<p>My daughter is exploring the above for the Fall of 2006. From my point of view, it's a pretty specialized area, so I'm hard pressed to advise her. I know she should consider the faculty that actually do the instruction on her instrument, but beyond that? Thanks...</p>
<p>New England Conservatory has a strong double bass faculty. So does Peabody. Indiana is tops, too.</p>
<p>I always recommend that anyone looking for a music performance program have a look at Curtis in Philadelphia to see if it suits their instrument needs. It's one of the top music conservatories in the world and it provides full tuition scholarships to every student who is admitted.</p>
<p>The problem with Curtis is that they only admit a few kids each year, including grad students. Plus, there is no campus or college life at all. Some of the kids from Interlochen who have gotten in were pretty miserable. No doubt it is tops- along with Julliard.</p>
<p>Well, it depends what you want. Three kids from my Ds arts h/s have gone there and loved it. While it's true that there's no 'campus', that's true of many urban colleges. As for college life, I guess it depends what you mean by 'no college life at all.' I know all three lived in an apartment building with roommates and the bldg was mostly students. They enjoyed the cultural life in Philadelphia, and the opportunities which being a part of Curtis permitted them. It's true that they admit very few but if you happen to be one of the few, it can be a very rewarding experience which provides fabulous opportunities for the future.</p>
<p>I understand that Curtis is basically like 2 houses together or something? With all students housed in the city (Curtis has no housing)? I don't know much about it, but a friend of mine is applying there (really, auditioning is the word for places like this) who is currently a junior.</p>
<p>Anyway, vamusicmom, there are basically 2 kinds of schools that your daughter will have to consider. The first, is the public university with a strong music program, where schools like Michigan, James Madison, Indiana, Northwestern, etc fall. With these schools, you will have to be admitted to the university, AND to the music school. Auditions will surely have to be done in person, although some schools offer regional auditions, such as, there could be a "DC Area" one. Some, if not all of these schools will require the student to also take some regular classes in the university in general education subjects.</p>
<p>The other kind of schools are the conservatories, such as Juilliard, Peabody, New England, Curtis, etc etc. There are many many more to be found, but these are 4 of the top in the country, with Juilliard and Curtis possibly being top in the world. These schools will not need scores and GPA and such, it's 100% how you play. Now, these schools, will only admit people when they have openings, and the admission decisions will be up to the private teachers on the individual instruments. If the teacher already has 4 students, s/he may not want anymore, and therefore, not matter how good one is, there is no room for them. However, if a teacher really wants you, they can take on extra students.</p>
<p>Generally, when going into music, especially at a conservatory, it is important to sit down with the teachers and find out how things work, etc etc. The teachers will give (i'm assuming payment required) lessons to students looking at schools, for example, you could travel to NYC and take a lesson with the professor/instructor of your instrument at Juilliard. (The kids I mentioned above, have done these things). Because the student will be working so closely with the instructor, it is extremely important that the child feel happy and comfortable with the instructor, because it's not like a normal school, where you go "oh, i hated that math professor, i'm not taking another class that he teaches." One final thing to note is that if there is a possibility of a change of major, then a conservatory is not where you want to be.</p>
<p>Is your daughter currently taking private lessons? An experienced private teacher will be able to help you on the right way in the college search, as could a could orchestra director at the high school.</p>
<p>If you have any questions about something I said, or completely different, I'll do my best to answer them. I've loved music since 5th grade, and it's not my major here at college, but I do continue to play in the ensembles, and have good friends looking at conservatories and such.</p>
<p>Thanks for the insights...I'm hoping my daughter will have time to look into these issues during her Winter Break. In the end, it's her life and her decision. It's a bit more complex than the straight academic path that I took and harder to assess how she is likely to fare. I've been encouraging her to talk to her bass instructor and to her orchestra director. She also plays in a regional orchestra that might be able to connect her with a professional bassist to get some advice.</p>
<p>My daughter just finished auditioning at a number of music schools (Curtis, NEC, Boston University, Peabody and Oberlin) on double bass. Here is what we have learned over the past couple of years:</p>
<p>1) Realize that the competition for spots in top programs will be difficult. You may find yourself auditioning against others who have been studying for 7 to 10 years and who have attended specialized musical boarding schools where they have spent the last four years putting together their Curtis and Juilliard auditions. It is better to come to terms with this now than while overhearing someone like that warming up to audition just before you. </p>
<p>2) Find the absolute best teacher that you can get, even if that means commuting a couple of hours each way to a major city and paying several times the local going rate. You are looking for someone whose playing is inspirational, whose style of teaching is compatible with the way you learn, and who has connections with peers in symphony orchestras and college teaching positions. The sooner you find someone teaching at this level, the better you will do in your college auditions.</p>
<p>3) Summer programs are a good way to hook up with such teachers. Two particular summer programs of note are Tanglewood (where you can get private lessons with Todd Seeber and masterclasses with Ed Barker and Larry Wolfe) and Strings International (where you can get private lessons and masterclasses with Hal Robinson and Rob Kesselman). The University of Maryland Bass Week run by George Vance and featuring Francois Rabbath and a number of other highly-respected bassists is also quite good. If you make a good impression at the summer program, the teachers will remember you when you come to audition for them. They may also be willing to take you on as a private student before college, or at least refer you to someone else whose students have successfully auditioned for them.</p>
<p>4) Select a number of schools early. Visit them and arrange a private lesson with the faculty. At most high-level music schools, these are the folks who will have the largest say in the admissions process, and it really helps to get to know them. Try to schedule your visit to include a double bass department recital or an orchestral performance. Try to observe an orchestra rehearsal.</p>
<p>5) While Curtis is a fantastic school for bass players (and everyone else they admit), there were 20 applicants competing for one spot this year (down from the usual 30). At least half of them are probably among the top bass students in the world. Hal Robinson and Edgar Meyer are two of the nicest guys you could ever want to meet, and they do their best to put everyone at ease during the audition process, but they have to be ruthless in selecting who they admit. If you are up for that kind of competition and scrutiny and you are willing to pay the combined $275 application and audition fees (plus whatever it costs to come to Philadlephia for the required live audition) then, by all means, give it your best shot. At the same time, you will want to have some backup plans in case the dream doesn't work out.</p>
<p>6) Take a careful look at Oberlin. You can audition there the first week of December and get an Admitted/Deferred/Declined decision before Christmas. If admitted the offer is not binding, so you can go into the rest of your auditions with an acceptance at a well-respected program in your back pocket. That can do wonders to help control the pre-audition jitters everywhere else. The double bass program at Oberlin requests Sonatas rather than Concerti for audition material, so it is more likely that you will be able to work up the pieces you need by December. The rural setting is not for everyone, but if you like the idea of going to college in a small town then this may be just the place. They also offer some very attractive merit scholarships to about a third of the students they accept, perhaps a higher percentage in the double bass department.</p>
<p>7) At auditions, it is better to choose a piece that is representative of your abilities and to play it with musicality and conviction than it is to battle your way through a piece that is a little too hard in hopes of showing off your technique. Even at Curtis, you are more likely to succeed by playing the Koussevitzky beautifully than by getting through Bottesini without making too many mistakes.</p>
<p>Wow! Bassdad- what a great post! I truly think you covered all the bases. (Sorry, couldn't resist... ;) )</p>
<p>good post bassdad</p>
<p>some schools have summer music programs, and it is definitely worth looking at those if you want to go to school there. Juilliard has one, and i know Northwestern does also. Interlochen is a good place too, though I don't believe it's affiliated with a school.</p>