<p>Hey guys. I love flamenco- I have been taking lessons for a few years, but I have never competed or gotten any awards. I consider myself to be a pretty good guitarist and I’m thinking of recording a few original songs and maybe a cover or two with friends that are just as into flamenco as I am. But that definitely won’t be enough when there are people competing for spots at colleges that have awards and all that stuff. How should I handle the music supplement, because I definitely want to continue with music. What should I do? Does anyone know of competitions for flamenco?</p>
<p>I’m a bit unclear as to your intent. If you are just sending it as a supplement, and don’t intend pursuing music degree at an audition based program, by all means send the supplement. I’ve posted numerous times about music supplements. Here’s the most recent thread, <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/618617-submitting-non-traditional-musical-material.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/618617-submitting-non-traditional-musical-material.html</a> Do follow the links therein, as they cover a couple of general and specific scenarios.</p>
<p>If you’re looking at pursuing flamenco on an undergrad performance degree track in college, it’s not a mainstream offering. Places to look into if this is your goal would be schools with strong world music programs, and you’d have to research faculty with that expertise. </p>
<p>I’d also look online for specific flamenco websites, forums, where there may well be links or school/program/instructor discussions.</p>
<p>Off the top of my head, I know of no specific offerings or programs. Perhaps others here do.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Well no- I’m saying that I want to just send it as a supplement, but it may not be as impressive since my music resume has literally zero awards.</p>
<p>If you are at a proficient or advanced level, by all means submit. But do go through the supplement link(s) I posted. Pretty much covers the basics for instrumental music supplements. If you are self taught, just be wary of your own assessment as to your ability. Don’t overestimate your ability, unless you have a broad basis for comparison. It is a unique talent, particularly at an advanced level.</p>
<p>Ignore the lack of awards. Even among those pursuing conservatory level performance degrees, competitions, and far less awards are not necessarily the norms. Many choose not to focus on competitions, as it can be a distraction. There are reasons for doing them, but the pros and cons need to be weighed.</p>
<p>Again, good luck.</p>
<p>There is a classical guitar teacher at NEC who studied with Segovia. If you have the chops to apply to conservatories, he might be a good teacher for you.</p>
<p>Virginia Commonwealth University’s guitar faculty includes Charlie Moeser, who specializes in flamenco.</p>