<p>I am a high school senior who is looking to continue her schooling in music after graduation. I was wondering if anyone could give me any tips on what I should prepare myself for when it comes to auditions and maybe what classes I should be taking my last year in high school. I would love for some input! I want my auditions to go well so any tips would help greatly.</p>
<p>Well, that’s a broad question, so let’s start at the beginning. No one can give you any advice without knowing some more about you. What instrument do you play, or if you’re a singer, what voice type are you? What level of expertise are you, and it would help if we knew that answer according to what your teacher would say. Are you interested in performance or music education? Are you looking for a conservatory, a smaller-type LAC(liberal arts college) or a music program housed within a large university? Do you have a preference for region of the country, urban vs. rural, a lot of performance time or are you more of an “observer”? And then there is the issue of finances- do you need a lot of financial aid or is your family in the position to pay for your education? What schools have you been considering already, and what attracts you to them?
Next- and I am NOT being mean here, I am just trying to point you in the right direction- the SEARCH feature (at the top of the page), is your friend. We went over and over this topic last year alone, so I know it’s been dealt with, ad infinitum, in the past years. Another great resource for you is your private teacher; he/she knows you the best and should be able to judge your abilities and come up with some good ideas for schools. Get to the library and grab a current copy of Peterson’s Guide to Performinging Art’s Colleges. I think, as a rising senior, you’re a little behind the curve if you are just beginning to look at schools, so try to use the time left before your final year in HS begins to look at the book, check out web sites and make your list. You ask about courses you should take in high school… again, this can depend heavily upon the colleges you are considering. Some will require more “core” courses in general ed. once you get there, while others have hardly any. The most important thing is to make sure that you have completed everything your HS requires! AP courses can be a great help, because, if your grades on the exam are high enough, you may be exempt from similar courses at college and be granted credit for advanced standing; while that might not allow you to graduate early(college), if you are a performance major, it could allow you to take a semester or two abroad without “losing time” at home.
Sit down with your teacher and make sure that you are clear on what you are going to play/sing for your auditions. There is a lot to do in the next few months, so knowing your music will be a “comfort” to you! Check out the colleges you really are considering and find out if they require a “Pre-Screening” DVD or CD ( a lot of schools do and it can even vary according to major). Get the DVD/CD made as soon as you can so that you can submit it if you are looking at any school for Early Decision/Early Action.
That’s a lot to take in and I know that others will jump in and add to my comments. If you could take the time to answer the questions I posed in the first paragraph, it will make it easier to point you in the proper direction.</p>
<p>I have already looked into schools and four i am interested in. but i was looking for anymore advice or sugestions from others that I may want to also look into, which isn’t a bad thing. I am a vocal student who is mainly an Alto and have been in my states All-State and All-State Jazz music programs along with many others offered at school and the community for years. I also play three other instruments that I do on he side and am involoved with a jazz Trio and Band along with my school and community theater programs. I am not looking for any certain type of area when it comes to schools, i am open to new envirments. when it comes to time for performing, I want as much as possible! I dont think I am an observer in anyway. I want to be right in the middle of the performing scene and learn as uch as I can. I have looked and visited my schools I am interested in, and just recently found this website so I thought I would join and see if anyone had any other ideas before I start preparing my audition pieces. It is hard to find a private teacher where I live. I started with one in high school and have been with her for years, but she just recently quit. My music teacher and I have started to get together this month, so this situation has made me very nervous , which is why i am seeking advice. hope that helps you maybe help me a little more ahaha</p>
<p>Mezzo’sMama delivered the standard “welcoming” speech pretty effectively, but just let me add a couple of specifics that might help you along. There is a ton of info already here, and a lot is easily accessible via the “search this forum” button. My personal preference is that option, rather than the search in the title bar near page top. It saves a step or two and will avoid a full CC search if you fail to specify a forum parameter. I find search this forum/advanced/keyword criteria (I often quote the keyword)/search titles only the most effective. </p>
<p>Play with the criteria. A lot of info is not easily “findable” via title, so expand to a search entire post. In this case, I’ve found it more effective to display the results by post, rather than by thread. </p>
<p>At this point, I find the tag search (a fairly recent addition) pretty useless in this forum. </p>
<p>BassDad’s excellent post here <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/258796-so-you-want-music-major-one-familys-experience.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/258796-so-you-want-music-major-one-familys-experience.html</a> is the best starting point. You could not ask for a better general overview and would be hard pressed to find one its equal.</p>
<p>The “more featured discussions” link has a couple of more must reads; the pinned threads or “stickies” contain both general and specific info.</p>
<p>Many topics are covered extensively: teacher selection, specific programs and schools, certain disciplines; others are not. If you need an answer, post a question. In most cases, someone can point you in a direction.</p>
<p>Your biggest issue right now may in assessing your skills within a broader framework of competition and picking schools where you would competitive within the applicant pool both from an audition and academic standpoint. There are some links in the post here <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1062976794-post2.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1062976794-post2.html</a> that may help you understand this.</p>
<p>Finding the right teacher to help you prepare for auditions is very important. If you could get your former teacher to recommend a few options, please do so. Your music teacher may or may not be the proper person to do this. There are voice specific aspects that I do not have the knowledge to address, and perhaps some others can.</p>
<p>Some teacher advice/selection threads are here:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/391801-importance-master-teacher.html?highlight=teacher[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/391801-importance-master-teacher.html?highlight=teacher</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/390796-does-phenomenal-applied-teacher-really-trump-everything.html?highlight=teacher[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/390796-does-phenomenal-applied-teacher-really-trump-everything.html?highlight=teacher</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/583985-sample-lesson-teacher-suggestions-voice.html?highlight=teacher[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/583985-sample-lesson-teacher-suggestions-voice.html?highlight=teacher</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/403272-what-if-your-childs-hs-music-teacher-stinks.html?highlight=teacher[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/403272-what-if-your-childs-hs-music-teacher-stinks.html?highlight=teacher</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/314448-changing-voice-teacher.html?highlight=teacher[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/314448-changing-voice-teacher.html?highlight=teacher</a></p>