<p>Hi Music Majors forum--especially the "Dads." Bassdad, congrats on your daughter's Grad school acceptance!</p>
<p>Just wanted to pop in, with gratitude. Six years ago, wise people on this forum helped me to help my son navigate the scary world of music school research, applications and auditions. Six years later, our family is making plans to attend his senior recital at Oberlin in a few weeks, followed a few weeks later by Commencement. Jazz Drum Performance, by the way. He had several wonderful choices of colleges, walked onto Oberlin's campus, found "his people" and never looked back.</p>
<p>While a music conservatory is not for everyone, the pages and pages of information regarding making that decision, attending summer camps, all the "how to's" of the audition process, and so much more were invaluable. I also made some nice cyber-friends here. So, for those of you just embarking on this journey, hang in there and this lovely evolving group of people will serve you well.</p>
<p>NOW what is he going to do? I have no idea--he has a lot of possibilities, and most of them seem to involve a "day job" and nighttimes of music. He has gotten a very solid liberal arts foundation, and we're confident he'll be happy and productive no matter where he lands.</p>
<p>Thanks--and best wishes to everyone here. Oh--and I'm around, but not as active here as I used to be--happy to answer any questions.</p>
<p>4 years later: Unbelievable, how fast the time has gone! Seems like we just did the audition circuit, and now, D calls us to consult on when to schedule her senior recital! She, like, STJH’s S, found “her people” instantly–at Eastman. Next fall, we’ll go to her senior recital, spring will be for student teaching, then commencement! She even managed to study abroad, for a semester, and came back much improved, both in her language fluency and her voice.<br>
Thanks again to all the helpful posters here! Good luck to everyone on the decision making, and to the up and coming students and parents.</p>
<p>I was just writing one of the several “friends” I have made here, about how nice it is to be able to “watch” so many of the kids blossom, after the 5 or 6 years we have been on here. We are also grateful.</p>
<p>Hopefully, we can all keep paying it forward, for a little while, and then those we help can pay it forward and so on.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, who knows how many of our kids are intersecting at one time or another!</p>
<p>Oh, my son ended up staying part of the summer with his friend, and the son of a parent I met here on CC! And that same friend is playing in my son’s senior recital in 2 weeks!</p>
<p>Hi, all my friends I remember well. Checking CC twice a day. My daughter making fun of me. She just finished signing up for her senior year classes at Oberlin and we’ve started the grad school spreadsheet. There’s no place better than CC for learning and such a wealth of friends, day and night.</p>
<p>And thanks for all of your insight, SJTH. My D has one semester left and is still so passionate and excited with this music path … thank you for all that you have shared for the last 4-5 years about your experiences.</p>