@tripletmama Late reply to your message from several weeks ago: My D is a vocalist!
@JeJeJe thank you so much! that’s very helpful.
@tlrgrills Please let us know if you have any specific questions. It may be helpful to know what genre of music your child wants to study ie, Jazz, Commercial/Pop or Classical. What schools are on your duaghters list?
I loved this article. Thought you’d all appreciate. https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2017/06/04/ten-reasons-to-let-your-kid-major-in-music/?
How’s it going?
What a wonderful article, @akapiratequeen! I have printed it to re-read throughout this season. I seem to need frequent reminders! 
It took us several years to embrace the idea of a music major for our kid, but we’ve come around to the idea that it is the best possible choice for the particular kid.
Had the realization yesterday that we are exactly 2 MONTHS from our first application/prescreen deadlines. !!! Its getting real!
Time will speed up from here, @mom2clarinetobsessedkid ! Do you have a list? Is everyone feeling on track and comfortable?
Your words ring true, @akapiratequeen! As if we needed anything to hurry senior year along. Time is already flying!
List? Yes. On track? Ish. Comfortable? Lol!
Actually, I think we’re probably right where we’re supposed to be. This group has helped us to prepare in so many ways. I just need to keep reminding myself that things will get done, and that our kids will end up where they are meant to be. Deep breaths. Keep forging ahead!
Love that piece @akapiratequeen! It really says it all. We never really doubted our choice to let our daughter pursue music in college. She is headstrong and passionate about her path so she would have found a way with or without our support. She always leaned towards the liberal arts schools vs. conservatories (seemed to want a balance of music and academics for a more well-rounded approach, but she still had conservatories on her final list and kept an open mind as did we as her parents.) I do have friends who have recently told their daughter they won’t support her studying musical theatre unless she can double major “to give her more security” and it has become a battle already. I can agree that senior year flies by but sounds like the 2024 parents are in good shape! We are always happy to help!
Loved that article! It was really well written. I’m thankful for a very quiet and extra long Labor Day weekend where my D got so much done! Hurricane Dorian kept us at home here in Florida all weekend so we made major progress on the college application process. Lots of time for practicing when you can’t go out too. Now I’m feeling much more settled about her final list and where we are. Next I need to plan out these prescreen recordings.
Checking in to see how things are going. My son has gotten 8 out of 10 applications done and working on pre-screening now. We’ve gotten 1 audition date nailed down so far and trying to predict some of the others so we can start booking airfare while the prices are cheap. Planning to book all flights on Southwest so we can cancel without a penalty if needed. Things are moving very fast. I’m glad he’s gotten most of the apps done. The essays have taken up a lot of his time. Now he can get back to practicing 
@tubamama my son is still working on essays, prescreening recording needs to be done, and I am not sure what else he has on his plate. I am happy that he is done with his SAT.
@tubamama sounds like your son is killing it! When/where is the audition? Are the schools local, safeties, reaches, or a mix? How did he finalize the list?
Most of the schools he has applied to are out of state. I told him he needed to apply to at least 1 state school so he did. He finalized his list looking at schools with good tuba studios and professors and he has a mix of private and public schools. He is not interested in a conservatory only school. He wants to attend a university with a good music school within the college. He also decided not to apply early decision to any schools as we don’t know what the financial aid will look like and he doesn’t want to be locked in without knowing cost. His list:
Northwestern
USC
University of Michigan
Vanderbilt
UCLA
UT Austin (audition January 18th)
University of Miami
Indiana University
UC Berkeley- no music
University of Missouri
I wish I knew when the other auditions would for sure be so I can plan travel. Most of these will require flying or a very long drive.
@tubamama your son is amazing! I’m glad for you. Relax for a bit before you have to drag that tuba all over the map ? My daughter is in the thick of these applications and essays right now. I’m actually glad it’s not something I can help with. There’s more than enough work for me on this road. Here’s her crazy mixed bag list:
Eastman
Oberlin Conservatory
Vanderbilt
Manhattan School of Music
CIM
Northwestern
USC
University of Miami
Lynn Conservatory
Florida State University
I know this is a late reply, but I wanted you to know that UT Austin gives zero merit/talent money to music performance undergrads. Grad students get a free ride, undergrads receive absolutely nothing.
If you’re out of state, UT Austin will be very expensive.
I did hear from the bassoon prof at UT that they were revamping their financial model to include future undergrads in scholarship awards, but she didn’t know when that would take effect. She said they were losing too many talented freshman to other schools.
My son was accepted at UT, declined the offer then was offered $2K to reconsider. He chose Vanderbilt, which was $5K a year cheaper than our instate option of UT.
Tubamama—— You guys are doing great! I am just being very curious… I am sure you already have a plan to transport a tuba. Do you have any tips for traveling with tuba or any large instrument(s)? Is Southwest still best and the most friendly for musicians?
Oh, dear! If, in fact, this is the case at UT Austin (and I have no reason to doubt your word), this will need to come off of our list. I was feeling hopeful about it as it seems to tick so many of D’s boxes, but a “…very expensive” out of state option with no chance for merit/talent money would be a no-go for us. We’ve been looking for ways to narrow our list, but its getting a little too small for comfort at this point!
Maybe someone could just make a list of all the schools where there’s no chance of getting music/talent money for undergrads in performance, to save us some time. Sigh. Lol. Sob.
I think you should reach out directly to the Tuba professor and the music department and ask if they’re offering music money for undergrads. They may have implemented a new program for incoming freshmen next year.
UT has wonderful music professors. As a sideline, I would ask the tuba prof how much time he spends with undergrads versus grad students. We found the bassoon program had a heavy emphasis on grad students. The undergrads had much less opportunities to play and a reduced amount of interaction with the prof versus other schools. That may be very different with the tuba prof at UT.
Check out SMU, they offer huge money for music performance majors and they stack academic merit aid on top of music money. I have no idea if they have a good tuba guy, but you should take a look. My kid got a $52K a year combo package.
Gorgeous, top notch private school near downtown Dallas located smack dab in big $$$$ Highland Park.
It’s a great school.