<pre><code>I'm new to this forum and have many questions. I'm basically a mom with no real idea of what I'm getting into. My mere 15 yr. old son is an active guitarist (contemporary and classical) who is just beginning to think about college as a music major on guitar. His real love at this point is rock guitar, however he does understand that this won't work at college. He doesn't like jazz. He does seem very willing to pursue classical and is doing very well and working hard. We recently found a Colombian born instructor who was an ASTA winner a few years back, so I'm confident that for now we have an excellent teacher in place. He seems very willing to guide us and help. I'm just beginning to look for summer programs for him, and am wondering other than this and his lessons, what should he be doing??? My son completed a Music Theory course through Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth and received an A, and is currently in a Pre-college level theory course through his studio. He received a 2nd Place in the GranQuist Music Competition this year on classical guitar, and traveled to Mexico to study classical guitar for a two weeks this fall. It seems as if many music students are very involved with youth orchestras, school, competitions and summer camps, but many of this doesn't readily exist for the classical guitar. How then does a classical guitarist broaden himself musically in preparation for college? And speaking of college, I'm concerned that the competition may be too great, as few schools have good guitar programs, and often few seats. We live in the Midwest and I'd like to keep him close. Are we missing something here???
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<p>Oberlin has a guitar program…is that near you?</p>
<p>It sounds like your son is doing wonderfully, and still only 15. It is still so early, but does he seem to envision conservatory or college for himself? Some schools are known for having really excellent guitar programs, and I’m sure you or your son will be doing that research (For instance, I believe Hartt has a great guitar program, NEC, and maybe Ithaca. BU, Bard and Curtis have none, as I remember, but could be wrong).</p>
<p>About the broadening…Our school has a chamber music program, and sometimes included pieces for guitar and flute, in concerts. Is anything like that possible at his school? Also, a conservatory near us had some ensembles in their preparatory program for guitarists, including some Baroque ensembles. Your son could get to know some others in a program like that, and form a trio, or quartet. There are also classical guitar societies that get together in homes to play. [Guitar</a> Societies | Guitar Foundation of America](<a href=“http://www.guitarfoundation.org/drupal/guitar-societies]Guitar”>http://www.guitarfoundation.org/drupal/guitar-societies)</p>
<p>But you are right, most classical guitar is done solo, practice and rehearsals are alone. Our daughter likes that, but that is her personality. It sounds like he is working really hard, and his accomplishments are impressive (theory courses, competition, summer in Mexico). Is his teacher giving him pieces that develop his skills, and his knowledge of the repertoire? It sounds as if the answer is yes, and he is on a path that he can continue on and deepen and expand his playing for the next few years.</p>
<p>One other thing: has he given up rock guitar? Would he be interested in a program at Berklee for instance, some summer? Or has classical guitar become his “passion”?</p>
<p>Honestly at 15 I wasn’t even interested in jazz guitar at all and now two-ish years later i’m applying to 6 programs, pretty much all of them are jazz based and that’s all I play. So you never know how it will turn out</p>
<p>Firstly, as you know, guitar the is a heavily solo repertoire instrument. So you will have to make your own opportunities.
The main thing that you can do is prepare a strong solo repertoire, polish it with masterclasses. If you can get Manuel Barrueco at JHU to give you a masterclass, there is nothing like it.
Travel, Europe and Asia have excellent guitar festivals all through the year, travel to them - meet guitarists, build up a strong list of masterclasses (this is important for your resume).
Once your programme is ready, compete, you will surely lose the first couple of times but keep going to every competition that you can. International fests have different categories for under 19 guitarists. Try to do well in those.
Once your programme is polished through masterclasses and competitions, stick a bunch of videos up on youtube. Every musician gets googled by more people then those who show up at your concerts.
Perform in concert, seek sponsorship.
Keep the GFA IYC in mind as your goal, look at past winners videos. </p>
<p>When you choose pieces which you want to perfect, a good way to guide yourself is to look at the set pieces at various competitions around the world. Must haves: Villa-Lobos, R.Dyens, Any tremolo by Mangore, Brouwer (composition or transcription) and the over-played pieces that everyone knows like Asturias and La Catedral. </p>
<p>The only instrument that the guitar pairs with nicely on stage is the Flute, because they are both of similar volume. Piazzolla has written a lot of music which can be played on a guitar-flute duo. </p>
<p>Teachers you want to aim for after high school - Eliot Fisk (NEC), Manuel Barrueco (JHU), Jason Vieaux (Cleveland Institute), Sharon Isbin (Juilliard), Scott Tenant and Bill Kanengiser (if available, somewhere on the West Coast).</p>
<p>If you want to keep him close Denis Azabagic (Roosevelt U, Chicago) is your guy. He is a former GFA winner and a technical demi-god. He is also in a guitar flute duo, and can help you if you plan to do something like that. Write to him, seek an appointment and some advice. (He will have a busy travel schedule though).</p>
<p>I know that this is a slightly intimidating instrument because you constantly have to do your own thing, make your own opportunities and find motivation within yourself. Of all my suggestions, travel and compete are the most important. And if you haven’t already, get a luthiered instrument. </p>
<p>Just a little bit of an alternative view, and that is that our daughter’s teacher, who is not controlling in the least, advised her to stay away from master classes, for quite awhile (first 5 years?), and even summer programs. He also would not have advised traveling, studying with other teachers, and probably would also have warned against competitions. He has a sort of long-term view and expects a lot of patience: his students work to deepen skills over time. He felt confusion would result from too much exposure to a variety of teachers and schools. He is a disciple of Ray de la Torres. </p>
<p>Buying a luthiered guitar is a great idea, or maybe your son has one. Our daughter got to know a luthier through her teacher, and waited for one. In the end, he converted one he had made previously, to suit her. Amazing! She paid the $2500 with babysitting money. That’s a lot of hours with kids, but she felt it was extremely worth every penny. (She started with a $100 Alvarez, which, in the end, may have helped her training: she had to work hard on it, that’s for sure. But after a year or two, no serious student should play on something like that!)</p>
<p>For colleges, a resume may help with admissions, but for conservatories and music schools, it is usually all about the audition (and potential).</p>
<p>unless your son loves classical beyond anything else, it would probably be advisable for him to go the rock/comercial route (if thats what he wants).
In the end, a rock guitar player who knows theory (and probably some jazz—nothing crazy but can fake some jazz on a General Business gig), has a huge repetoire, appropriate handle on effects processors and amps (a neccesary evil for any working guitar player) and can sightread will work more then a classical player (though it’s good to be able to fake some classical).
If he loves classical, then theres no reason for him to not do it in school, but if hes doing it to be able to study guitar in college (or possibly due to parental/social pressures as classical is often seen as more legitimate for study in higher education) then it would be better for him to go somewhere like Berklee or Belmont or USC or Musicians Institute where he could study what he loves and get the practical skills neccesary for a career in music.
As a classical guitar player there is no 70k/year orchestra seat at the end of the rainbow, just a system of competitions and masterclasses and college professorships. theres no magic feeling of being in a huge ensemble, and working together to create a much greater whole (though brilliantly interpreted, personalized solo performances can be just as gratifying), theres barely any 50 dollar a night pick up gigs. If he loves it and works hard, its completely possible to make a living as a classical player/teacher, but I think from an employment standpoint its almost safer to go the electric route.
Also, any contemporary program worth its salt will have some study of classical music, even if its just playing wolfarht and kreutzer violin studies on electric guitar (though many require, or at least make available classical guitar and jazz guitar instruction—which he should definitatly do regardless of what he studies—I’d go as far as to say a guitar player would be unprepared for the real world if he couldn’t play rock/commercial stuff, jazz and classical at a solid but non-expert level in addition to whatever else he or she loves to do and spends most of their energy on).
In the end its about what he loves and will work hardest at. But just make sure he wants to study classical music because he loves it, not because he does not think it is possible to study rock or comercial music at the college level.</p>
<p>I would heartily agree with JazzGuitar19. The best way to get to play alot (and get paid) is to be very versatile. It would be great to be able to play classical all the time (and I truly hope he can do that) but the opportunities are fewer. He may not love jazz now but good exposure to the basics will give him much better chances at paying gigs- and I’d bet he’ll fall in love with it. He sounds like a very talented player- bet he’d enjoy the give and take of playing jazz with other excellent players.</p>
<p>Okay, thanks to all of you for your replies. My son is still evolving, so I hesitate to say what he may want to play in college, but it will be guitar! Just yesterday he said he did like some jazz, something he was against a month ago. My husband is a professional guitarist making sometimes $300 a night, never less than $150. He plays an average of three times a week. And yes he does have a day job. So, we are intimately knowledgeable about life as a musician! My son understands this as well, and is thinking of criminal law, or international law pertaining to intellectual property, so music in college would be a stopping ground for him. He is also very interested in audio engineering, and takes dance and art classes. I think what he is putting together is somehow finding employment in many different places, all of which may he may be able to set his own speed. So, in the end, we aren’t interested in his becoming an internationally known classical guitarist as much as giving him the opportunity to compete for a college seat in the music department of his choice. I don’t know how difficult that will be, but I do understand the whole Masterclass/Compete/Travel parts and am implementing them where we can. From the parental side of it, I absolutely will not send him to college that doesn’t offer a good LA program. He needs to be educated beyond guitar and we are adamant it! Berkley is not an option, nor is the Music Institute!</p>
<p>I don’t see the point of getting a custom classical guitar…only if you’re ready I mean. I bought my first nylon this year and it was 175 dollars and I love it, play the heck out of it and I’ve gotten really comfortable playing classical and jazz pieces on an instruments I’ve never attempted to play before. If you’re a good musician you can make almost any instrument sound good, you don’t need a 3000 dollar guitar to enforce the idea that you’re good enough.</p>
<p>and Berklee…(two e’s no y) does have a LA program, it’s probably not their strong point but going to a music school/conservatory still gives you a well rounded education, just based around music. I know a lot of music schools where instead of standard physics they would have the physics of sound or acoustics etc. something to cater around what they are studying and learning which is way better than going to a music school and having to take math classes to make sure you are “smart”</p>
<p>With regard to Berklee: D4 and I were recently in Boston looking at colleges and we toured Berklee. (She is a singer/songwriter although it is unlikely she would major in that in college, but we went because we were in town and it’s where her guitar teacher studied.) One thing we learned is that Emerson College (which we also looked at ) has an consortium arrangement with Berklee and a few other arts colleges in the Boston area. Emerson and Berklee are nearby each other, as is BU. </p>
<p>I also found it interesting that our Berklee tour guide is working on his second Bachelor’s degree. He has a BA from Carlton College and is now working on a BM at Berklee. Apparently this is not uncommon because Berklee does not have an MA program.</p>
<p>Berklee does not have graduate programs but Music Business majors are eligible for Suffolk University’s Accelerated MBA program. They can receive credit for some of their Music Business courses at Berklee towards the advanced degree.
There are many students at Berklee who have bachelor’s degrees from other institutions.
It is particularly common with the Music Production and Engineering students.</p>
<p>yeah pretty common, also I think the new berklee school in valencia spain is supposed to have masters programs and berklee students obviously have priority to be able to go there for a semester or longer</p>