Thanks @buoyant! I agree with @tableforsix that there are very few people who are not impacted or will not be impacted by COVID-19. It’s great to have such a supportive music community here with all that everyone is going through. My son has lots of company - his friends are also experiencing tour and gig cancellations and are trying to make the best of it.
I posted a thread some time ago about the importance of supporting live music, encouraging people to go out to live music performances whenever they can. But in the current environment, of course, each person needs to use his or her judgment, and I wouldn’t encourage people in high risk categories to be attending public events. And if you’re sick, stay home!
That said, for now anyway, there are still gigs going on in NYC and my wife and I are still attending with some regularity. We’re washing our hands more frequently and longer, trying not to touch our faces, and foregoing hugs and handshakes, but we’re still comfortable going out to hear music and supporting the artists. And if you do go to a live performance and like the music, I would also encourage you to buy the artists’ CDs if they have them. Proceeds from CD sales at live gigs typically go 100% to the artists.
For those who are not comfortable now, or if you’re in an area where gigs and concerts have been scaled back more than in NYC, or if gigs and concerts are scaled back further going forward, then I’d suggest making a resolution to go out to more gigs and concerts at whatever point in the future this whole thing subsides.
If there are young artists or groups you like, you can also look for them online. Subscribe to their YouTube channels, follow them on Instagram, like their Facebook pages. All of this helps an artist’s brand and exposure and gives them a greater ability to get bookings in the future. Some also have Patreon pages where, if you’re so inclined, you can sign up to send a small monthly payment (even as little as $1) to help support them. It’s the crowdfunding equivalent of the patronage system that has supported music throughout history.
Good luck to everyone in the coming weeks and months. I do believe we’ll get through this together.
@Heyduggee I would attend whatever university you really want to attend, and hopefully that is also the school that is best financially. Consider cost, location, size, and “vibe” like any other applicant to college.
You can do a BA in music, or in anything else, and continue with lessons and performance. Check to see if there is a fee for lessons and also if any credit is given for lessons and performance. Grad students can be great teachers, it depends. Many schools (including Yale) have grad students give lessons.
If you want to transfer to the BM in Music Education, work hard and try again, if that is the school you end up choosing.
You can also consider doing a master’s in music education after graduation. There are even online programs (just saw BU’s). Many public schools will want a master’s anyway.
Finally, on the positive side, starting with a BA program in whatever major, assuming music, may give you a chance to try out some other courses in other areas of study. Many students actually change their major during the first two years of college, and even later. This will give you a chance to be sure.
If you are sure, then you can again audition for the more narrow (but deep) focus of a BM program in music education.
Just trying to give a long term perspective.
ps Where did your desire to teach public school music come from? Is there a teacher you admire? Do you have any experience teaching or working with kids?
Our seniors are finally done with the audition circuit and ready to enjoy “senior things”. Unfortunately, a lot of those “things” have been cancelled . BUT ( bright side moment ) , Shows on Broadway are still open AND a lot of them today ( according to Julie James on Seth Rudetskys Big Fat Broadway - sonon high authority ) are $50.00 !!! $$$$ being reallocated !! Broadway here we come !! … with precautions, of course - now that we can afford more than one show per year ?? Just my morning thought.
@heyduggee - I would second the opinion of contacting the university’s clarinet teacher and/or head of the music dept for an in-person (or on the phone) conversation about your goals. Most music faculty will be straight-forward and honest. They DO want to help students. While they can’t make promises about an acceptance in the future, I think that they would definitely try to steer you in the right direction. I would suggest actually trying to talk with a teacher AND administration…as they are both involved in the final acceptances. You could also have this type of conversation with the other university as well for a comparison on responses. In this way, you go DIRECT to the source (the decision-makers) to see how they can support you in your goals.
Good luck!
And…yes I have known students who have entered college as BAs (wanting BMs or BFAs) who have made it. Some always felt a bit second class to be honest…but they didn’t give up and are some of the kids who made it. But they weren’t wanting to be teachers…where the actually degree is more important. There can be a lot of “inspiring” stories…but the best ones often have some practical aspects underneath. You seem very well-spoken and smart…so use those skills to talk with the schools directly about your goals and how they can support you. Finally…everyone hits bumps on the road…it is particularly hard when you are just entering college…but most overcome them when their goals are sustained over time (sometimes they change and that’s OK too). So be hopefully (and practical)…and know that is usually “enough” to continue on your path.
The WAIT is OVER in my house. The WAIT is OVER !!! Sooooo happy. My kid is DONE waiting and so is this Momma. Hurray!!! Got his last acceptance, well, the last one he cared about, tonight ! Well, HE’S still waiting cause he doesn’t know yet…(He got an email that said a decision will be posted next week) I’m the portals checker, remember?? I’ll drive to Millersville in the morning, pick up some Swag, (I already have some stuff from the Tell School of Music that he hasn’t seen… If I can remember where I put it) and maybe his “official acceptance package” and take it to his school when I get back with some black and gold balloons - Love their color combo. All the folks in the school’s office are waiting with bated breath for this last academice acceptance. I think there’s one more academic acceptance outstanding, but it’s for an LAC that was just used for audition practice so it’s the last on his list.
And in another “This journey is CRAZY” story, he got accepted into another PASSHE university, which had told him he wasn’t academically admissible months ago. He applied cause the new youngish clarinet instructor sounded amazing on paper. So he cancelled the scheduled audition (or so I thought) and they called to find out why he was a no-show. Make a looooong story short…There’s a disconnect between Music Department and Admissions (apparently an ongoing problem the Department Chair is determined to right since they’re losing good applicants in the mix), a 45 mins conversation w/ said chair (cause my kid was like… here Mom. You talk to him ! You’re good at this stuff) ?.. where he made a really good pitch for his department. REALLY nice conversation. Told him I’m sure my kid would be flattered that they were willing to schedule a special audition and make exceptions as he WAS academically admissible and was advised incorrectly. But I told him my son was DONE, with a capital D. Somewhere in the conversation he asked if I wouldn’t mind sharing which music schools he HAD been accepted to… Glad to share… he personally knew several of the instructors he had auditioned for, some really well, (Including the one he currently studies with) and said, “We really don’t stand a chance going against Dr. X and Dr. X2.” I said, that’s about right! We laughed about it and that was that. So imagine my surprise yesterday when I saw on the portal that he was ACCEPTED for Music Performance - details to follow. WHAT??? So if he’s good enough to pass audition with X and X2, he’s good enough for them?? I can’t WAIT to read those details though my kid has absolutely ZERO interest in that school. BUT, we don’t burn bridges, and as you can see, the music community is VERY small. That wasn’t a short story, was it?? ?
@Poprocks24 would you mind asking the friend how they heard? My friend’s S hasn’t heard anything but his friend got a rejection email so he’s perplexed.
Email from CMU today that campus tours cancelled. Decisions out 3/25.
Local schools here in CA closing. The next few weeks are going to be even more stressful now but thankfully my community is pulling together. Best wishes to all during this uneasy time!
I posted three days ago that my wife and I were still comfortable going out to gigs in NYC. Indeed, I went to a jazz show on Friday (though tried to distance, which was easy because the club was only about a third full). With more reading on the subject, however, we’ve changed our minds and will be avoiding shows and other non-essential interactions for the near future. We’ll be enjoying our music through recordings and on line for a while. We’re now viewing this as a community issue rather than an individual issue. If we collectively do not slow the spread of the virus in this country, we will become like Italy, with our health system totally overwhelmed. Having offered a somewhat different view three days ago, I thought I should come back to post this. Please stay safe and healthy everyone. We will get through this. And best of luck to everyone still awaiting admissions decisions and making your own decisions on where to go next year!
I like the way you put this @jazzpianodad. It is a “community issue,” not an “individual issue.” And those who might get a mild case, can be thinking about protecting those who would probably get a severe case, including the elderly and people with health issues.
It is scary to read about the rationing of care that may be required. Triaging people according to age, health, activity level and even career’s usefulness is pretty fightening. If hospitals get overwhelmed, that is what will happen.
We are all in this together, in the deepest way imaginable. It is an awful way to realize our interconnectedness, but there it is.
Thanks so much for your post and hope you can enjoy music at a distance!
Not gonna lie, a nice, juicy acceptance (or 3!) would feel great right about now. ?? Staying at home is the right thing to do, whenever possible, but it’s not making the wait any easier!
How is everyone doing? My city is pretty much shutting down. It’s starting to get stressful.
I’ve loved seeing how many musicians are putting their work out on Facebook. We’ve watched Yo-Yo Ma, the Peabody students, and the Met Opera. I’d love to be able to tune into live streams to support artists as much as I can. What good ones have you seen?
@runninglate Watched the Philadelphia Orchestra’s live stream of BeethovenNOW: Symphonies 5 & 6 program. It was VERY wierd watching it with an empty hall so I’m sure it was wierd for the musicians as well. When I blocked out the part about no audience, it WAS very good and I was captivated. My kid had won tickets in the fall from the College Fair for Musicians we had attended. He was super excited about going to hear them, but alas, it didn’t happen. He didn’t care too much for watching the live stream… cause he’s all about LIVE music - which is why he hates doing recordings as well. ? He just found out from his instructor (who teaches at the university) that he can “Zoom In” on the clarinet studio classes when they resume online next week. He’s excited about that.
If only they would live stream Broadway shows we have tickets for.
And they had my kid pick up all his instruments from school today (that’s a Contrabass Clarinet, Saxophone and his Marching clarinet which lives there) … like he was never coming back. THAT stressed me out! But he’s excited about the next journey and going to college and is not dwelling on the situation nearly as much as I am. Kids are so resilient.
Fingers and toes crossed for you as well. Add to that a nice juicy scholarship/grant … and it’ll REALLY feel great !! Waiting here for that as well… This has made me realize that I’m not really a patient person. ?I’m bad at waiting and it shows. I’ve been super cranky lately, my kid told me. OY
@BenniesMom1 - I hadn’t thought about asking to sit in on Zoom sessions. Smart! Maybe my daughter can do that in April, once all the decisions are finally in and she has her list narrowed down
As the decisions roll in, I was wondering – have you heard about financial packages yet? Which schools offer everything at the same time (Berklee and Eastman do, for instance)? Any surprises?
In case there are people waiting on USC decisions, they are not sending out the traditional boxes this year and decisions will be released via portal updates on March 26, Ivy Day. This was announced via Twitter and Instagram and I got it from the USC Applicant thread. We are a little bummed as it was originally thought portals would be updated on Mar 21.