<p>I posted this on the parent's forum, but then thought that this might be a better place.My D wants to be a flute performance major, but since her instrument is SO competitive, she is also applying to some LACs as an English major. How does one handle this on the common app? It seems odd to tell them "well, I'll be an English major if I don't get into a flute program" and I'd think the LACs wouldn't take the app seriously. Anyone been through this before?</p>
<p>The application process as a music major can be very different from the application process that most other majors go through. It can also vary considerably from school to school. At some schools, music majors need to be admitted academically before they can be considered for an audition that gets them into the music major. At others, the musical decision is made first and the academic decision follows. At others still, they are made independently and in parallel. It is important to understand the process at each school and follow the instructions to the letter. There are often additional forms to fill out for the music major, even when the Common App and its school-specific supplements are used.</p>
<p>At some schools it may be very important for the admissions office to know that she would be interested in admission even if turned down as a music major so that they do not automatically reject her for the sole reason of not passing the audition. This is probably best handled by a frank conversation with the admissions representative who is in charge of her application.</p>
<p>I have not seen the common app in a few years, so I do not recall how they ask the question about major. Certainly, what gets put on that form cannot commit the student to sticking to that major because students change majors in their first couple of years all the time. If possible, maybe the thing to do would be to indicate either a dual major or an undecided major on the Common App.</p>
<p>Has your daughter had any contact with the flute teachers at the schools of interest? Sample lessons or masterclasses? If so, have they given her any indication that she may be in the running for admission to their studio? If none of that made any sense, I suggest that you read the first ten or so articles at <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> for a description of the process of applying to music schools.</p>
<p>My daughter had a similar problem. Since she didn’t know her chances as a music performance major (or wasn’t ready to commit to the concept), she decided to apply to LACs as if she was not going to be a music major, but her 2nd career, pre-med. The schools she wanted to go to for her music interest (jazz vocals) didn’t overlap with her LACs, except in the sense that she could sing with a cappella groups to satisfy her music need. So her 1st choice major was Biochemistry for the college application process; if they asked for a minor or 2nd major, she always selected jazz studies or music, depending on what the choices were. She ended up at Boston U, but after her freshman year re-applied to Berklee as a vocalist, and will start there next January. I would suggest to your daughter to go for the flute performance now if that is her passion and everything else will work itself out (she’ll either get in or she won’t). Many LACs would love to have an amazing flute player in their orchestras, bands, and ensembles, so it’s a bonus to have excellent music skills as an EC when appying to an LAC as an English major.</p>
<p>I think your daughter and you need to evaluate your priorities. You can apply to many LAC’s as a music major without having to audition. Would your daughter really be happy giving up on performance because she didn’t get into school for it? Id say if the answer is yes then, even if she does have the ability get into a BM program she probably does not have the drive and tenacity necessary to make it as a musician.
I know, for example the director of the music school where I study was rejected and told he had no talent when he applied, and then given (after a second audition) a probationary acceptance. After he graduated he played regularly with some top musicians (among them stanley clarke) and toured and worked as a producer until he started teaching and eventually running the program.
We hear about musicians who were terrible when they were seventeen or eighteen (charlie parker specifically, who was laughed out of a jam session for trying to play a different song then the rest of the band in the wrong key) who came out fine. Don’t think that you need to be winning competitions by 12 to make it as a musician, or even that college study is necessary–its really all about time spent in the practice room. You also hear (or if you go to school, see) musicians who come in at the top and don’t progress nearly enough in their four years of study to make it as a musician. Worse comes to worse, if she has her heart set on being a musician and doesn’t get in anywhere, gap years can work well for many students (though if you do this, you should at least take some GE’s at a community college). There are also less competetive BM Perforamance programs, even for flute players.</p>
<p>@jazzguitar19 - my daughter is also applying for flute and is also maximizing her options by applying to BA and BM programs (at some of the same schools). </p>
<p>I think you’re off target with your generalization that she is “giving up on performance” if she pursues a BA instead of a BM, and I wouldn’t want a student to read this and buy into that reasoning.</p>
<p>Not every student would be better off at a less competitive music school. A school that is not academically appropriate, even as a music student, would not be a good match for my daughter. She has spent years as the ‘smart’ kid on her sports teams. She wants to spend her college years with her academic and musical peers. </p>
<p>And there are the finances to think of… a BA at a top school with grants is a lot more attractive than having to pay the full fare at a no-audition BM</p>
<p>Some professional musicians find the BA so important that they seek it out IN ADDITION to their musical studies.</p>
<p>I haven’t met a quality teacher who is not a vibrant, well-rounded, interesting person, and I believe that they are looking for students who are also multi-dimensional.</p>
<p>These are very individual decisions and certainly not one-size-fits-all. And the gap year is another good option for some - I agree about that</p>
<p>I wasn’t saying that getting a BA is giving up. But that going for a BA exclusively in a different field because you were not admitted for your field of choice is a strong signal that you are not entirely sure of your career choice. A conservatory styled education is not right for many people, and can ruin a musician who otherwise had great potential (and I think this is particularly true of jazz programs—the same time university style cannonic jazz became widespread, the genre began to stall and sputter in regards to creativity in the mainstreem). Ba/BM’s are not giving up, and you can still be well rounded with a BM and still go for a performance career with a BA, but theres many others who have BMs who have been practicing more and studying harder then you for four years and when its time to start your career, a BA in another field won’t get you far (musically) and theres not a strong chance you have the skills to compete for gigs/slots in masters programs with those who do (or those who didn’t even go to school and spent several years performing, practicing and studying privately). Theres always exceptions, but if you water your education down in persuit of being ‘well rounded’ (because you don’t need to take classes to read, write, be informed or even play an instrument) you are ultimatly doing yourself a disservice. If you love music, but know you don’t want it as a career, or love something else equally, then a BA in something else or a BA/BM program or something with a music minor is probably a good idea. But I think that someone applying for programs in another field because their instrument is too competitive is probably more interested in going to college because thats what you do after high school (familial or social pressures) and less interested in year of intense study and work in an incredibly competetive field. And I think if you are sure you want to be a professional musician, you would not consider applying for another degree, just to go to college.
Then again, most of us aren’t entirely sure of what they want to do when they are seventeen; and thats usually for the best as if you were life would be quite boring.</p>
<p>EDIT: And less competitive doesn’t necessarily mean no-audition. Also, a non audition BA type program at a liberal arts school would usually involve an academic acceptance, which could well include merit and need based aid (i did this as a safety, and thankfully didn’t end up going to the school i applied to; but I was glad I had a financially attractive option that I would have enjoyed spending a year at and then transfering out of and into a BM program).</p>
<p>The school needs to be right musically, academically (assuming we’re not talking about conservatories), financially, socially, etc etc etc. There are many many factors </p>
<p>I think you are making broad sweeping generalizations (“going for a BA exclusively in a different field because you were not admitted for your field of choice is a strong signal that you are not entirely sure of your career choice.”)</p>
<p>There is no clear cut answer that is right for everyone and it’s a good idea to leave as many options open as possible.</p>
<p>Applying is just leaving a door open for opportunity… April 1st is a long time from now. We could apply, not get into BM, get into the BA, and still decide not to pursue the BA. But, if the application hasn’t been submitted, the option would not even be for consideration in April.</p>
<p>I totally understand what mtpaper is saying in her last post. </p>
<p>Last year, my son was considering the entire spectrum of options… from LAC’s or smaller universities with less competitive non-audition music programs (where one might not even declare a major freshman year) to a straight conservatories. In the middle was what he was always leaning toward: a strong audition-based university music program. </p>
<p>Had that not worked out, we simply weren’t sure whether he’d “sacrifice” a stronger music program for stronger academics (LAC) or stronger academics for a more competitive music program (stand alone conservatory). The options were all being evaluated throughout the process. </p>
<p>There’s no way to have choices if you don’t apply, and especially on the music front, no way to really know where you’ll be accepted.</p>
<p>I probably should have given more info, but I thought I was just asking a simple question. @jazzguitar- my D has evaluated her priorities. She wants a career as a performer. However, she is realistic about the competition. Most of the music/ performance programs that she is applying to accept less than 1 percent. Yes, they get well over 100 apps for one spot. It makes getting into Yale look easy. She and her teacher. a conservatory professor whom I trust implicitly, have decided that she apply to some LACs in cities with the idea that she could study privately with teachers while just being a college student; and then look at grad schools. A school like UChicago doesn’t have a music department.
Yes, it is the road less travelled, but in her case, it makes sense.</p>
<p>Yes, it is a road not taken by many, but in this case, it might work</p>
<p>There is a poster on the Music Majors section called Cosmos who attends UChicago and studies double bass at a very high level with a teacher across town. You may wish to PM her to pick her brain about that experience.</p>
<p>THanks BassDad, great suggestion</p>
<p>Don’t know if any of the Ivys are on your list, but stringkeymom has a son at Yale (violin), and team_mom a son at Princeton (horn) studying with privately with a member of Juilliard faculty. Additional sources of info there as well.</p>
<p>To get back to the original question, I would think your daughter could just check “music” as a major. Lots of students change their ideas on major between now and next fall, and colleges don’t usually require declaration of a major for a year or two anyway. Checking a major on the common app doesn’t lock her into anything. Isn’t there a place to put additional interests? She could indicate “English” there.</p>
<p>Good luck to her…these decisions are tough!</p>
<p>So i eventually want to end up becoming a surgeon. what do i write for career interest on commonapp?</p>