Just popping in to say hello to everyone. School has been such a drag for D. So much work when she’d rather be practicing. Anyways I’m super excited that she’s recording her violin concerto tomorrow with piano. I’ll be so glad to give my ears a break from that piece :). Her other recordings she’s planning to do Thanksgiving week and we can do them easily at home since they are unaccompanied. Good luck to everyone else!
Excited to see the audition dates going up – good luck to all, especially @raincat, @tableforsix , @MusicMomSC and @murray93 who have dates on the board. It’s getting real!
Raincat, my son did the Berklee EA audition for jazz last year (on December 1, to be exact) so I thought it might be helpful for you to see our summary of the experience. Best of luck to your pianist, it’s an amazing buzz to be there:
“Berklee is organized and gets you in and out. Sign in at the specified time and wait in an auditorium with other applicants. You will be called out and escorted first to a warm-up room, then to an individual audition in front of a panel of 2-3 faculty, and finally to a short interview with an admissions counselor. You will play scales and warm-up materials plus one piece that “you feel represents you well.” The whole process takes about an hour, although allow extra time in case they run late.”
We waited around the corner in one of the lovely local coffee houses while S did his thing. You can also sign up for a tour if you haven’t been there. We heard the results by December 18, so here’s hoping you’ve got this in your pocket by Christmas! Please feel free to PM me if you have other questions, or post here and I can PM you.
For all: last year, the intrepid CC music parents started a thread with audition advice and experiences from the various schools where our kids auditioned. You might find it helpful: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/2125817-audition-advice-for-music-students-and-their-parents-p1.html Hope you will add to it for future auditioners.
@akapiratequeen, Thank you so much for the insight into what to expect. It’s exciting yet stressful as you well know. It really is a journey (hence the aptly names Journey threads.
The Music Major thread doesn’t seem as active as in years past, I wonder if it’s because it’s harder to find on CC these days. I look forward to hearing about others experiences and will try to post ours as it unfolds.
One audition down for my daughter. It was a local LAC and went well. It was a good first audition experience with no pressure. The program is non-audition, so this was for scholarship. Next up is a big one at Loyola New Orleans on December 7. Anyone else auditioning then? @AmyIzzy any tips or advice for audition day? We’ve already visited campus and she will be attending the Friday before.
One down already, way to go @musicfamily! Good luck at Loyola next month. We don’t start live auditions until the middle of January so I feel behind yet relieved at the same time.
Glad to hear audition #1 went well! It really helped my daughter to do a few early auditions (Roosevelt Chicago, College of St. Rose, Loyola & Berklee.) So glad Loyola New Orleans is on your daughter’s list!
The audition was our first visit to Loyola (we are from Buffalo, NY) so we coupled it with an Open House weekend. Unfortunately, due to mechanical issues, our plane took off 2 hours late, we missed our connection and had to stay overnight in Charlotte, missed the Open House part and barely made it on time for the audition. My daughter was very stressed and disappointed but the music faculty at Loyola could not have been more accommodating and made her feel welcome right away, gave her some breathing room before the auditions/chatted a bit, and were pretty “chill” (as my daughter described it) which helped calm her nerves. They were very complimentary and even came out to talk to me/answer some questions while she was taking the music theory assessment.
Even though the audition part was very positive, we were both so flustered by the travel nightmare neither of us had a true “vibe” of the overall college & city (we understood the attraction of closer colleges, at least those that would allow a direct flight.) But I told her if it was still in consideration at decision time, I’d allow her to go to accepted student weekend to explore the option more and get a sense of the “vibe” there.
Her audition was in November and by December we had a very generous acceptance with a presidential scholarship and additional grant so that kept it on the table as she continued the auditions.
She wasn’t sure it was the college for her but had enough interest that she asked to attend the accepted student weekend in April, fell in love, petitioned them for a little more money to get Dad on board (it worked) and the rest is history.
She loves it there (the city, school and program.) My daughter was looking for an artsy, more progressive environment and a diverse campus and she hit the jackpot!
Her audition was for the Popular/Commerical Music Program but I’m sure most music auditions at Loyola are generally run the same way. Seemed pretty casual with nice conversation and encouragement.
As far as advice, allow some cushion time for travel. Lol. Seriously, I think she should just go in solid on her pieces and confident, but also with an attitude that it’s ok if she makes a few mistakes. They are looking for skill and potential, not perfection. She should be positive, discuss what she can bring to the school (both musically and in other ways) and “sell herself” without being cocky or too serious. Some auditions are much more formal with little small talk but Loyola won’t be one of those. Tell her to just really enjoy it and not to stress!
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask here or PM me. Good luck to her! Let us know how it goes!
@raincat Just wanted to add a note regarding the Berklee audition. When my daughter auditioned a few years ago in Boston, they actually had students performing in the auditorium where everyone was waiting. Lots of parents were in there too. They also held a short info session presentation in the auditorium while we waited. I would highly reccommend making your way to the auditorium. Of course my daughter did not want me there but I told her I was going for the info session. It was well worth it.
@musicfamily A quick note regarding Loyola New Orleans auditions. The faculty is very warm and welcoming. Everything felt very personalized. Thier audition day is long but everything runs smoothly. I will note that when my daugter auditioned for the pop com program warm up rooms were not mentioned or scheduled into their day. My daughter either went to a practice room on her own or asked for a warm up room. Don’t be shy about asking for a warm up room.
Best wishes to everyone heading into auditions this year!
So My daughters first Audition is this Thursday for Berklee. The audition is in Orlando. The second one is on December 7 at University of Miami. We live in Florida so we will drive to both.
I really appreciated everyone’s comments about teachers and comments/opinions they might have. It really helped my daughter put things in perspective.
So exciting to see the audition journeys begin!!! I’m surprisingly calm (relatively anyway, and I’ve worked hard on it) despite S having only submitted 1 application and not having started any other apps yet. I have to admit having a brief panic when I saw the 2020 pre-screen thread go up (gulp!) None of the schools he’s considering require a pre-screen and somehow the schools miraculously have ample time in between deadlines that he’ll be able to cram the apps. He’s busy with school, as I know everyone’s student is. I think he’s really only considering two schools - our state school and one that is more of a reach. We’ll likely have him add another school or 2- one a reach LAC and another one that seems to be generous with academic scholarship but only has a certificate program for his potential non-music major (he’s considering a double degree and understands that it will likely be a 5 year process). In the end, I know that he’ll end up where he was meant to be.
My son did his Berklee audition on Saturday in Boston. It was a great experience! They are very organized. Everyone sits together in the holding room (theater) and then they post the kids’ names on the screen when they are being taken up to their warmup rooms. We had live entertainment, snacks/coffee/water, and an info session all in the same holding area. EA notification day is 1/31. I’m told acceptances and scholarship offers come together. My son did the 5-week last summer and received a great scholarship for undergrad. This audition was to (hopefully) better the existing scholarship offer.
@SweetStrings Thanks! It definitely feels good to have one down already, and she feels good going forward. That’s the main reason we decided to do this one so early.
@AmyIzzy and @diglass thanks for the advice. We live a few hours away and are driving there Thursday night, so we shouldn’t have any travel issues. And we will make sure to ask for a warm up room! Our visit in March was great and we both feel really good about the school and the vibe. I think it would be a good fit for her. Good to hear the faculty is so welcoming and accommodating. That atmosphere is sure to calm some nerves, and I’m sure being there for classes on Friday will help as well.
@AmyIzzy reminded me of one of my favorite comments at this time of year. They are looking for potential NOT perfection. And it’s a good time to share “my secret tips” bc people do get tunnel vision about “playing and singing perfectly” and sometimes forget to just be “human”.
Unsolicited secret audition tips:
1.) Be prepared! Tuck in your shirt. Iron your pants. Have clothes that fit. Run a comb through your hair. AND have your music organized…and neat! If you do this, you may knock out a percentage of the competition…without playing or singing a note. Believe it or not…students will show up unprepared …messy…missing some of their music…or looking like they just crawled out of bed with a sleepy attitude. Would you want to teach a messy kid with an attitude in wrinkly clothes without their music organized for 4 years? In most cases, there’s another candidate gunning for the same spot…who appears to CARE! You don’t have to be perfect but you should be respectful and prepared, right?
2.) Be coachable. Be open, friendly, curious…and vulnerable. A key to success is being TEACHABLE, COACHABLE…and open to constructive criticism. As a teacher, would you want to “work with” a student who couldn’t take criticism, is arrogant or just difficult? All through my D’s journey, she continues to get kudos for being “game for anything” meaning she will try new things (as well as being able to show up for auditions and rehearsals on time…which believe it or not some people can’t do in the professional world and don’t get hired again!). In some auditions they may ask you to change something…just to see how you react…DO it as best you can with a smile. In an MT audition, they asked my D to make many changes and her voice cracked several times. She just kept trying (but admitted that she felt very embarrassed and thought she had blown it…it was her worst audition experience…she got accepted). Being “teachable” and “vulnerable” is much more important than “perfect”. If you can be OPEN, you may knock out some of the competition.
3.) Be yourself. Don’t try to over-sing/play or “pose” as older, more experienced, more cool. Just be yourself. I have told this story before but my D asked her teacher why she chose her and she said something like…I don’t know, you just reminded me of myself when I was young (note no comment about talent…everyone is talent past pre-screens). You’ll get the best results if you are simply brave enough to be you. Then you’ll end up with the right teacher.
I hope that this helps in some way!
Wonderful tips @bridgenail and a great reminder for all of us to just be yourself. I will share with my daughter.
These are awesome @bridgenail! I will echo the “coachable” and “game for anything” advice. At one audition, my son showed up with his carefully prepared blues song and the studio head said, “Let’s do this one as a bossa nova.” He sure wasn’t perfect, but it’s one of his favorite audition memories.
Good times. Thinking back on those trips with D. I was the official coat holder, water bottle refiller, get her from the warm up room when it was near audition time person, etc… So different for MM - all her game. Though if she does manage any auditions in our home city, I’d be more than happy to tag along.
@songbirdmama - yes MM is bittersweet…so much easier but you do miss the good times together. My D and some friends auditioned at Curtis. They all piled into one room since you need to be there for 2 nights. None of them got past the first round. They all went to a bar to drown their sorrows together. In that case, it was better to be with friends…than an old lady (me). She still has fond memories of (the bar near) Curtis. By MM, the acceptances/rejections seem to be easier to handle…by all.
@bridgenail Thanks for the tips. Great help. I will make sure to show this to my S.
@bridgenail She has started celebrating her “lasts” of college- Last Evensong, last fall choir concert, last fall opera (which is Friday) … Can’t believe how fast it all went. Just a blur. Though I would sleep better knowing that she has her MM applications completely submitted. I know the essays etc were done in September but she needed to finish recording and packaging according to various school requirements but then it’s the opera, and that last concert, and senior year fun… She affirms it’s all under control, but it’s hard to let go. Of course, that we have “been there done that” when you try to upload a file and it won’t go and it’s 24hrs until the closing date! Sigh.
@diglass , @DramaMama603 and @bridgenail and anyone I missed, thank you for the tips, it’s all very helpful!
I’m such a dork. It makes my heart happy to see these threads bustling with activity again! Lol. In the final stages of round 2 of applications / prescreens (Dec. 1 deadline). Essay fatigue is REAL. D is looking forward to “getting to the fun stuff!”