cello performance thoughts...BU, Ithaca, SUNY Purchase

College Majors Music Major
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<p>In the short time I've been lurking/posting on this forum, I feel that this group such a broad depth of knowledge, and am reaching out for any thoughts on these schools. Over the years, we've spoken to our Private teacher, and the school teacher, and any other musicians we know. None of them even mentioned schools like Northwestern or CMU, or have recommended any of the summer music camps that everyone knows about here (Greenwood, Bowdoin, Meadowmount), so it seems you all have a different perspective, and we'd appreciate any thoughts you have about these three schools and their string programs. </p>

<p>If we had to do it all over again, we probably would've had her in stronger summer programs, and applied to some different schools. She was accepted everywhere she auditioned (waitlisted DePaul) with and with scholarships except for at BU. </p>

<p>Private teacher is pro BU, although she's only familiar with Michael Reynolds, and his studio is full as of this week. We still don't know if Marc Johnson's studio is available, and given what's been going on there this week, I didn't even try in get in touch with them. We visited last weekend, D loved it (despite the fact that she didn't care for it on our first visit a year ago). Spoke to chair of the strings dept. They have 32 or 34 cellists and prefer the number around 24. I know it's a city, and my D thinks there will be more performance opportunities, but there are lots of cellists at BU, many grad students and lots of cellists at NEC and BC and even some at Berklee. No chamber music freshman year. Academically the strongest school she was accepted at. Cost of BU will impact ability to help with Grad School costs and summer music experiences. I also feel like it's not a campus, which was her original observation. This doesn't matter to her now, she's heavily influenced by her private teacher and how cool Boston is as a place to go to school.</p>

<p>SUNY Purchase, good feel to the school. Likes the fact it's near a city and feels that she'd have more opportunity to play contemporary music. Seems to have excellent faculty and we got a good feel at the school's accepted student day. Likes cello prof. and is going back next week for another lesson and to sit in on cello rep. class. Economical, and close to home. </p>

<p>Ithaca-I like Ithaca, but people who went to school 30 years ago are telling D the level of play is higher at BU. I feel that it's more intimate, has nicer facilities, great faculty. She really likes it too, likes the professor, but feels she's too far from a city. I don't think that matters much at this point in her education. They have study abroad programs, but not as specific to music as BUs London's Royal College of Music. Good scholarship, but requires she maintain a 3.0, which I think she can do. Will go back for another lesson and cello rep. class this week. Spoke to a more recent Ithaca grad that went on to San Francisco Conservatory for MM (viola performance/education major@ IC ) on scholarship that loved Ithaca and felt very well prepared for grad school and her career.</p>

<p>I think we are splitting hairs here and she will do well at any of these schools. She likes the professors (however no lesson with Marc Johnson yet) but how much can you really know about a professor after a one hour lesson?<br>
We've sat in on different rehearsals and classes and that's helpful too.</p>

<p>Husband and I feel slightly guilty for not being supportive of her going to BU at full price, but did tell her up front that she'd need to work hard to get a scholarship there. </p>

<p>Any thoughts?</p>

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<p>My daughter is a sax/oboe player, and she just auditioned this year and about to make the final decision. So, not the same as cello.</p>

<p>BU was a possible audition place, but she ended up auditioning at three other Boston schools instead (but that is because my daughter wanted a straight conservatory). We visited boston several times, and she is quite familiar with the teachers. We’ve also been told about how great a city Boston is. One of my other daughters was admitted to BU with a large scholarship (non-music) but went elsewhere.</p>

<p>For us, money is an issue, and I agree with you that your child needs to get a large scholarship if money is also an issue with you. My daughter will turn down NEC, in Boston, because although she was offered a large scholarship, it is not large enough. There are other factors too, but they aren’t applicable to a cello player.</p>

<p>Besides having lessons with the possible teachers, we also made an effort to hear the teachers perform live in concert, and to hear their students perform. this gave us a bigger picture of the teacher. </p>

<p>I wouldn’t factor in study abroad programs at BU or elsewhere. From what I see, that can be difficult to fit into a 4-year schedule. It is much cheaper to attend a European music school; my daughter looked into applying directly. She considered going to the Conservatory of Amsterdam; tuition is only around $8,000 a year for international students.</p>

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<p>There will be many more performance opportunities at a school with not such a big stable of cellists. The cello teacher is crucial. Avoid the debt as much as possible. So many recent graduates in music have no employment options that will begin to allow a life style beyond paying debt. So much will happen during those undergraduate years, and your D needs to have options in the future, not just be harnessed to loan repayment. Good luck.</p>

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<p>I think money is always an issue for the parent of a music student (unless you are in the top .5%) We have saved since she was born, and still are coming up short for full tuition.
We another kid and retirement around the corner.
Not only will Graduate School likely be necessary, but she may need a little help with living expenses in order to take her dream starter job, and I know a new cello and bow will probably be necessary in the next few years as well.
It looks like Purchase sends kids to Amsterdam. We will talk to the cello prof. about this Wednesday.
D started cello lessons through school, and then started private lessons in middle school with one of the elementary school music teachers. She was doing well, however was playing piano, violin, on the varsity swim team, in clubs etc. Finally, we found her a good cello teacher (was on staff at MSM pre-college) after her Freshman year.
Only last year did she think she’d like to major in music in college and quit some of her other activities to focus on practicing., She that felt she wanted to go to a liberal arts school with options should she change her mind. She worked very hard this year for auditions, and did well. I think she’s still happy that she will go to a liberal arts school, even though the reality at every school is that the music kids hang out with only music kids.<br>
We did many of the same things in our search, woodwinds, but time, and cost prevented a wider search. Finding the right combination of teacher, school, location, other students play level and costs is a daunting task (and you don’t know what the financial help with be until the last minute).
Good Luck to your D, woodwinds. Appreciate your input lorelei.<br>
Looking forward to 5/1.</p>

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<p>I don’t know anything about Ithaca.</p>

<p>SUNY Purchase - good teacher, great price (I’m assuming you’re in state), and if you’re in for grad school, saving money is always good.</p>

<p>BU - Could get crowded with that many cellists. And it sounds like the smaller studio with the “everyone performs” attitude at SUNY might suit your D better.</p>

<p>BU - $60K
SUNY - $20K in state</p>

<p>You can buy a pretty nice cello for the money you’re saving.</p>

<p>I have a cellist finishing junior year college. If you want to PM, go ahead.</p>

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<p>Thanks Speihei. I would actually prefer to have conducted most of this inquiry privately, but I’m still unable to pm due to my lack of posts.
Purchase is actually closer to 25,000, which I think may be due to the fact we have to pay for the weekly lesson. I will check into that today and report back on that. I’m not sure if that’s the same at every SUNY school.</p>

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<p>Purchase has an “applied Music fee” of 2514 per year that goes toward the cost of the private lesson, just for an FYI. Still quite a good value in or out of state!</p>

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<p>Not sure if you are still looking for advice, but here is my two cents worth:
BU: It is known as a very good music school and I know that there is a lot of trading off of students between Marc Johnson and Allen Harris (At eastman) Carefull choosing a studio though. With a school so big, you want to have a teacher you love and a studio you are inspired by</p>

<p>Suny Purchase: I don’t know much about Julia Lichten, though what little I know is good. I would make sure that she is a regular full time teacher though. Often performing teachers will be on tour and then you are stuck studying with a T.A.</p>

<p>Ithaca: A wonderful, kind, uplifting environment. The teachers do a sort of tag teamed style where Elizabeth Simkin (Former teaching assistant to Janos Starker) teaches a lot of technique and Heidi Hoffman teaches a lot of musicality. The only concern would be for someone who really wants a competitive atmosphere as both teachers are quite “nice” and the other studios aren’t as strong as the cellos.</p>

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<p>I don’t know about the cello department at Ithaca, but the bass studio is phenomenal. The bass professor there does the scales class with the cellos and bassists, and he is a highly regarded in the bass community.</p>

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<p>I am assuming she is going to the music school/conservatory for a BM program at one of these, not the liberal arts BA, right? Just wondering because you wrote that she is “still happy” she is going to a “liberal arts school.” I guess you mean that on campus, there are students with diverse majors, as opposed to a freestanding conservatory.</p>

<p>I think that, if she is concerned with that aspect of her decision, meaning social diversity beyond “music kids,” that she should look into that more deeply. I would think Ithaca might be best in that regard, though I don’t know the physical location of the conservatory in relation to the college. Ithaca is a great college town. </p>

<p>There are other social characteristics to look into. Some say Purchase is a suitcase school, with many students heading home or into the city on weekends. Not sure if that is true, but how would your daughter feel about that? BU’s Performing Arts department is in a separate building but I’m sure at both Purchase and BU, dorms are mixed. Ithaca is smaller with a real residential campus. Etc.</p>

<p>Ithaca is supposed to be a great college town, with Cornell nearby. Not a major city so not sure if performance opportunities would be different, mainly college/conservatory based or not. It’s got a great reputation. Great residential experience.</p>

<p>I have heard BU is pretty intense. That can be a pro or a con. The school itself is very large but the music school is more intimate. There are some nice new facilities at BU such as dorms, gym etc.</p>

<p>If she has other academic interests, it is worth looking into those at each school, too.</p>

<p>These are all great choices musically. Along with looking at teachers and performance opportunities, I would go with money as a big factor and look at other factors like social environment and vibe.</p>

<p>This is kind of rambling! I would have preferred sending a private message but it seems that they aren’t private anymore: if I click on a name of a poster, I can read all their PM’s since CC changed its format.</p>

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<p>For what it’s worth, the music building at Ithaca is right on the quad near other departments. Ithaca is a great college town!</p>