<p>My daughter is a soprano. Can anyone give me an insight to either Boston or new England conservatory? She is interested in classical not jazz. Her goal is opera performance. Is one school more geared towards classical? Does anyone have a teacher that they think would be great for an undergrad soprano student to study with? Thanks!!</p>
<p>Well..I think that NEC is a bit more competitive for admissions for everyone than Boston Conservatory. Competition for sopranos, however, is stiff everywhere.</p>
<p>Besides being a bit "more competitive", NEC has a rep for being pretty tight when dispensing financial aid.</p>
<p>Thank you for the input. When you say NEC is more competitive are you saying it is a "better" school? </p>
<p>How is Boston Conservatory with merit scholarships?</p>
<p>Thanks again for the help. I am new to this and the music field is like a foreign language to me.</p>
<p>NEC is typically harder to get admitted to than Boston Conservatory. To some that may translate into "it's a better school" but to others it means just what I said...harder admit. I don't know a thing about the vocal music program at BOCO (Boston Conservatory). It is quite possible that there are voice teachers there who are just wonderful. If that were the case, that might be the "better school" for your child.</p>
<p>NEC is a tough admit, but ANY audition based program is a crapshoot. Too many variables involved. Plenty of anecdotes of students accepted to Juilliard, but not getting in at "lesser" programs like Eastman, Peabody, IU/Jacobs, Oberlin, (fill in name here), etc.</p>
<p>No one program is right for everyone, regardless of talent level. </p>
<p>Teacher/mentor, peer quality, depth and breath of performance organizations, performance opportunities (on and off campus), number of grad versus undergrads, school location and size are some of the many factors involved.</p>
<p>Boston Conservatory is known more for their theater, and maybe dance, programs than anything else.</p>
<p>NEC is usually considered one of the country's top conservatories for just about every major they offer. However, their big merit awards usually go to pianists and string players (Many consider their string department the best in the world.). I'm not sure how BoCo's aid goes these days, but a flutist acquaintances who attended about 6 years ago says it was lackluster amongst him and his friends.</p>
<p>There are a number of singers in famous opera houses who graduated from NEC, most notably Phyllis Curtin, Denyce Graves and Eleanor Steber. NEC also usually has two or three new graduates every year making it into the Boston Symphony, and several NY Philharmonic musicians also hold NEC degrees. </p>
<p>BoCo's most famous alum? Katharine McPhee of American Idol.</p>
<p>Thank you for the input! </p>
<p>Can anyone recommend a teacher at either school for my daughter to try to take a sample lesson with? </p>
<p>Thanks again!</p>
<p>I heard that NEC just finished a 7-year capital campaign, raising 115 million dollars and doubling their endowment. While a bit of that will go to cosmetic and structural enhancements of the physical buildings & concert halls and to attract & support top faculty, the majority of the funds raised goes to merit and need-based finance aid, so that they can afford and draw in the top talent in audition pool. Therefore, I expect in the coming audition cycles, the amount of merit aid going to applicants outside of piano and string players will significantly increase. This probably means that while NEC will continue to get more and more selective in admissions, the amount of scholarships they offer (beginning in maybe as soon as this upcoming year's audition cycle) will increase to those that are worthy.</p>
<p>You might also check out the Longy School of Music in Cambridge. Longy has an extremely rigorous undergraduate curriculum that is really geared toward students who are serious about their art. The faculty are very good, and there are also plenty of performance opportunities, something that can be hard to find in some of the larger programs.</p>
<p>I am a soprano as well going through the undergraduate audition process.
Last April I took a sample lesson with Patricia Craig at NEC and I loved her. She's is so friendly and her teaching techniques were similar to my teacher back home (whom I found out she knows! :-0). So when I apply, I want Pat. She rocks.</p>
<p>Your daughter should definitely apply to both schools. The unfortunate thing about being a musician is that while her classmates will have 13 years of preparing for college and building a resume and attractive application, she will have a single audition determine her future (side note- do not remind her of that before audition season). Since both schools have incredible programs she shouldn't put all her eggs in one basket. I graduated from Boston Conservatory, which by the way to correct an earlier post, has graduated many many successful performers of all genres including Lorraine Hunt (Metropolitan Opera) and recently Wendy Bryn Harmer (Metropolitan Opera). However when she visits both schools it will be obvious that they each have very different vibes. Nothing you can really put your finger on but she will know which will be best for her. I knew when I stepped out of the car.
As far as teachers go I would suggest Patty Thom or Rebecca Folsom at BOCO. Good Luck!</p>
<p>NEC is by far a better music school. My brother graduated from there and he is fantastic. It is (in some studios) better than Julliard :)</p>
<p>Two of my best friends attend NEC, studying with McDonald and St. Laurant; and I have to agree with ilovetheflute that NEC is perfectly able of holding its own weight among the very best, including Juilliard and Curtis.</p>
<p>An aforementioned poster mentioned Longy. It's a very interesting place with very different vibes, that you may or may not prefer. It's TINY (I think sometimes around only 10 entering freshmen per year.) and located in little cottage style houses in a woody surburban area in Cambridge. It follows the French conservatoire model, where faculty masterclasses are emphasized over individual private lessons and academic coursework. Admissions is not very selective - the majority of those that apply get in - however, according to the applicant this may not be necessarily a bad thing.</p>
<p>I go to NEC and have a a few friends in the Undergrad Voice Program. The students do an Opera every semester (usually short), they are required to participate in the chorus for 4 years (which is tedious and annoying for most), and they take A LOT of credits - 18 for their first semester. Its a very demanding program but its immersive, which is what you need. There are some amazing vocal teachers at NEC. Lorraine Nubar's students sound INCREDIBLE; she teaches at both Juilliard and the Bard graduate voice program. </p>
<p>Everything about NEC being tight with cash is true, the strings and pianists are the darlings of the school and get most of the goods.</p>
<p>My son and a friend of his (both jazz musicians---the music world's second class citizens!) got quite hefty (by NEC standards) merit awards from NEC. These were also competitive in comparison to what are considered "more generous" schools.</p>
<p>My daughter has been accepted into NEC’s Bassoon Performance program. She got some merit scholarship but it wasn’t fabulous. I read that they are notorious for being tight with money so I was prepared for it. But just wondering if anyone can tell me what a typical merit award from NEC might be? And is it worth going to the financial aid office and asking for more if is fairly high up on the acceptance list?</p>
<p>There is no harm in trying, but do not expect them to offer much more. NEC was my daughter’s only acceptance that offered no scholarship money at all and they would not budge in her overall offer unless we could show a big change in demonstrated need.</p>
<p>When it comes to Boston’s music schools, it’s simple:
NEC- Classical
BoCo- Theater and Dance
Berklee- Jazz</p>
<p>Seems simple, but jazz at NEC is superb, and can trump Berklee in many cases (not all—their top groups are astounding, but there are thousands of kids NOT in the top groups).</p>
<p>Don’t discount NEC jazz, since there is incredible talent there (both in teachers and students)!</p>
<p>BoCo is not the best place for classical. NEC wins hands down.</p>