<p>Ditto again. While ultimately the audition is what counts for gaining entrance to a music school, multiple all state appearances on the resume communicates hard work, talent, perseverance and dedication on the college app that will be considered for entrance to the college/university, merit awards, and other stuff, even in a school with no music program or when applying for a different major, like engineering say. In other words, it is a way for you to make music your "hook" in a situation where there won't be an audition. Of course, having a place in a youth orchestra or such could do the same thing.</p>
<p>Very close to NJ, but actually in PA! Wish we had a precollege program close by! We do have a wonderful youth orchestra that is very selective and also a selective children's clasical chorus. But, no pre college program. :(
I agree that these festivals look very good on a resume. I have been told that master classes and private lessons with noted professionals are also attractive on a resume. In the end, you have to be able to prove yourself in the audition. But, how much weight does a resume hold? What if you stumble a little during the audition, but you study with some of the top musicians in the field or attend a pre-college program, or attend a top summer program? Could this soften the "stumble"?</p>
<p>Resume holds very, very little weight when compared to the audition, and how many spots are open in a given year. You can play great one year when there are few spots open and get rejected, but the next year, a player of your ability will get an acceptance.</p>
<p>It's "real world" audition rules: how well you fared against your competition. That's the life of a musician.</p>
<p>I agree with much of what it written here. I think that if you are applying for general college admissions, then All-State will be well regarded. Let's face it, the general person in the admissions office is not likely to think that All-State is a higher honor in State X than State Y. They really don't have any way to gauge that. And it shows dedication, committment and talent regardless of the state you are from. </p>
<p>For conservatory admissions it means little if anything.</p>
<p>In our state, the top students rarely participate. All State members must commit for a 4 day summer camp type program. Most of the top students are away at other experiences then so they don't audition. This doesn't minimize the honor for those who do make it. I think that it gives the next tier of kids a chance to shine a bit and gives them something else to put on the resume since most of them will not be pursuing conservatory admissions.</p>
<p>I apologize NOTFROMME or should I say NOTFROMHERE! Sounds like a similar all-state organization.</p>
<p>Just so others know, we are but neighbors. Many of the precollege kids come from PA and DE each week. Coincidentally, I'm heading down tomorrow after school with a full car of kids to attend the Philly Orchestra playing "the Planets." Down and back the same night for a great concert. How fortunate are we to have so many great orchestras. Others travel further each week just to get to a music lesson.</p>
<p>Back to a serious note, I agree that the discussion diverges into different directions based upon whether you are discussing conservatories or music school within a larger college setting. GMB, only you can answer this.</p>
<p>We live in WA state, and my daughter has had to choose between applying to All-State in choir or jazz choir every year as they are at the same time, so you cannot do both -- but they are of varying prestige as choir takes about 200-300 kids and jazz choir takes 12-16 (total of all voice parts). She was also in the All-Northwest Jazz Choir last year and it pretty much changed her whole attitude about higher education and her future life in music, as we do not have a great vocal department at our high school (they do not go to any competitions, no music theory, etc). She spent 4 days with an excellent director and 12 kids who were at her level musically and was truly inspired. She came home from that experience saying that if this is what college music programs are like, she wanted to go for it. Before that she was totally lukewarm on the whole college idea. So I don't know if these experiences will make any difference to college acceptances, but my D made some close friends and was musically energized. She felt she had finally met kids "like her."</p>
<p>i think that's supposed to be what these programs are intended to do so it's nice to hear that it did that for your daughter instead of being just another resume item. a reminder that it's the music, not the medals, that this is all about for our kids.</p>
<p>Stringfollies - I have to admit that she originally applied for resume purposes junior year (scoffed at the idea earlier as just extra school work but we insisted this time). It worked out much better than any of us could have anticipated.</p>
<p>When we started to go outside of our immediate area - that's when I realized we have a great program at our local high school here in western NY. My daughter has been able to take AP Music theory and Jazz improv as well as participate in select wind ensemble, choral, vocal jazz, and chamber groups. In addition the teachers here do a lot with ear training and expect the kids to give composing a try. </p>
<p>Last year the jazz ensemble went to NYC and came in 5th nationally at the Ellington festival. Every three years a consortium of school districts here commission a work for the wind ensembles. Two years ago we premiered a piece by contemporary composer Lowell Liebermann.</p>
<p>For the past few years there has been a collaboration with between our district and the city schools to stage an event called poetry and music. A nationally/internationally known poet is brought in for readings and the kids set his/her poetry to music - all kinds...jazz, choral, orchestral, solo instruments etc. The program takes place at our local philharmonic hall and is really quite special. The public school music program in our district makes paying those school tax dollars worth every penny. I'm not sure how guest conductors feel about our district, but I for one am very proud to live in a district that supports the arts to the extent that they do.</p>
<p>Although we have pretty good string and vocal programs in our school, other schools in the area are much better. But our band program is one of the best.</p>
<p>Even more than certain areas, I think certain teachers have reputations! My kid's middle school band director started my kid on his horn; S's HS graduating class saw two music performance majors (other went to Indiana) and dozens of music ed majors. All on band instruments, and most started by this guy. The All State folks have a bit of trouble balancing the numbers sent from our district every year.</p>
<p>The year my kid started at Juilliard, they took 4 horns. One of the others was also from my kid's private teacher. Two of the 4 from the same teacher in the same city - and NOT NYC -- what are the odds?</p>
<p>I've spent a fair amount of time when my kids were here fighting to keep arts from being cut or diminished. It's always the first thing picked on when times get tough. Our string program has private funding, so there are 3 string teachers in the middle school, vs. one band teacher, for the same number of kids (somewhere around 300). Most of the strings drop it for HS, though - the HS teachers just don't have the reputation, and of course, marching band is much more appealing.</p>
<p>I concur with Binx's observation about teachers having reputations for pre-college kids. There are a number of families that have relocated to my area for the string teachers available here. Also, some kids fly in or drive several hundred miles weekly or bi-weekly for private lessons with certain teachers. </p>
<p>I know that my area is not the only place where you can find this sort of herculean effort to get the kid to the perceived "best teacher for them". I admire the parental committment - I don't think I could have done it!</p>
<p>There were kids flying/driving in from California, Canada, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Michigan... Crazy places just to go to Juilliard Prep when I was there!</p>
