Determining Safety/Match/Reach for specific instrument

mom2amazingkids
Mon, 22 Feb 2021 02:35:21 +0000

Welcome, @bass2022! If you’re looking for information regarding majoring in music, you’ve come to the right place! Kudos to you on doing your homework. Many of us here have kids who are passionate about music performance while being relative novices ourselves. This group offers a wealth of information and support!

The main question you pose is perhaps the most challenging in terms of making a list of schools: How to gauge reasonable and appropriate safeties, matches, and reaches? As you know, you should definitely get input from private teachers. I’m guessing you’ve already done this. Does your son’s HS participate in music festivals where seating is based on audition? (Same for local bands and orchestras…) This can be useful in terms of seeing where he ranks. If he’s consistently performing well at the District, Regional, State, etc. level, that is an indication that he might be able to include some top schools among his reaches–or maybe even as matches.

Has he attended any summer programs? Not only can this help kids get a sense of whether they enjoy doing music at a high level for hours on end, but it can provide a sense of how he stacks up against others his age. Teachers there can serve as a link to schools as well as provide feedback about skill level.

Taking a trial lesson can be another great way to make initial contact with a school/ professor. This can be very helpful for ruling schools in or out. Often kids get a sense of whether or not they’d work well with an instructor, and instructors may even provide some indication of whether of not a kid would be a good fit for the program.

It’s possible to get an idea about the number of players a school generally takes or is planning to take in a given year by asking questions at info. sessions, trial lessons, or by talking to teachers and current students. Unfortunately, these numbers can be a bit mysterious and deceptive. For example, are they providing numbers based on the number of kids who are offered admission, or the number who eventually attend? Unless you have strong insider information, this can be a tricky metric on which to place much stock.

There are certainly consultants who specialize in helping with music school applications. Fees for this service can be quite high, and as someone who was in your position not long ago, I can say that I got all the information I needed right here on this board! It can feel overwhelming, but you’re already off to a great start! Read back through previous posts. The ‘Journey’ threads–which describe the process of making lists, visiting schools, applying and auditioning contain a wealth of information. Ask questions. Search for other parents who might have specific information about the instrument/ school you have questions about.

Congrats on being well on your way!