a bunch of my money for the next few weeks in an on-paper offer if I could use it to other candidates who actually are interested in my school.

Absolutely, that's part of it too, right? But it's not a competition against the school. It's a mutual negotiation with the school to see if you can make something happen. They are competing with the other schools for you, which, of course, is like such a fun flip on its head compared to where many of you seniors now are in October. Right now, many of you are desperately hoping that just one school will take you, right? And then to think that you're going to have multiple schools competing for you, competing with money over you in just a few short months, and truly, you will. That is what's going to happen. I believe that will happen for you, even if you don't quite believe it yet, and I promise you I'm right.

And with that, let's wrap another episode of Mapping the College Edition, produced by Megan Courtier and Kelly Prendergrass, with social media work by Jordan Rice. You know you can follow us at Mapping the College Edition on Instagram, though don't post anything there you'd be embarrassed for, right? You know you can give us a rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts, and you better believe you can check us out at mtca.com for help with your individual college prep process. To my young artists out there mapping their journeys, please trust that you are enough for the right program, exactly as you are right now. Now keep striving. We'll catch you next week!