<p>One of the things I appreciate from this board is the willingness of people to share their knowledge and experience with newbies like me. So far, I’m much more a taker than a giver, but I hope someday to be able to chime in with personal experience - which probably will be different from others’ - and join in with real data.</p>
<p>Without naming names, it’s contributions like patiently linking to previous discussions, and listing past acceptances, and talking about summer programs, and giving little snippets about what it’s really like being a music major that keep me coming back. </p>
<p>The musical world can be very snarkey and competitive. I like that this little corner of it is on the whole nurturing and supportive, even (especially) when we disagree. The medium is difficult; we don’t always communicate our emotions and concern for each other as effectively as we might in person.</p>
<p>Speaking only for myself - and my D who follows our discussions secondhand - I value the differences of opinion that emerge here, and I hope that respectful debate and discussion will continue.</p>
<p>Can I “third” Stringfollies? I too have found the advice and sometimes opposing-yet-respectful opinions from parents who already had children in music schools or beyond to be invaluable. Who knew that the “Oberlin tangent” on one of my first questions would have served my son really well…seriously, who KNEW?! (not me) Though I sometimes have had to translate classical experiences into jazz ones (and there ARE many parallels in the experiences) the advice from those who have walked the music application through graduation walk have always been constructive, and I hope that that will continue. I would not have been able to offer real-world advice or opinions prior to having walked the music school application walk last year. I feel the real desire to pay forward as much as I can the advice we received last year, and hope that will continue as more parents join this group and become “vets.” I hope this forum will continue to be a fun place where experienced parents and students can help those who seek constructive information in this very unique quest.</p>
<p>stringfollies, I would love to read your gap year thread! Do you have a link? </p>
<p>Just as he prepares to apply for jazz guitar programs, my son’s rock band seems in “danger” of having incredible opportunities we had not planned on. The gap year keeps coming up, and I’d love to be armed with information.</p>
<p>The information offered on this particular subforum (and CC in general) can be an invaluable tool. I would be hard pressed to name an alternative source with as much readily accessible info available. </p>
<p>There are nuances and caveats to music based admissions that will make both the experienced and neophytes heads spin. </p>
<p>It is important to remember that much of what is offered is personal experience, observation, and advice/suggestions. Nothing here is dogma, nor cast in stone. Even long established institution specific policies can and do change. Informed discussion, enlightened discourse and conflicting opinion all serve to expand knowledge.</p>
<p>The vagaries and idiosyncrasies of program/teacher selection, genre/discipline differences, talent/merit/need based aid awards, and myriad other factors are as diverse as the students and parents represented within.</p>
<p>All I can suggest to anyone is to arm yourselves with information, from a variety of sources. Sift and research. Verify. This is an extension of your musical network (which building should be a never ending process), and it is important to realize that.</p>
<p>Leave no stone unturned, and remember the music world is small. The toes you may step on today could very well be holding a door open (or kicking it closed) to you tomorrow.</p>
<p>Again, those are MY opinions. What any reader may wish to do with them is their personal prerogative.</p>
<p>Viola, in my opinion your last post is dead on, that the experience people have is the experience they have,and when they relate what others have said, it is their experience, and there are few absolutes (and yeah, I had to learn that lesson, what you see or think you see isn’t what you get necessarily). The thing that I think is critical is that that experience is valuable, even if others haven’t had the same experience, because it indicates what could possibly happen,it is why you need to talk to people and get a feel for things, because generally (at least in my experience), if what something someone says gybes with what others say, it usually indicates what is potentially going on (and it depends on whether this is rumor or reality, there are common myths, too). </p>
<p>I think the biggest lesson I learned was how compartmentalized experiences themselves are, that a brass player could very well have a very different experience then a violin player in the same program, that a program that one person found to be hypercompetitive to a ridiculous level was someone else’s cup of tea, and that programs change over time, and that it often is who you are around and who you hang out with:).</p>
(not me) Though I sometimes have had to translate classical experiences into jazz ones (and there ARE many parallels in the experiences) the advice from those who have walked the music application through graduation walk have always been constructive, and I hope that that will continue. I would not have been able to offer real-world advice or opinions prior to having walked the music school application walk last year. I feel the real desire to pay forward as much as I can the advice we received last year, and hope that will continue as more parents join this group and become “vets.” I hope this forum will continue to be a fun place where experienced parents and students can help those who seek constructive information in this very unique quest.</p>