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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 Joe Domencic from Seton Hill on the pod. 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 as you'll hear in the interview, a particularly special interview for me, since Joe was one of my old teachers at the theatre school I used to go to in middle school and high school. So we'll talk about Seton Hill, and we will do a few bonus minutes just talking about secondary education a bit and the value of those early childhood teachers.

I'm gonna give my usual caveat that when we have one of our more emerging schools, you know, this episode may not be for everyone. We tend to use that word emerging when we're describing both very new programs, like recently, we had Texas Women's in their very first year of the BFA, or programs like Seton Hill, which are relatively new. The BFA, I think, started in 2013, Joe said, but now trying to put themselves a bit more on the map. I think it, as you've heard before, is a really exciting opportunity for a school and a student when you talk about emerging programs, but of course, isn't for every student, right? If your goal is all about name brand, and the most competitive program you can reach for, this might not be your fit.

But as I think our regular listeners to the podcast will gather, we are really believers at MTCA in asking you to think outside of the box in terms of those name brand most competitive programs, right? For those who are not yet blog subscribers, you can check out my blog on this very subject, on our sub stack, talking all about the top school lists and what makes a top school, or if you can listen to our holiday podcast on the very same. Again, none of that is to say that we don't believe there's great value in those well established programs, we absolutely do. But also just that if you're stuck on those programs, if you're thinking about them as a default, without really kind of examining why you think they're actually right for you, it's worth doing that examination.

And then if you end up back at the idea of saying, nope, for me or for my child, this is absolutely right. I really want the most notoriety, the most professional opportunity, whatever it is that leads you back to one of those most competitive programs. I'm all here for it, right? And then the goal becomes trying to get into one of those programs. We do that with a lot of our students. But if you're earlier in this process, or if you haven't done that kind of investigation for yourself, I think it's really interesting and helpful to check out what some of these emerging programs can offer and investigate whether that might be right for you and where you are in your process and your longer process, not just your college process.

So to that end, this episode with Seton Hill, which I hope you really enjoy. On the other hand, I hope you're all really loving your Januaries. We're doing very well here. I am so excited to see so many of our seniors at our upcoming Unifieds in New York City, Chicago, and LA. I'll be in all three cities. I am going to bring my microphone and I'm going to try to grab some good content for all of you who are not going to be there. So if you are a regular listener who's listening to this and you're about to head off to New York City, off to head out to Chicago, LA, and you know you want to be on the pod, please do seek me out. We will do a bunch of those person on the street interviews that we've done before.

We'll try to make a cute pod for all of you. It's kind of a nice time capsule of the year, I think. And I do actually think I've heard it's very helpful for those who are going through the process to hear from people who are literally right in it as they speak, or if you're going to do it next year, have just gone through it. So hopefully these become little valuable time capsules for future generations of listeners as well. And speaking of those future generations, there are still six days to sign up for our next Meet MTCA workshop, which is January 20th at 8 p.m. Eastern. That's a Tuesday, meaning that this is the last episode that we've dropped where you'll still be able to catch it. If you try to listen next week, you will have missed it by one day.

Please sign up at the link at mtca.com. This workshop is a free opportunity to chat with me. You get to chat with Marcus. You're going to meet a bunch of our coaches via video and see some really cool examples of students' work, and hopefully leave this workshop with a better idea of the expectations of this process from an artistic perspective and hopefully a bit of a game plan for yourself. So if you know you're interested in doing this process and you're a current junior, sophomore, freshman, or the parent of one of those kinds of humans, please do come check us out on January 20th at 8 p.m. Eastern. Again, sign up is free at mtca.com. All right, let's get to this interview with the wonderful Joe Domencic from Seton Hill.

[4:45] Charlie Murphy: Well, we are so excited to be joined by Joe Domencic. Joe has a BFA in vocal performance and a BFA in music composition from Carnegie Mellon University, an M.M. in music technology, electronic composition edition from Duquesne University, and a diploma from the New Actors Workshop. He's worked all over the country, especially in Pittsburgh, with a number of regional theaters, and he's written children's musicals like The Next Galileo and Beyond the Moon, and he's now associate professor of musical theater and theater at Seton Hill University, which is located in Greensburg, PA. They're looking for classes of about 12 to 15 in the acting and MTs. They have a BFA in MT, a BA in MT, a BFA in acting, a BA in theater arts, lots of different degrees we may chat about.

And of course, the greatest credit of all for Joe is that he is my former teacher from Act One Theater School in Pittsburgh, where he was an absolute favorite of mine. In reaching out to Joe to start this podcast, my wife had found a recommendation letter which Joe had written me for Carnegie Mellon pre-college when I would have been 15, 16 years old. It was like in a drawer of my childhood home. So that prompted this reach out and was a wonderful way for us to reconnect. Joe, welcome on the pod. How are you feeling today?

[5:52] Joseph Domencic: Charlie, I'm just, I can't tell you, this is thrilling for me to be able to talk to you. It's like it was just yesterday that we were in that show together, and we were just talking about before that you, that production was the area premiere of Mary Zimmerman's amazing play, Metamorphoses. Forget Pittsburgh Public, forget Sydney Theatre, we did it.

[6:16] Charlie Murphy: I really appreciate the phrase area premiere. It's like award eligible. I mean, really, everything is an area premiere somewhere, depending on how you define the area, I think.

[6:24] Joseph Domencic: Oh, well, let's say the Western Pennsylvania premiere.

[6:27] Charlie Murphy: Western Pennsylvania area premiere of Metamorphoses. Metamorphoses, not Metamorphoses.

[6:30] Joseph Domencic: That's right. Oh, it's such a special place in my heart. I remember that like it was yesterday.

[6:34] Charlie Murphy: As do I. As do I. It was a special time. Okay, but we could reminisce, and we will do some of that at the end of this podcast for people who want a little bit more sort of childhood theater stuff. We're going to have some bonus questions there. But we're really here to chat about Seton Hill. Is there anything that you want to throw in terms of your own experience, your journey here? I read that little bit of a bio, but anything in terms of your journey toward your position as it exists now? And then we'll get into Seton Hill a little bit in itself.

[7:01] Joseph Domencic: Well, sure. It was 2003, right about the time I come back from New York after living there for about five years, training at the New Actors Workshop, and realizing that I wanted to be back in Pittsburgh. I wanted to be back home. I thought, that's where I want to spend the rest of my career, and that felt right for me. And I was starting to get more work back here. And then for a while, I was working as an actor, adjunct professor, music director, a number of different things. And then I started music directing a production in 2003, And the World Goes Round at Seton Hill. They asked me to teach voice lessons, and honestly, full-time teaching position was not on my radar at that point. But then I had this a bit of a transformation where I realized, boy, I really want to do this.

This has become really important to me. And then in 2013, when they launched the BFA in musical theater, and they opened up another position for it, I applied for that, and I've been here as a full-time professor since then.

[8:01] Charlie Murphy: Well, so let's talk a little bit about that. So that's 2013. I'd love to hear what the expansion of Seton Hill has been, both in talking about what it has been for the past decade, but then also looking forward. What are the kind of students who come to Seton Hill? I'd love to hear, what does it mean to be a Seton Hill student? So who has come there? And in terms of if things are shifting and you're making ambition, I know in terms of new recruitment and stuff like that, what do we think that's going to look like?

[8:30] Joseph Domencic: Well, historically, Seton Hill, because we're liberal arts, because we're a smaller program, we're able to focus, I think, really on the individual. So everybody comes in, they're a little bit different. This person wants a double major in theater business. This person has a really strong interest in the dance portion, so we make sure they're in more dance classes. This person wants to do some writing, so we get them some, they maybe take an English writing minor. So we're able to specialize the education for each student while we lean into the whole liberal arts identity, which is important to us. Because we're smaller, students get a lot of attention. They're part of building a really supportive community that is a little removed from Pittsburgh, but we're close enough that we can go and take advantage of those theaters and those opportunities.

I would say that the liberal arts, the community, the smaller focus, and the fact that we're able to individualize the training, those are the hallmarks of who we are. As far as where we're going, I'm assuming the chair position now in spring, and so my shift is focusing, and this is part of it, honestly, it's about letting people know about what we're doing and taking our program, I think, to the next level. Partially in recognition, so that I think people, not just in Western Pennsylvania, but beyond, will say, oh yeah, Seton Hill. Have you checked out Seton Hill? That's part of my mission going forward.

[9:55] Charlie Murphy: I love it. That's what we'll spend some time talking about today, of how we're putting it on the map. I'd love to hear a little bit, you mentioned the double major possibility. Do you have a sense in terms of the BFA, especially for the BFA in MT and the BFA in acting, what percentage of credits are they getting that are going to be artistic, meaning how much time they're spending in something that's related to theater versus what percentage of time are they spending doing general liberal arts? If I do the math, I would say, so the BFA, you're looking at about 100 credits. Our liberal arts is roughly 40 credits, but easily 15 credits, maybe more of those are covered by our training classes. So if I, let's see, what's that math? 75, 80%? If you count the 15 I'll tour the theater, it's a little over. So every semester you're taking one or two of our liberal arts core classes.

[10:50] Charlie Murphy: Then how does that work with people who are trying to double major? Does that mean it's much easier to double major in an artistic field? Do you have people who double major in-

[10:58] Joseph Domencic: We actually do. Now it takes a student that's really dedicated, really focused, that's really, there's someone that they do the work, they get it done on time. We have had people double major in theater business and in the BFA in musical theater. It is easier with the BA degree because it's about 20 credits less. And we don't look at our BA in musical theater and our BFA in musical theater as one being better than the other. We just look at them as equal options. The BA allows more flexibility. We are more selective with the BFA degree, but we don't see it as something that is necessarily better, it just suits some people better. And some people that may have been accepted into the BFA degree opt for the BA because they want that flexibility.

[11:45] Charlie Murphy: Yep. And does that mean there's coverage across the classes with BFA MTs, BFA acting, BA, are they're all taking the same classes?

[11:52] Joseph Domencic: They are. When I'm in a class, like in my acting four class here, I have acting majors, I have musical theater BAs, musical theater BFAs. Honestly, Charlie, I'm not even thinking about, oh, you're this track, you're this track. You're just in my acting class and we're working on acting. Same thing if it's a voice lesson, same thing if it's acting the song class. I'm just dealing with them. This is where you are, this is where we're trying to get you. So all classes are open to everybody and that's another aspect of the way you can personalize the education to suit your specific interests.

[12:25] Charlie Murphy: Do you feel like for the MTs, is there a discipline that Seton Hill is really focusing on in terms of, are we more music based, more dance based, more acting based, really equal across the three? How do you think of your focus with disciplines?

[12:36] Joseph Domencic: If you look at just the classes, you would say it's pretty equal as far as how many dance and acting and singing classes you take. We don't require a dance audition to get in, but if somebody shows us that they're a really strong dancer and they want to take advantage of that, they'll be in our upper level dance classes. They could have opportunities to choreograph if they want, if that's important to them. So even though most of our students aren't advanced dancers, if they come in with that, we make sure that they have that opportunity because they're put into the right dance class based on their ability. We have four levels of jazz, ballet and tap, all the usual suspects, plus commercial dance and hip hop and contemporary styles that are built specifically for our BFA dance major degree, which is pretty new, only a few years old, but which also benefits our musical theater majors because they can take advantage of those classes.

[13:28] Charlie Murphy: I love it. So, and you started doing this a little bit, you mentioned the acting four, you mentioned a couple of different sequences with the curriculum from a dance perspective. I love just like, is there anything else you want me to know about the curriculum, both in terms of just the basic sequence that a, especially a BFAMT would take, but then also like anything, as we talk about, you know, how are we expanding ourselves more on the map? Like, are there shifts and changes that you're making with taking over this chair position of going, I think we're trying to add this. I think we're trying to, how, how is the curriculum? And then if there, if there are any shifts that you're making to it, I'd love to hear.

[13:56] Joseph Domencic: Well, we're in the middle of implementing a program review, which added some things. We, with the BFA in acting, we've added a film class. We've added a second level of voice and speech. We're getting into more dialects. We've added the upper level dance courses. I expanded my acting, the song class into four different levels. So we're going, you know, going from fundamentals.

[14:14] Charlie Murphy: Welcome back to Mapping The College Audition. Today, we have a special guest, Joseph Domencic, the Associate Professor of Musical Theatre and Theatre at Seton Hill University.

[14:44] Joseph Domencic: Thanks for having me, Charlie. I'm excited to be here and share more about what makes Seton Hill unique.

[15:14] Charlie Murphy: Absolutely! So, let's dive right in. What would you say is Seton Hill's superpower when it comes to training students in musical theatre?

[15:44] Joseph Domencic: I would say our superpower is individualized training. We really focus on using a liberal arts model to tailor each student's path, rather than forcing them into a single mold.

[16:14] Charlie Murphy: That sounds fantastic. Can you elaborate on how that individualized approach works in practice?

[16:24] Joseph Domencic: Sure! Each student has the opportunity to work closely with faculty to develop their unique skills and interests. We prioritize mentorship and intentional, student-centered growth throughout their time here.

[16:34] Charlie Murphy: That's so important. I think a lot of students benefit from that kind of personalized attention.

[16:44] Joseph Domencic: Absolutely. And I also want to give a big shoutout to secondary theater teachers who spark confidence early on. They play a crucial role in helping young artists build foundations that last far beyond the stage.

[16:54] Charlie Murphy: Yes, those teachers are often the unsung heroes in this process.

[17:04] Joseph Domencic: They really are. They help students discover their passion and encourage them to pursue it, which is invaluable.

[17:14] Charlie Murphy: So, what kind of opportunities do students have at Seton Hill to showcase their talents?

[17:24] Joseph Domencic: We offer a variety of performance opportunities, from mainstage productions to student-directed projects. This allows students to gain practical experience and build their resumes while still in school.

[17:34] Charlie Murphy: That’s great to hear! It’s essential for students to have those experiences before they graduate.

[17:44] Joseph Domencic: Exactly. We want them to leave Seton Hill not just with a degree, but with a portfolio of work that showcases their abilities.

[17:54] Charlie Murphy: Speaking of portfolios, how do you help students prepare for the college audition process?

[18:04] Joseph Domencic: We provide guidance on selecting appropriate material, coaching on performance techniques, and even mock auditions to help them feel more comfortable and confident.

[18:14] Charlie Murphy: That’s a comprehensive approach. It sounds like you really set them up for success.

[18:44] Joseph Domencic: We do our best! We know how daunting the audition process can be, so we aim to equip our students with the tools they need to shine.

[18:54] Charlie Murphy: And what advice would you give to prospective students who are considering Seton Hill?

[19:04] Joseph Domencic: I would encourage them to visit campus, meet with faculty, and really get a feel for the community. It's important to find a place where they feel supported and inspired.

[19:14] Charlie Murphy: That’s excellent advice. Finding the right fit is crucial in this journey.

[19:24] Joseph Domencic: Absolutely. Each student’s journey is unique, and we want to help them find the path that’s right for them.

[19:34] Charlie Murphy: Thank you so much for sharing your insights today, Joseph.

[19:44] Joseph Domencic: Thank you for having me, Charlie. It’s been a pleasure!

[19:54] 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.

[20:04] Joseph Domencic: And if you’re interested in learning more about Seton Hill, don’t hesitate to check out our website or social media for updates and information.

[20:14] Charlie Murphy: Thanks again, Joseph! We appreciate your time and insights.

[20:24] Joseph Domencic: Thank you, Charlie!

[20:34] Charlie Murphy: Until next time, everyone!

[28:29] Charlie Murphy: Welcome back to Mapping The College Audition. Today, we’re diving deep into Seton Hill University with Joseph Domencic, the Associate Professor of Musical Theatre and Theatre. Joseph, thanks for joining us.

[28:59] Joseph Domencic: Thank you for having me, Charlie. I’m excited to be here and talk about what makes Seton Hill unique.

[29:30] Charlie Murphy: Absolutely! Let’s start with what you consider Seton Hill’s superpower in terms of training students.

[29:39] Joseph Domencic: I would say our superpower is individualized training. We use a liberal arts model that allows us to tailor each student’s path, rather than forcing them into a single mold. This approach helps students discover their unique voices and strengths.

[30:29] Charlie Murphy: That sounds fantastic. Can you elaborate on how this individualized training manifests in the program?

[30:59] Joseph Domencic: Sure! We focus on mentorship and intentional, student-centered growth. Each student works closely with faculty to develop their skills in a way that aligns with their personal goals and aspirations. This creates a nurturing environment where students can thrive.

[31:30] Charlie Murphy: It’s great to hear about that level of support. What role do secondary theater teachers play in this process?

[31:39] Joseph Domencic: I have immense gratitude for secondary theater teachers. They spark confidence early on and help young artists build foundations that last far beyond the stage. Their influence is crucial in shaping the next generation of performers.

[32:08] Charlie Murphy: That’s so true. What advice would you give to students looking to audition for college programs?

[32:19] Joseph Domencic: My advice would be to embrace who you are as an artist. Don’t try to fit into a mold; instead, focus on showcasing your authentic self. This authenticity will resonate with the faculty and help you find the right fit for your training.

[32:29] Charlie Murphy: Wise words! How do you think emerging programs like Seton Hill can serve as creative launchpads for students?

[32:40] Joseph Domencic: Emerging programs can be powerful creative launchpads because they often offer more personalized attention and mentorship. Students can take risks and explore their creativity in a supportive environment, which can lead to significant growth.

[33:01] Charlie Murphy: That’s a great point. What are some specific opportunities that Seton Hill provides for its students?

[33:11] Joseph Domencic: We offer a variety of performance opportunities, including mainstage productions, student-directed shows, and workshops with industry professionals. These experiences allow students to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to real-world situations.

[33:22] Charlie Murphy: It sounds like a well-rounded program. How do you incorporate feedback into the training process?

[33:33] Joseph Domencic: Feedback is essential. We encourage a culture of constructive criticism, where students can learn from their experiences and grow. Faculty provide ongoing feedback throughout the training process, helping students refine their skills.

[33:44] Charlie Murphy: That’s crucial for development. What do you think sets Seton Hill apart from other programs?

[33:54] Joseph Domencic: I believe it’s our commitment to individualized training and mentorship. We genuinely care about our students’ success and work hard to create an environment where they can flourish both artistically and personally.

[34:05] Charlie Murphy: It’s clear that you have a passion for your students' growth. What do you enjoy most about teaching at Seton Hill?

[34:15] Joseph Domencic: I love seeing the transformation in students as they discover their voices and gain confidence. Watching them grow from their first day to graduation is incredibly rewarding.

[34:26] Charlie Murphy: That’s beautiful. Any final thoughts you’d like to share with prospective students?

[34:36] Joseph Domencic: I would encourage students to be open to the journey. Embrace the challenges and opportunities that come your way, and remember that every experience contributes to your growth as an artist.

[34:47] Charlie Murphy: Thank you, Joseph, for sharing your insights about Seton Hill University. It’s been a pleasure having you on the podcast.

[34:57] Joseph Domencic: Thank you, Charlie! I appreciate the opportunity to discuss our program.

[42:43] Joseph Domencic: I want them playing. I don't want them in their heads. I just want them playing in their imaginative space. They don't have to think too much about technique as far as I'm concerned. If they can get up there and jump into the character, they're still learning staples about what it means in acting. But once we get into high school, then you're starting to get into more of understanding what you might learn in a class where you're using, whether it's Sanford Meisner or Rudahagen or Strasburg, those kinds of techniques that were developed or improvisation, the fundamentals of improvisation. We're getting more into that. The nice thing about a college level for me is, yes, they're young adults, but they are adults.

There's a certain autonomy that I can understand them to have and a certain freedom that they have. And it's not that we don't respect all of the ages, but it's like, okay, I'm giving you everything I've got. I'm giving you my tools. I'm really invested in what you have to offer, but there's also a sense of now you have to take it and run with it. And when students do, that's the best feeling. That's the best feeling. I'm going to wrap this here in a second with some advice to parents, but I'll say in my experience as a parent myself, I now have a four-year-old who is never going to be an actor, we'll say. I'm calling it now, though, of course. But just sort of seeing a little bit of the trajectory of this.

She's taken dance class and some music classes and just beginning. There's this experience of like, to your point, you want them to play, you want them to figure out their bodies and understand some aspect of like, there's this thing that when every person tells me, oh, you run MTCA? My kid wants to be an actor. He'll be great. He's super dramatic. He's an eight-year-old or whatever. There's some foundational sort of bridge that I think the act ones of the world have been able to make between like, what it is to get on stage and perform and enjoy that. And then beginning to lay some of these foundations of like, you know, it's almost like pre-pre-professional. I remember having one of those classes where like a fellow student was like, well, that monologue, no, I don't like what Charlie's doing.

He doesn't seem like he's acting. Like it doesn't seem good. And this wonderful teacher, I won't remember the teacher's name, but he went, no, no, no, he's doing, he's onto something. Keep going. Keep doing that idea of like, you don't need to be performative. And that's good. And I was 15 or something at the time, but I was like, if I hadn't had that moment, I don't know that I would have been like, oh, this is, I felt like that was right. And I was onto something and somebody helped inspire me to go toward that place where then I was going to go to Carnegie Mellon and go to and get some of the more professional training. But there's some of that intermediate value of like some place that's going to lay some of that foundation.

And I guess I may be speaking toward it because I think about, so I meet so many students when they're ready for like taking me to the professional level and I go, man, there is something beautiful about that first, you getting to be that first laying a foundation of like, what is acting? What is good acting? What is good art? You're sort of helping them establish taste or something. I don't know. It may be. And I think that has to continue through college. One of the things that we do here at Seton Hill, because we're a smaller school, is that we're able to give a particular student the attention that say, okay, this, you need to be more you, or you need to step on stage with a certain kind of authority that you have.

Or take this thing that you're doing in this dance class and now put it into this. Or if you can express yourself through song the way you're doing through speech, then you're set. There's a way of identifying when teachers are really honed in on a particular student, that thing that they need. And there's nothing like, just like you said, you said it so well, it can make all the difference. Because there's so many people always want the tips and tricks. They want the, just tell me how to do, what's the professional way to put it? What's the shlocking that you're putting on top? And so often it's not so often it is about, okay, for you internally at that base level, what do you need? Which is not necessarily about what you saw on the YouTube video or what you expect it's going to, the product is going to be.

There is that thing of you at 18, you at 21, whatever level you're at, what do you actually need? Man, if you can find teachers who can do that for you, it's so huge. It's foundational. Can we wrap with any advice for the parents in this process? So we have many parent listeners as you get to experience, and I'm sure they're part of your recruitment process too, and you're talking with them. What advice would you have for parents in terms of looking at the landscape of these programs and just going through this process with their kids? Well, I imagine that it's very stressful. It seems like it's become such an industry almost, and it's so good that you're helping them through this with this information and getting to know different schools.

I guess my advice would be is that I guess you can relax. I don't know. I just want to say to them, look, it's going to be okay. This one decision, I get it. I get that it's a big decision. I understand that, but they're going to be who they're going to be, and there's always room for a course correction. If you go to a school, and hopefully when you go to a school and you're actually there in person, you get a sense. I think this feels like home to me. I think this feels like where I belong, where I'm really going to be able to grow. I do think you find that once you actually visit a place and once you've narrowed it down, I imagine that's one of the final steps in the whole process that you help them go through.

I think that's important, but even so, let's say it doesn't work out. Well, then you'll change course, and it won't be the end of the world. I think that's true. I think in the same way we talk about that balance of how much introspection versus how much you're curious about the outside of yourself, I do think it's one of the ways this, I've been doing this now almost 20 years, it's one of the ways it has changed in that I think at times people weren't anxious enough at first. They were unrealistic thinking like, I'm going to get into, I'll do Carnegie Mellon and Juilliard, I'll get into a school or two. It's hard, it's competitive, and now more come in tightly wound. Actually, where I would go, you would benefit from relaxing a little bit.

You do need to go through the process. It is a complicated process if you're doing a lot of schools and you want to have balance in your list and all those things, but more often than not from a holistic perspective, I would say that is good advice to go. It's going to be okay. I'm trying to tell myself that, Joe, because my kid is currently doing the New York City pre-kindergarten process, which is unbelievable. There's been auditions. She experienced her first pre-screen rejection. She had a gifted and talented interview where she did not meet the bar, even though my child's a genius. I don't know what's wrong with their bar. The whole thing, and we have 18 schools on the list, and I'm trying to give that advice to myself to go, Charlie, it is going to be fine.

She's going to get into a kindergarten. It's going to be okay. My brother, Paul, went through that because they live in New York and their kids are growing up there. I remember my wife, for a year or two, she was teaching second grade. I think she'd given a student a B or something. I remember she told me how the teacher came in. How is this going to affect my kid's chances of getting into Harvard? It's okay. Again, I have for years, and probably getting my comeuppance because I've mocked our parents, and then I'm going through this experience and going, what is wrong with that? You said no. You can't say no to my child. How dare you? How absolutely dare you? Look, I've done it too. Our daughter's 10, so I have to watch myself too and say, wait a second.

It's okay that somebody else got picked to do this or that. Nothing in life is binary, of course. Relaxed can't mean, okay, well, just don't think about it and don't do any of it. You still have to do some of the stuff, but can you find some ease in knowing, yeah, what's the absolute, what's the end of the world? What's the- I know, and I wouldn't want to say relaxed. I wouldn't want that to seem at all condescending. I don't mean that at all. I just know because I empathize with you. What you have to go through, it seems, but I do, being on this side of things and knowing how, it's just like being in an audition room. We're there wanting the students. We're rooting for the students. We're looking for the potential.

You don't have to come in. It's certainly from our perspective. We're not expecting a polished professional. That's why you're going to school. That's what we're looking for is someone that wants to go and train and learn and all that stuff that you should be doing in college. I love it. All right. Well, if people want more information on Seton Hill, where would you urge them? We want social media, we want websites. We want them emailing you directly. What's the best way for someone, if they want to get a little bit more after spending an hour with us on the podcast, if they want more, where should they head? Well, they should definitely check out the setonhill.edu. Just go to the website. Google Seton Hill.

Make sure it's Hill. I did it. I said Seton Hill. Well, it's easy to make that mistake. Seton Hill University. You can certainly email me directly if you want at domencik at setonhill.edu. I'd be happy to answer any emails. But I think that's the easiest way. Check out the website and then you'll find all kinds of links to other things as well.

[52:01] Charlie Murphy: Yes, yes, yes. So fun for me to get to do that particular interview. I hope it was as enjoyable for all of you as it was for me and Joe. I have a couple of quick hitter takeaways and then like basically two longer ones. So we'll see how we do. You know, we've talked about it before with the creativity needed for schools when they're with their showcases or I sometimes talk about like, how do you launch your students in the industry? Because not every school has a showcase, a live showcase. So whatever that creativity is, especially when you don't have the established reputation of one of those quote unquote top schools. I really like Joe's honesty and what they are able to provide now via video and then the goals of what could be established in a live showcase eventually.

I do think you've been able to hear a number of different examples if you're a regular listener of the show of what some of that creativity can look like when it's not just a bus to New York City and a showcase, which, you know, you can kind of hear the downside. The show, some of these showcase may not be attended by the people that you really care about or that you really want to be there, especially in a world where so much now exists digitally with casting people in representation, having the ability, I think, to be a bit lazier than they used to have to be. Sadly, with there being so many excellent schools with so many different training programs and then also these digital options, some of those industry people can be a bit lazier and just kind of let the talent come to them, which just, of course, on our end means that you have to find even more creative ways to get across their desk and into those actual rooms.

But I also really love Joe's talk. We talk about the creativity. It's not just creativity with a showcase. You know, you're talking about creativity and entrepreneurship in the different paths of Seton Hill graduates. Right. We've talked about this before in the idea of like the transferable skills of a BFA, which, you know, as listeners, you know, I deeply believe in this idea of the transferable skills in the BFA. Often we talk about that in terms of like a backup plan. But I think it's worth talking about even just this idea of like having that path talk as a distinct talk as you're graduating college. Right. We're spending all this time with 17, 18 year olds, sometimes 16, 19 year olds. But I always say 17, 18 year olds were aiming, you know, your arrow at the industry.

And we're aiming that arrow at the like the most difficult and competitive part of the industry, which is assuming that you might be trying to make a life as a professional actor. Right. That's the hardest thing. And so that's what we have to pull the most taught part of the bowstring or whatever. Right. But I do think as you round the corner into 22 or whatever you are, as you near the end of college, it's worth actively having that conversation with yourself as well. Am I going to pursue this path directly? Am I going to do it immediately? And in what way am I going to pursue it if I'm going to actually pursue it? I mean, what city am I going to go to or what is my my path or how am I going to actually do that?

You know, I think if you don't ask those questions of yourselves, like thoughtfully and taking a second to really do it, you might just sort of default to taking the proverbial bus to New York City. And while I think that's not a bad default, if you're talking about musical theater hopefuls with New York City, still the capital of the musical theater world. It's not the only option for a young person starting out to necessarily go to New York City. If you've just showcased and you have a fancy agent and some big auditions, by all means, it makes sense. I had to New York City. It's where a lot of the audition is going to be. It makes a lot of sense. Right. But many students graduate from college and are not immediately in that place where they have all of those things.

A big agent. They're really excited about some really exciting professional opportunities. They know they want to be in New York City to have a support network. Right. So for those who don't have all that, what is the path for you and what's the plan? Right. You know how I love sports analogies in the podcast. I haven't made one in a while. So here we go. I do think that in this way, getting a BFA is a bit like playing competitive D1 sports in college. Right. It means you're saying I am at an elite pre professional level to be doing this, to be getting a professional training. I should be at this D1, D2 level where I really showcase an ability. But it doesn't necessarily mean you're going to make it to the NBA or even necessarily pursue the NBA directly.

Right. And plenty of people who play for D1 schools might realize as they're graduating, you know, I'm OK with shifting path to 22. Maybe they still love the sport, but they're going to parlay that into coaching or they're going to get some additional certification and do some kind of physical training or they're going to try to become a shooting coach or whatever it is. Right. Or maybe I'm not done playing yet, but I'm not going to try to go directly to the MTCA. I'll call the NBA MTCA. I'm not going to go directly to the NBA, but maybe I'm going to play overseas for a while. Right. Before I maybe try to come and play stateside again, whether that's because I'm going to play in the NBA or even go for the G League or all the other options you might have from basketball perspective.

You know, these analogies, of course, aren't perfect, but I think it is helpful in that what I'm saying is there should be a conscious choice to go first. Am I still in that same passionate place? I was at 17, 18. And do I want to actively pursue performing? And if so, what does me pursuing this actually look like in 2030, if that's when you're graduating school as I graduate?

[57:28] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[57:58] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[58:28] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[58:58] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[59:28] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[59:58] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[1:00:28] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[1:00:58] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[1:01:28] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[1:01:58] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[1:02:28] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[1:02:58] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[1:03:28] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[1:03:58] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[1:04:28] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[1:04:58] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[1:05:28] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[1:05:58] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[1:06:28] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[1:06:58] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[1:07:28] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[1:07:44] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[1:07:58] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[1:08:28] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[1:08:58] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[1:09:28] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[1:09:58] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[1:10:28] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?

[1:10:58] Joseph Domencic: How do I make this pursuit of the path happen?