<p>Hi Everyone,</p>
<p>This forum has lots of good information... So, thank you for that. I recently saw an ad on facebook for a new app called AuditionU. Basically, it's social collaboration tool that is supposed connect students with professors. Here's a quote from their site:</p>
<p>"AuditionU is about connecting. We are about finding a better way. Innovation. AuditionU is about helping high school musicians continue their music education. About using talent to pay for college. About bridging the gap between the needs of the professors and the dreams of the students."</p>
<p>It looks like it was launched in April...a bit late for Fall 2013, but I'm wondering if anyone is using this. Without participation from universities and conservatories I don't see this adding value beyond current social media apps.</p>
<p>Joe</p>
<p>I haven’t used the app, but from the description it doesn’t sound all that much of a benefit. The problem with it is being connected via a social network isn’t particularly valuable, what usually pays off IME is face to face interactions with teachers in master classes, music festivals and the such, where they hear you play. I also suspect that the teachers who would most likely be on here may not be the ones you really want to communicate with. It could be a place to find mentors, to get information, but I doubt it will change all that much the process of getting into music programs, which is based on an audition and having teachers there interested in you, and you prob won’t get that interest by sharing recipes or stories through social networking, that interest come usually from face to face interactions as a musician/mentor.</p>
<p>The description to be honest sounds like someone took boilerplate from something else (think client/business) and tweaked it to say music. The needs of professors? What need would this fulfill?It might benefit a professor or program looking to actual get students into it, that have slots to fill, but I doubt it would do much for top level teachers or schools. It would be kind of like HYP schools, that have 30,000+ brilliant students apply there, why would they need to each out? The only exception in music might be to reach out to under represented minorities, like black and hispanic music students, but I doubt competitive music programs or the really top level teachers would get much out of this.</p>
<p>Thanks, for the posts about AuditionU! I’m one of the founders and to answer some of your questions, our goal is to connect musicians and colleges. AU offers Universities the ability to find and recruit new students that they wouldn’t otherwise reach, while at the same time the ability to manage the entire process on our platform. We also hope that students who have been overlooked will have the ability to find, research and target schools. Feel free to reach out to me and I’d be happy to take any criticism or answer any questions. - Brian Davidson</p>