Class of 2009 Audition & Angst

SJTH · 11-08-2008, 01:09 PM

Hey all: I thought it was time to create a thread for those parents and students entering the wonderful world of music school/program admissions. DS has had one 11/1 deadline, followed by two 12/1s and (I raise myself) two 1/1s. Those are the immediately pressing deadlines, including pre-audition tapes and so forth. His first real audition is in two weeks, scarily enough (I say) though he is very well organized and really looking forward to the process. I'm very proud of him for making it through this Fall with a good attitude so far, including state soccer playoffs, a very difficult academic term and a lot of music.

How's everyone else doing? We're first-timers in music, though second-timers in college.

violadad · 11-08-2008, 05:29 PM

Our angst is now at the pro audition and conceivably grad school level, but I wish you and son the best of luck. Nail the early ones, and the ride may seem a bit smoother.

bluepearl · 11-08-2008, 05:31 PM

So far, things are busy but not too stressful. D is a violinist and we've taken her to several conservatories for lessons this fall and all were very positive. Her first deadline was actually 9/15 for early audition at Michigan, which is coming up. Another was 11/1 for Oberlin's early audition. Neither of those required a prescreen tape, though, and she is going to try recording a couple of pieces one more time and overnight it to Mannes (due 11/15). The rest are due 12/1. She has most, but not all, of her apps submitted (other than the prescreening tape and some letters of recommendation). I have to keep at her, though, because she would never have completed any of these apps without me
nagging at her. And I am the one who made the spread sheets, lists, and calendars. She intentionally kept her school schedule light this year (no math or science) and we are all very grateful for that! Because of the positive feedback from the trial lessons and a win at a competition, we are pretty confident she will have some good choices this spring, but the recording fees, accompanist fees, application fees and costs of visiting schools are really adding up!

jazzzmomm · 11-08-2008, 05:35 PM

Yes, we are no longer in the audition mode, but this time last year we were! I think I worried much more than my son did about the whole thing. It is a nice idea to do a "safe" early audition, one where you may hear before Christmas. Having an acceptance is a good way to go into the really competetive ones in February!

Good luck! Stay cool.

-Allmusic- · 11-08-2008, 06:24 PM

Good luck is right! OMG, this harkens back to last year!! I sure wish we had had a "safe" early in the pocket. As it was, my son had to wait (very cooly I add, contrary to his mother) until March 30, for the first response (although he had a positive "early write" in mid-March from one professor). March was so nerve wracking. Every other kid he knew had at least one choice by then.

Best of luck to all of the auditioners!! Sharing these auditions with your child is really a wonderful experience, which I will never forget (including the drive home in a snowstorm, the 1000 miles covered the last week of Feb!). Enjoy the whole time, and realize that very soon, it will all be over, hopefully with some great choices!

thumper1 · 11-08-2008, 06:35 PM

>>Enjoy the whole time, and realize that very soon, it will all be over, hopefully with some great choices!>>

Well...THIS batch of auditions will be over...but for music majors, this is just the beginning of auditions forever.

Good luck to you all this year. Really...try to do something enjoyable at each audition location...something that has nothing to do with the audition (go to a museum or a restaurant...something). We had a lot of fun going to the auditions and tried to make each trip into something memorable (of course the 30 plus inches of snow in the DC area was memory enough for THAT audition!!).

-Allmusic- · 11-08-2008, 06:49 PM

True dat, Thumper! It seems these kids are set up for many auditions in their futures! But the college ones are such a milestone, and I agree about finding fun activities to add to the audition experience. We always found fun restaurants wherever we went, and usually went to at least one concert in the evening.

musicamusica · 11-09-2008, 12:45 PM

I would second (or third?) the possibility of scheduling a safety audition early in the game. D had a great offer by Dec and since she book-ended her safeties we were able to drop out of the last one scheduled in March and saved a little cash. She is going thru the grad school process by herself right now. For all you undergrads, three tips--network,network,network. We just said goodbye to two gradstudents this morning. They were in town for regional auditions for Wolftrap and traded in on our offer for a place to stay. D met plenty of professionals and grad students at a YAP last summer and has already arranged free airport pickups, tours,introductions and couches to sleep on for her grad school audition tour. We have another former grad student staying next week for an LA Opera audition. I love it.

jazzzmomm · 11-09-2008, 02:04 PM

musicamusica is right about the bookending idea. We did the same thing, and were also able to cancel the last one, which would have been in mid-April. It's good to know there is a safety net if the more competitive programs don't pan out.

opera-mom · 11-09-2008, 05:04 PM

I'm really looking forward to Dec.1 as that is when ALL of those applications for D voice major applications are due...8 is almost overwhelming with D 1200 miles away at fine arts boarding school. Progress is being made but may be over-nighting some of those last apps. Hopefully we'll be able to take a big breath before 1st auditions start end of Jan. I appreciate all the advise I have had from those of you who have gone down this path before me...

Flugel · 11-09-2008, 10:10 PM

D planned an early safety audition until she was (unexpectedly) accepted in an All State ensemble with the concert the same day as that audition. So, we had to reschedule.

memake · 11-10-2008, 12:33 PM

Memake's daughter will have 3 live auditions (Jan/Feb) and one CD audition (for MSM's lesson-exchange-with-Barnard program). She's completed her common-app-supplement CD for her non-conservatory applics. She is also gearing up for a competition in 6 days.

She won't have any early audition results - hopefully she'll know about acceptance to U of Michigan's Liberal Arts program by mid-December, but not about the School of Music until after the audition in Feb.

On the other hand, she has had verbal promises from 3 teachers to accept her into their institution's music programs if nothing else pans out..... I don't take these promises too seriously -- obviously she'd still have to apply and audition at these places and at the moment she is not expecting to do that...just like to think of these warm gestures to her as a way to keep (my) anxiety in check.

stringfollies · 11-10-2008, 02:06 PM

Good luck to all of your kids. This is a time which, while provoking great anxiety, was also a wonderful pre-college bonding for me and my son. We loved our travels and made an adventure out of every trip. As a result, the audition part seemed to him like part of the fun and in the end, this was a successful approach.

So try to have as much fun as you can!

RunningtheBasses · 11-11-2008, 10:12 PM

I second the sentiments expressed in stringfollies' post - S1 and I enjoyed those audition road trips immensely and even the ones that didn't start off very well (he actually forgot his instrument and didn't remember until after we crossed state lines ) made for some great memories. Exploring college towns and comparing restaurants were pleasant diversions from the stress of auditions.

We're fortunate to live in an area with a close-knit circle of professional musicians. Some of the local private teachers have scheduled an audition "boot camp" during Christmas break for area seniors, which will include a few masterclasses, recitals by all auditioners, round table discussions, and audition coaching. We're embarking on the college audition circuit once again with S4, so he's definitely participating. Seems like a great way to boost confidence and quell some of those performance jitters he's prone to.

bluepearl · 11-12-2008, 09:37 AM

The audition "boot camp" sounds like a great idea. We don't have anything like that around here; but she had an "informal" recital in October, several trial lessons and a couple of competitions. In addition, her first two auditions are her bottom of the list schools (currently), so she will have had plenty of practice by the time her most desired school auditions come around. She finally had her last taping session for her prescreen tapes, and I am looking forward to getting those off in the male! I am really looking forward to the audition circuit and am happy she was able to schedule two of them so early. I think it's going to be fun.