Musicians and Parents - Introduce yourself! - Page 15

theperformer · 03-03-2008, 05:03 PM

Hello everyone!!

I'm a junior in highschool and just preparing for the vocal audition process that is to come next winter! I love this site so much, and I'm so grateful for all the insightful information that I've had from all of you posters!

gudien · 03-06-2008, 09:37 AM

Hi! I've learned A LOT here last four weeks. My D is a senior applying piano performance major. She finished 5 and has her last audition this weekend. She's happy it's almost over.It's a stressful year for her and for me (financially) too!

clarinetmom · 03-09-2008, 08:19 AM

Hi all.
My daughter is only in 10th grade but we want to start looking at colleges for clarinet performance. I know absolutely nothing about what schools are good for clarinet. Anyone have suggestions?

C

BassDad · 03-09-2008, 09:39 AM

Welcome, clarinetmom.

There are several sources for the information you need. One is the other clarinet students and parents on this board. Another is your daughter's teacher. If she happens to be in a youth symphony, you may get some suggestions from the students, parents and staff there.

I would suggest that you start by looking for references to teachers rather than schools. The conventional wisdom is that, while there are important matters to consider that align with the school, the key element of the experience is the relationship between teacher and student. Also, since your daughter is still over two years away from starting, teachers sometimes retire or change schools and that can change the whole outlook of a particular school literally overnight.

Has your daughter begun to apply to competitive summer programs? They are excellent opportunities to meet individual teachers in person. She will also get connected in with the larger clarinet community in which the wisdom you seek resides.

There has got to be a national or international clarinet society. Yes, I just found one at clarinet.org. Is your daughter a member? That is yet another place to look.

EDIT: To save violadad the trouble, I will plug my own thread at So You Want To Be Music Major - One Family's Experience in which I explained how we handled a similar situation on double bass.

thumper1 · 03-09-2008, 10:26 AM

Also, Clarinetmom...you may want to start another thread asking for info about colleges for a prospective clarinet player. That will leave this thread to stay on topic for intros...and you will probably get more responses!!

clarinetmom · 03-09-2008, 10:38 AM

Thank you for your reply.

My daughter will attend Fredonia summer band and woodwind camp. She volunteers at the summer music program for younger students we have in town and will play in the orchestra for the summer opra program here. So she doesn't have that much time to travel. What competitive programs do you suggest so I can check the dates. Also, she previosly attended a Jazz program at Stony Brook and a summer program at Ithica.

Most of the teachers and parents I spoke to around here (NY)went or go to Ithica college, Fredonia, Eastman, West Chester, or St Rose. Nobody seems to really know that much info about performance they all looked for music ed.

I will check clarinet org. also.

Let me know if you think of anything else I should know.

clarinetmom · 03-09-2008, 10:41 AM

Thanks. How do I start a thread??????

violadad · 03-09-2008, 10:58 AM

clarinetmom, welcome. To start a thread, click the "New Thread" button under "Featured Discussions" on the main forum page here http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/

BassDad · 03-09-2008, 11:15 AM

It is a bit late for auditioned programs for this coming summer. Most have already completed auditions and will be sending out results soon. My daughter really liked Tanglewood. You need to check out their website in the fall for audition options and requirements. It is at Boston University College of Fine Arts

Most of the other summer programs for high school students that I know are string specific, so hopefully you will get some more suggestions from others.

thumper1 · 03-09-2008, 02:27 PM

Summer programs that are for full orchestra (and high school students can go)...Brevard, Eastern Music Festival, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Interlochen, Aspen.

aaviolinist · 03-11-2008, 07:22 PM

Hello All, I have been reading with great interest all the posts regarding S's and D's music talent, auditions, hopes and dreams. My D is a high school senior, violiist, playing since age 3. She does not want a lone standing conservatory but rather a college setting. She is too social for that - wants college clubs, football games etc. She missed out on auditions at Oberlin and Ohio Wesleyan due to weather - oh well! She audition at Peabody, SMU and CMU. Had regional auditions for Hartt and Vanderbilt. She has been accepted at CMU but waiting to hear from general admission. Fully admitted at SMU both at the Music School and the University. Admitted at University of Hartford but waiting to hear from Hartt. Peabody and Vanderbilt no word so far. Like everyone else, we are waiting and HOPING for some more good news and lots of scholarship $$$.

L. Fortissimo · 03-14-2008, 02:05 PM

I think it's high time I introduced myself. I, L. Fortissimo, have been around the agony and the ecstasy of the Wide World of Music for far too many years. My favorite thing to do is talk about ideas and concepts and philosophies, not mothers-in-law. If other people want to talk about mothers-in-law, that is perfectly fine, don't get me wrong. I will divulge, however, that I am not a personal friend of Itzhak Perlman, although I have stayed at a Holiday Inn (don't ask.) Keep those posts coming! They're very interesting!

FenderMom · 03-14-2008, 05:39 PM

I've been lurking here for a few days and would like to introduce myself. I have a 11th grader who's been playing electric guitar seriously for about 5 years. He also plays percussion in the school band and started taking saxophone lessons last year. He loves music and composing on the computer. We're feeling at a loss as to where to begin with the whole college thing. He doesn't want to go far from home. We're in the Hudson Valley, so we're looking at Vassar, SUNY New Paltz, West Conn, St. Rose ... nothing is really just right though. The program in computer music at Peabody sounds great, but it's too far for us. I just checked out the music and technology program at Stevens Institute and that looks very interesting, but we're really not sure where to begin. His PSATs were fairly high, 1390, Average in school, 93 but his rank is only 59/200. Lots of high achievers at our school. Any advice would be appreciated. (He has a half million hits on his youtube guitar solo video, and I keep waiting for some school to recruit us somehow ... I guess that's a pipe dream. )

jazzzmomm · 03-14-2008, 05:49 PM

There is a thread for school suggestions. Have you looked at the music conservatory at Purchase?

FenderMom · 03-14-2008, 07:55 PM

Yes, SUNY Purchase is definitely on our list to visit. I know the program is good, but I'm not sure about the living situation there. It's a little over an hour away from us, and he'd probably have to live on campus. Thanks for the tip though. Mostly I'm concerned about the fact that he's not classically trained -- the past two years of private lessons for guitar were given by a Berklee grad, but focuses on technique rather than sight reading. He's testing at NYSSMA level 5 this year, so we'll see how he does at that. I wonder if anyone on this thread has ever gone for music at Vassar?