We have a slightly weird situation in that my one child (viola) has multiple teachers. We can’t figure out who should write the recommendations, especially for schools that only take ONE music recommendation.
She has a teacher who she sees about 3x a month who is a top professional in the field, both in performance and teaching. She has been working with this teacher about 2 years. This teacher teaches at one of the schools she is applying to. My only reservation here is this teacher tends to be very honest about everything, and I’m not sure if they would ever write a glowing recommendation for anyone!
She also has a teacher who she sees weekly who teaches both violin and viola. She is well-known as a violinist, and routinely teaches viola, but is not a violist. My daughter has worked with her for 6+ years, first on violin, and then on viola. So she knows her REALLY well.
She also has an intermittent teacher she plays for about 5x a year for the past three years. This teacher is also top of the field as a teacher and teaches at one of the schools she is applying to. This teacher knows my daughter reasonably well, and really champions her.
Thoughts?
My thoughts might sound like a rather wishy washy answer but here goes.
Your violist is applying to very high level schools and I would assume the faculty at those schools will know her current teachers well if not personally, then by reputation.
So my thought is that, if the top teacher you mention rarely if ever gives a glowing recommendation, the panel will probably already know that. So in my opinion, ok to submit what may be an honest but not glowing review.
And my other thought is that the audition matters so much more than other aspects of the application, that I’m not sure it would matter much which teacher submits a letter for her. As long as the recommendation reflects that the student has talent and is good to work with, it should be fine.
An additional thought. I don’t know if there is interpersonal drama amongst the high level viola faculty. If so, maybe mix and match your potential letters to minimize any potential ruffling of feathers. Of course, the panel will likely know who your daughter studies with from her resume.
What matters in performance music majors is the audition. Sure, you don’t want a letter that says anything bad about the student, but it doesn’t sound as if that is the case. It’s the audition that will get her in.
We attended a webinar put on by Julliard, Eastman, and Ithaca. When they covered LOR, they acknowledged that many students have more than 1 teacher and specifically stated to use the music teacher who knows you the best. They stated that the teacher’s connections/reputation are not what they evaluate in reading a LOR. They want the teacher who is most familiar with their playing/musical journey. So, based on their discussion, I would definitely not use the 3rd teacher. Between the first 2 listed, I would go with the one that fits their description the best.
Thank you for this info! Does anyone know if the Letters of Recommendation even get read by faculty at most schools? Or do they only get read by admissions staff?