BassDad

You should if you want to live up to your screen name.

(For those who didn't get the connection, "rainmaker" is a term for a person who is good at interacting with existing and potential clients for the purpose of securing future cash flow. Among working musicians, it is the business-savvy person who always brings a few extra publicity kits to a gig, who knows how to write press releases and grant proposals, who makes sure the group has its own business cards and that they are on display in a manner appropriate for the venue, who sets up an email list and gets people to join it, and who generally does all of the non-musical things that insure the client is happy and will want to hire you again in the future. Every group needs at least one.)

mamenyu

symphonymom: for what it's worth, I have never heard of an alternative route to admissions at UC for special talent (have gone through the application process twice). My sense, though, is that demonstrated musical talent can be a boost for admission at the UC's, and for Regent's Scholarships.

makin it rain

Ah, actually I found what I have been looking for through special talents! Thanks to symphonymom and an email from the UC Berkeley advisers.

"Since students are admitted to the College of Letters and Science and not to a specific department, auditions are not part of the admissions process. Students who would like their performance skills taken into account as part of their application may send a DVD, CD, score, or video recording under separate cover to the Special Talents Officer listed below. This is completely voluntary. Submissions to the Special Talents Officer should be sent between the beginning of December and the end of the first week of January."

mamenyu

The address of the Special Talents Officer can be found on the UC Berkeley Music Department website.

The admissions website says the following is one of the factors for admission to UC Berkeley:
"Likely contributions to the intellectual and cultural vitality of the campus. In addition to a broad range of intellectual interests and achievements, admission officers seek diversity in personal background and experience. To evaluate evidence of special talents an applicant may possess, the Admissions Office may seek the advice of Berkeley faculty members in relevant disciplines (e.g., music, art, drama, mathematics)."

So presumably, they will send the CD back to someone in the music department. I would still recommend trying to contact the orchestra conductor.

myau

Wow, it's a big news for me that UCs (except those with audition-based music programs) accept music CD supplement! Where could we read more about requirements and guidelines on the deadline, repertoire etc.?

mamenyu

I must say, it was news to me, too, that Cal took supplements (and I thought I had studied the issue pretty thoroughly, and have had personal experience with the music department!) -- and buries the information on the music department website! In the end, I don't know how much it would add -- you would probably still need top grades and scores, and you would show your music interests and activities on the essay.

symphonymom

Brilliant work, Makin' It Rain...I asked TWO counselors about your question and neither of them had heard of UC Berkeley's submission (although there was an admissions officer who did tell my son's friend, a Baroque flutist, about it). Goo job and thank you for the address. You are wonderful. Cal would be lucky to get such a resourceful student.

myau

Do other UCs do that? I know about UCLA's music department (which has pre-screening and audition-based admissions), but what about UCSD, UCD and UCSC?

I hadn't found anything on the subj. on their web-sites.

mamenyu

UC Davis music department doesn't mention sending CD's and the admissions site seems to say not to:
"DON'T send additional supporting materials, such as poetry, photos, letters of recommendation or copies of award certificates."
You could contact the music department directly and ask.

SpiritManager

UCSC offers a number of scholarships for incoming musicians, for individual performance, and for chamber music participation. There is information about submitting materials when applying to UCSC.
MUSIC | UC Santa Cruz

makin it rain

^ Thanks!

After numerous emails, I've also received A TON of information. UCLA, Berkeley, UCSD, Irvine, and Davis are all willing to hear a music supplement. A UCSD professor actually told me to email him my music resume as well. All UC's provided an address for me to send a CD to, which is the direct address to the music department, and a conductor at Irvine even told me (in exact words) that "the university considers special abilities in its deliberations."

mamenyu

Because it took me a while to find this (for a friend whose kid is applying this year), even though I knew it was on the music department website somewhere, I thought I'd post the address of the person at Cal who reviews CD's. Hope it helps. The deadline is coming up for UC applications. Good luck to all of you out there.

"Since students are admitted to the College of Letters and Science and not to a specific department, auditions are not part of the admissions process. Students who would like their performance skills taken into account as part of their application may send a DVD, CD, score, or video recording under separate cover to the Special Talents Officer listed below. This is completely voluntary. Submissions to the Special Talents Officer should be sent between the beginning of December and the end of the first week of January.

Edwina Taylor
Admissions Officer
University of California, Berkeley
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
110 Sproul Hall #5800
Berkeley, California 94720-5800
phone: (510) 642-3622
fax: (510) 642-7333
email: etaylor@berkeley.edu"