Don't get me wrong, Robert and I both love AMDA but we are not the only ones with these questions. I, EmmaLee, fell in love with AMDA when I stepped into the entrance, and Robert fell in love when he went on his first school tour back in the summer of 2014, and we both saw where we would end up, spending more than 40 hours a week rehearsing and completing song charts and dossiers. We just didn't ask practical questions while on our tours or even when we went back for our auditions to get into AMDA. So, here are some typical questions that we have and probably more than half our student body has for AMDA.
1. Why do we not get to choose our own schedules?
2. Why are there NEVER enough rooms available at The Strat, 61st, or The Ansonia?
3. Why are there NEVER enough pianists for tapings?
4. Why do we not have a proper meal plan?
5. Why are the dorms at the Strat SO small and the dorms at the Dam SO big?
6. Why does the library close at 9:30 pm on weekdays, and at 7:00 pm on weekends?
7. Why do we only have 4 showers on each floor?
8. Why do we not have an oven in the kitchen? Sometimes a girl just wants to bake some cookies or muffins!
9. Why can't our friends and family come into any building without being badgered about their identity?
10. Why do we ONLY have one voice lesson a week?
11. Why did the tumbling elective get taken away?
12. Why do you torture us with taking 8 a.m. tap classes, or ballet classes?
13. Why do we have to sound like we're having sex in VPS?
14. How do you expect us to get a job and have a social life when we're constantly stressed about our work?
15. Why do you push us to "look good" every day?
16. Why does Joplin even exist? And why do we have to do it multiple times a row in our 1st semester?
17. Why does our grade go down by a letter after we miss 2 classes? Some people get sick all the time.
18. Why is the line ALWAYS so long when trying to get a room at any of the 3 buildings?
19. Why are there no more morning warm ups?
20. Why are there so many 1st semester theatre dance make up classes but only 1 for 2nd and 3rd semesters? We need to practice as well.
21. Why do you pressure us ALL THE TIME to do our very best? Well I get why, but sometimes we need a break.
22. Why do we not get a Spring Break?
23. Why don't we go by a normal college semester schedule?
24. Why do we only get 2 weeks off for our Christmas break, while everyone else gets a month.
25. Why do we jump right into working on Final Demos literally after Midterms are over?
26. Why is there practicum ONLY for the Integrated students?
27. Why do you hold makeup classes on the weekends?
28. Why does it always take FOREVER to get an appointment with Administration?
29. Why do the RA's not stop people from singing in their rooms? The handbook literally tells us not to, but the RA's do nothing about it.
30. Why does it cost more to live "on campus" than it does to live in the city?
31. Why isn't the AMDA CAFÉ like... a REAL CAFÉ?
32. Why does only 1 makeup class fix your grade?
33. Why do the RA's not stop people from smoking weed in their rooms? That's another rule the handbook has, but the RA's do nothing about this either.
34. Why do you coddle 1st semesters but then throw us in the first for the next 3?
35. Why do we only have one style of dance a week?
36. Why is the Strat on 70th, and the Dam on 85th?
37. Why are there certain teachers who work in the Summer, and some who only work in the Fall?
38. Why are the closets SO small at the Strat?
39. When are you going to bring the BFA program to NYC?
40. Why do the people who live on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floor take the elevator? You can walk 3 flights of stairs.
These are just questions that we had for you AMDA. Everyone still loves you, and we are still happy to be attending this beautiful school, and the city. Without you, none of us would be able to pursue our dreams and passions.
