Thank you! Yes, I think you and I have talked about IU before - and thank you for all the great info!
My daughter is also a mezzo. She’s still a bit unsure about the size of IU. I think she prefers some of the smaller programs like Oberlin, Eastman, and CIM and feels like she might have better performance opportunities in a smaller program, but she loves a couple of the teachers at IU, so she decided to apply and audition and see where we end up after scholarship $$ comes in. She has a good mix of larger and smaller programs, some of which have graduate programs and some that do not. A lot of it will come down to the COA, so we’re casting a wide net and hoping for the best!
Agreed, that is the sign of a kid that is emotionally immature. In music one of the first things you should learn is it is a small world and what you say can get around. First of all, it is one thing to know your playing level, it is another to disparage others playing like that or a program and I would bet the kid is not as good as he/she thinks they are. That he was on the phone to someone immediately saying that tells me the person was in a sense bragging, probably trying to make themselves feel better or something. It is okay to say “I think I did well on the audition, I felt I played well” and leave it at that.
Question about post-audition etiquette-- Does the applicant typically write a thank you email to the profs who were in the audition? What if they don’t know the names of the people that were in the room? Thanks!
Mine did not right away, but after she committed to her current studio/school she wrote a few thank-you emails to professors at schools where she was accepted but did not attend.
It’s a small world and she may run into them in other programs, festivals and grad school, and in her emails she said she hoped to work with them in the future.
Our son wrote emails to all of the professors after the audition. He even wrote to the professors about the opportunity and thanked them when he accepted his offer to a specific school and declined the others.
I would definitely write a thank you to anyone who gave you special attn/time during the audition (also pre or post audition as well). If the panel is larger and you don’t know some of the teachers…imho it is not necessary particularly at a large school with a large dept (like VP). You can always do it. It won’t hurt. But I would not worry too much about it if you were only in the room for 10 minutes and don’t know or aren’t targeting some of the faculty (maybe they mainly teach grad, for example).
Mine didn’t. While I understand the rationale behind sending thank yous (music is truly a small world), knowing the way auditions work, how audition panels work and how many kids they likely see, it probably doesn’t make a difference if the student does or doesn’t. It could possible make a difference in a school where the audition panel is one teacher or a couple,possibly it might make a difference if they are choosing between student X or student Y, but honestly not even sure that would work. On schools with bigger panels (like a violin student at one of the big music schools), I doubt it would do anything one way or the other.
I agree with a sample lesson it is always wise to say thank you, or if a teacher at let’s say a summer program encouraged you to audition, where they already know you, there it would be beneficial I think, even if you end up not going to that school. As @bridgenail said, if you have a relationship or they did something special for you (like sample lesson, or took time to talk to you about the school, etc) then I agree it would be wise.
It certainly won 't hurt, but for example, you would need to find out who was on the panel you auditioned in front of, they as far as I ever saw don’t tell you that, and then take the time to find out their email or send a snail mail card.
hen my son applied for his undergraduate program, he took trial lessons and wrote thank-you notes. Part of the reason was that I felt it was important and encouraged him to do so. Now that he’s applying to graduate schools, I’m not as involved. I know he’s been very focused on the application process, including his essays and repertoire. I’ve tried to keep a healthy distance and avoid nagging him into doing what I think is important.
He’s applied only to a few highly competitive programs and has auditions coming up in a couple of weeks. I really hope he knows what he’s doing by focusing on what he believes is most important. It’s a difficult position to be in as a parent—wanting to help, but also recognizing our own limitations.
I have a grad applicant too and I agree it is a very different journey as a parent. I do think grad applicants have a much better understanding of their own goals, their level and the level of the studios to which they are applying and often know exactly who they want to study with. Not to mention the day to day guidance from their current teachers and peers.
My son just had his first audition last weekend. I was impressed with his thoughtful process. In my opinion the grad school audition is more of a two way interaction with teacher and student both assessing for fit.
If ever you need to edit, once you submit your post, there is a little pencil icon at the bottom. Selecting it allows you to edit. It is time limited though.
My D was accepted to University of Delaware today for instrumental music ed. No mention of merit money yet only the acceptance. It’s a wonderful school and we are so proud of her!
For some reason I couldn’t find the pencil. Maybe it’s because I am brand-new I used to log in under a different user name and I was able to see the pencil. I guess I just need to type carefully until I earn enough credit to edit? Regarding his graduate school applications, he has his current school as a safety option. He knows the performance opportunities if he stays. This gives him a sense of assurance. Unlike his undergraduate process—when he applied to many schools and had to decline some—he is now much more focused. However, this makes me anxious because, apart from his current school, the others on his list are extremely competitive. I would have approached things differently by including more safe options, schedule trial lessons, build up connections etc. Yet, I also see the value in his very focused strategy, which saves time and effort both for him and for the schools to which he is applying.
Mine also has a short list of very competitive schools. But as a wise parent of a now professional musician (thank you to @bridgenail) once told me, “the great thing about grad school is you don’t have to go.”
There are always options like jumping into work, or studying with a teacher without an actual masters degree or taking a gap year.
Mine applied to very few grad programs with the thought that he could always do an Artist Diploma somewhere (or even at his undergrad) while he worked on his skills and then apply the following year. Luckily enough he did get accepted to one program. (we all breathed a big sigh of relief) They do know that there are other options for them after being around other grad students for 4+ years.
I used to log in under a different user name and I was able to see the pencil. I guess I just need to type carefully until I earn enough credit to edit? Regarding his graduate school applications, he has his current school as a safety option. He knows the performance opportunities if he stays. This gives him a sense of assurance. Unlike his undergraduate process—when he applied to many schools and had to decline some—he is now much more focused. However, this makes me anxious because, apart from his current school, the others on his list are extremely competitive. I would have approached things differently by including more safe options, schedule trial lessons, build up connections etc. Yet, I also see the value in his very focused strategy, which saves time and effort both for him and for the schools to which he is applying.