@lexjen I will PM you this afternoon.
@Musicmom2two I sort of wish my son had done that – he placed into a higher level but it is the one course he is really struggling with. He expected to place out of the first year as he had done well in AP theory, but conservatory is a whole different animal.
@Doransa I would love to hear your thoughts as well!
Thanks for the responses about IU/Jacobs. We’re planning to go to Jacobs, on the given date. Got refundable airline tickets and priority boarding. Wasn’t cheap, but hoping to hear from a couple of other schools before that. IU is our farthest, by a significant margin, and, of course, it’s very large. Being a Midwesterner, it’s most like where I attended school(s), but nothing that big around these parts (New England).
On Peabody.
We stayed at hotel Indigo which is very close to the school. Walking distance. It is not a very cheap hotel and does not have breakfast or parking but there is a parking available opposite of the hotel. There are some restaurants nearby. First night we went to Mount Vernon Marketplace. Walking distance to the hotel.
In the morning of the interview my son went early to the school and registered. They had a composition get-together for the students. We went to parents info session. At the lobby they were serving coffee and muffins. 
Somehow the school seemed more formal than others. It is like a gated community, everything is somehow connected. Students came down from the residences to eat at the cafeteria. They really do not need to leave the school much. There are key cards to go in and out. School is like a maze. My son has some friends at school so he was with them most of the day. We did not take a tour. Walters museum is across from the school. If you like museums it is nice, and it is free. There were some homeless people in the surrounding area asking for money - cigarettes.
Whole interview took 10 -15 mins. I am not sure how they can form an opinion on kids in 10 -15 minute. My understanding not much chitchatting happened very business-like interview. Students were friendly, welcoming and happy to be there.
From the parent info meeting. They have more undergrads nowadays. If you want to have dual degree, student needs to apply to Johns Hopkins as well. If the kids apply to both and get into both schools, financial aid comes from Johns Hopkins not from Peabody. If you only apply Peabody and want a second minor degree your degree should be somehow related to music. After two years students leave student housing and find a place to stay outside of the campus. Not sure about rent prices. I think this will be factoring in with the merit etc. All the students are expected to graduate in 4 years or in 5 years if they are doing graduate degree. We also ate in the cafeteria and food was not bad at all.
If you have any questions let me know.
Eastman Jazz Alert…concert live-streaming now! 7:30-9 pm. https://www.esm.rochester.edu/live/kilbourn/ My S is in the second band, starting at about 8:15 pm. ?
@akapiratequeen very impressive. They are great.
I’m watching now too! Thanks for the heads-up. 
@akapiratequeen WOWZERS! They sound incredible! Well done! And is there any school that can claim to have cooler, more beautiful performance spaces?!? I think not.
Aww thanks guys! Fun show!
As soon as I started watching, that’s the first thing I said… WOW… what a cool arse performing space… And then it was … Shout out to the saxophone/clarinet player, of course ? 
? Bennie plays Tenor Sax in his school’s Jazz Ensemble and his director just ordered a piece that has a clarinet solo for his departing senior to play. He (the band director) has been anti-clarinets in the jazz band, cause “they’re not part of the standard big band configuration”. SMH Just took four years to change his mind that it CAN in fact, be configured in. HA.
I only caught the end…the last two pieces. The Jazz Lab Ensemble ( I think), will have to go see if I can watch the rest of it. Thanks for sharing @akapiratequeen . Enjoyed the little I saw. Can’t wait to watch the rest, assuming there’s a recording of the livestream coming up at some point. Thanks again.
Thanks for watching! I don’t know if there’s a tape forthcoming, but there will be many more concerts. That was the Jazz Lab Band. My son is a freshman; he was second from the right in the saxophones, with the glasses. He loves playing with the Eastman kids and he’s learning so much.
@akapiratequeen thanks for the heads up! Beautiful space and great sounding bands.
So- big family talk this evening. I felt the prickles of tension all day today and had to address it. Just got home last night at midnight and leaving again early am Thursday, so checked in with the other kiddos to see what was up. As I tried to make the point about family cooperation and pitching in to help each other out (all while emphasizing that I understand the resentment they may feel for the past several months focus being on their sister), the words coming out of my own mouth surprised me. It’s a truth I’ve known all along, but to hear it spoken was another thing altogether.
What I told my girls was that we need to relish the next six months we have together because after that, their sister is gone for most of the year. Not only out of the house for college, but also away for summer vocal programs and breaks, and just doing whatever possible to further her skill and make connections. As I said the words “Our family dynamic is going to change permanently” they became undeniably true. There was a distinct and uncharacteristic silence that fell over the room as it all sunk in for us. We have always been so tight-knit as mom and four daughters.
I keep having that saying echoing through my head- the one about loving someone enough to let them go- and despite my horrible jet lag and need to sleep, my mind just races. These trips with my D have brought us even closer, yet she is on the cusp of leaving the home for good. Just so bittersweet sometimes that our relationship is at this pinnacle moment and she has to leave so soon.
The irony of motherhood is really here. All the loving, nurturing, preparing and confidence building that takes every ounce of strength and eighteen years is going to result in the little bird leaving the nest. So much pride, so much hope, so much worry tinged with a bit of melancholy. It’s appropriate this thread is called Journey because it sure is. Not only for my D, but for the whole family.
Thanks to all for sharing your experiences- makes it all a bit easier. This weekend is going to be awfully challenging.
Well, my 28 year old just moved in with me! In many ways, the problem becomes adjusting to the kids’ entering and leaving over and over again The sadness comes in realizing that even when they do come home, it is truly never the same. Savor these trips!
@coloraturagirl I can totally relate to all your words. We still have one more year before it all becomes a reality, but it’s really so bittersweet.
My D is doing a summer program (or 2) this yr so she will be gone for 5-6 weeks and selfishly I dont want her to go bc I know that the time is so precious. I try not to pass my small town attitude on to her and encourage her to break free and enjoy experiences beyond our little town. It’s just so hard for me. She’s my youngest and without her the house will be so empty!
I go between feelings of excitement and complete dread!
@colaturagirl Thanks for this touching comment. Many of us have felt the same. My musician S is the youngest of six; no wonder I keep hanging on to CC even after he’s gone! I would iron his shirts and drive them five hours to Eastman if it wouldn’t look completely insane–even with a full-time job! 
Having been through this a few times, though, I can also offer some comfort. There is such pride and joy in watching your kids grow into lovely, loving adults. Sibling rivalry and day-to-day conflicts fade away and they remember how much they truly care for one another.
I also love it the first time each of them comes home from school: the parental care they took for granted all these years is now special and precious. I remember bringing my oldest son a glass of orange juice as he lay on the couch watching TV during his first Thanksgiving break – something I had done every day for at least 15 years before he left, to nary a grunt of recognition. This time, though, he practically burst into tears. “No one brings me orange juice at college!” he said, giving me a gigantic hug. Now all the kids say it whenever I do something nice for them: “No one does my laundry in law school!”
Finally, after the initial wrench, I can report that there is a lot to be said for having fewer kids at home (and even, eventually, none). My life has opened up in all sorts of ways. I am redirecting the energy I gave to them every single day to things for me – better job, creative work, friends, time with my partner. I still love seeing them whenever and however I can. But there are lots of benefits to this new chapter.
Onward and upward, loving parents and carers! It really does get better from here.
@akapiratequeen thank you- exactly what I needed to read this am after a fitful sleep. Nothing wrong with some more appreciation! And me time? What the heck is that? I look forward to discovering all that’s ahead. There is so much I have put on the back burner and I do want to revisit the parts of me that are not caretaking related. I’ll probably get another dog or two, finish the short story collection I’ve been working on for 20 years, and maybe even get my fledgling business off the ground. I’ll start to play my own music again and go back to singing with my old band. You’ve given me some confidence and inspiration for the future
Of course there is the issue of my elderly mother, but that’s a whole other message board…
@Pl1277 I felt the same way last summer. When my D left for Tanglewood, it took some time to really sink in. I’m a tough NY girl originally; I never cry in public and am pretty stoic in general. I think it took several days before I truly mourned the loss of her constant singing sunup to sundown. It was a good trial run for college, though, and gave her a sense of what it means to be independent. Also, the other singers there gave her a good gauge of her own talents and what to work on. Love the summer programs!
@coloraturagirl that post brought tears to my eyes… and I’m hardcore and rarely tear up. VERY touching. I feel you. Sending hugs. And thanks for sharing indeed. The irony of motherhood… swiftly approaching in this household of two, just my son and I and I can’t even imagine what it’s going to be like. We’re super tight… always been Bennie and his Momma… I only allowed myself to really think about next year while reading your post. Thanks for sharing.
@akapiratequeen also sniffles. BUT, after reading your posts, I started to think about what ever am I going to do ??? Redirect my energy !! I see lots of crafting, and running trips, and traveling and … the list goes on. Thinking of which direction I shall be going helps me from thinking about when my munchkin is gone. Oh and I dunno… I’m not sure I would find ironing my son’s shirts (“cause you do it better than the dry cleaners Momma” ) and driving them to Pittsburgh totally insane ? Not totally. And I for one appreciate you hanging out around here even with your kid gone and sharing your pearls of wisdom.
Aw thanks @BenniesMom1 ! group hug for the mamas!