If you are studying composition is it appropriate to try and set up a “lesson” with a composition professor to work with one of your existing pieces? I know people get lessons on their instruments which is a great way to meet the faculty. Is there any suggestion for what a comp major should be doing? Any information would be appreciated.
It’s more appropriate to just meet with composition professors to talk about music in general and the program. Usually you’d bring some scores and sound files to listen to, as well. But it’s more a getting to know each other meeting, than a lesson. But most definitely set up meetings! You can also exchange emails with professors, and offer to send samples of your music, or send an attachment with the email. Some professors will listen to the music and respond, others will say they’ll only bother with you after you’ve applied. Every school and professor is different.
When we visited schools, first we set up visits with admissions, then my son called the composition department and told them when he would be visiting and asked if he could meet with anyone or visit classes, and they were very accommodating. He sat in on several classes, had meetings with department heads, and a couple lessons where they went over a recent composition. Each school varied a little, but almost all of them were happy to arrange something, some had him email professors directly, some planned out a whole itinerary for him. One big name school flat out refused, they would only set up a tour and visit with admissions, but they were the only one where he didn’t get some sort of interaction directly with the comp department and he did not apply there.
Thank you for the information. I will have my D start researching who to reach out to and hopefully get a chance to speak with people in the department before or after our tours.
I highly recommend that your daughter look deeply at each of the composition professors at schools of interest to her. They usually have personal webpages which are linked to their college faculty pages - with sound files she can listen to. It is important for her to get a feel of the aesthetic of those who might be teaching her, even if they’re open to her exploring different sound worlds than their own. It will also make it much more rewarding when she meets with them in person. (Note at a couple of schools my son applied to he had only had contact with one of the professors - but had researched the others so that he would feel comfortable studying with them, as well.)
Is she applying to conservatory/BM programs or college BA programs?
What is the reason your daughter would want to meet with professors? To help with admission by introducing herself, or to test out the teaching style of the professor and school?
Each school will have more than one professor so I am not really sure of the point of meeting with one. During admissions, of course, your daughter’s pieces will be listened to by all faculty and she may be able to interview with them all as well.
There are ways to explore various schools and professors: school websites will have info on faculty, curriculum, and actual courses. Professors will often have websites (or even check out soundcloud and youtube).And if you can, attend some student composers’ concerts. Conservatories sometimes ask which studio you prefer and your daughter might want to be prepared for that.
We felt that diversity of work in a school was the best sign. The best composition programs encourage the “individual voice” of the student composer rather than impose a certain style.
I think it’s fine to wait for the admissions process. My daughter was afraid to ask too much from schools before she was admitted, but once accepted, she attended classes, met with teachers and made her decision.
We took a different route than compmom - my son thoroughly researched composition programs starting in early spring of Junior year. He wrote directly to the composition faculty and told them something about himself and shared his work. He started to meet personally with faculty in the spring and then the fall. Through this process he narrowed his search to only four schools - all schools where he knew he’d be happy to attend, and all schools where he felt he would be welcomed, as well. He met further with the faculty during the audition interviews, if they were required. (Some programs - USC and Northwestern - did not require an interview but he’d already visited with the heads of the departments.) I think this is much more like a grad school approach, and perhaps less common for undergrads - but my son was very experienced already as a composer.
My son’s approach was much like Spiritmanager’s. We never thought for a moment that it might be asking too much to meet with professors or visit classes, in the end, we are looking at a quarter million dollar investment in his education and he wanted to make the most informed decision possible. He also attended summer programs at 3 of the schools he applied to, which was a huge factor in his decision making process, not only did he get to work with faculty, he got to use the facilities, stay in housing, eat in the cafeterias, get a feel for the campus and area, etc. Yes, there may be several professors in the department, but any of them will be able to answer questions about the program and how it’s structured, performance opportunities for composition students and should give you a pretty good feel for the program. One of the most valuable meetings my S had was a two hour meeting with the head of a department at a school he won’t be attending, but who is a graduate of the school he will be going to. He was unbelievably helpful in discussing options and helping him find the best fit for him.
We found, however, that not doing any of this did not affect admissions- it really is all about your music.
And that fully exploring schools during the interview/audition process, then after acceptance, was sufficient. We did visit and tour during late junior year and early senior year, at times when a composers concert was available, but without the school knowing we were there.
The last two years of high school are stressful for many. I think my daughter felt her time was better spent writing music and getting it played, and having as normal a life as possible 
On weekends, she was doing conservatory prep and didn’t want to miss that either.
If you do sample lessons and then go to the audition/interview and then go after acceptance that is an awful lot of travel and stress. I just suggest using the audition period to assess schools.
Even at the grad level, she met w/ a dept. rep./faculty member for maybe 30 minutes and brought one score but did fine with admissions. A summer program at that level introduced her to one professor, but I don’t know if that had any effect on admissions. At the grad level, you should really know which schools will be a fit.
ps I think your approach may also depend on learning style and how important the individual teacher is to your child.
My daughter and I have been talking about this. She agrees that “most people may do these things,.” including a sample lesson. She sees meeting with a faculty member as useful if:
- You need further clarification of where to apply, beyond info available in other ways. (She had a pretty sophisticated grasp of where to apply and why due to teachers and word of mouth.)
- A teacher’s style is very important to you, or your learning or creative style depends strongly on the right fit. ( Her ideal teacher is one who leaves you alone!) Some applications do ask what studio you want. However, meeting with one professor out of several may not help with this.
She agrees that at an early stage, the usual tour is fine. Once you have narrowed down your choices, it may be appropriate to meet with someone, especially if an individual meeting is not included during the audition/interview period (Manhattan, for instance, used to have a panel and an overnight assignment, but no chance for individual meetings; NEC did not have audition/interview at all. Juiliard on the other hand has individual interview with all faculty members. Oberlin has an interview with the dept. chair. Etc.).
If you want to meet or have a sample lesson with a teacher, this may be perceived as a way to get the attention of the department/admissions but that may not be the best reason to do it. In the end, it really is about the portfolio submitted.
Once a student is admitted the schools start selling themselves, rather than the other way around and visiting classes, meeting with teachers, is obviously welcomed by the schools.
My daughter does not like to promote herself and we keep things low stress. She did meet with the chair at one university, a BA program, before applying but that was the only one I recall out of 4 conservatories and 2 colleges.
She feels that if your music is good, you can apply on that basis, and if you know where you want to apply already, there is no need to meet with anyone. But if you are very unsure about where to apply, more intensive contact with the school or faculty might be helpful.
Hi @compmom. NEC now requires an interview with the composition faculty as part of our admissions process.
Best,
Alex Powell
We thought the reliance on the music itself was kind of refreshing. At the grad level many schools don’t require one. But thanks for the correction. Just trying to make the point that every school is different, but my info is dated by now.
I met with professors at most of my top choices (unless I couldn’t). If you visit, you should take classes, meet with people, talk to students especially (probably the most helpful thing to do!). Meetings with professors vary wildly - I’ve had some meetings be almost lessons with critique of my pieces, Q&A sessions, or sometimes just me listening to them talk for a while. You don’t know what you’re going to get, but you might as well try.
I do wonder if there is a gender divide here
Maybe @compmom, but my son and I took a very similar approach to yours and your daughter’s. I think it’s refreshing that you’ve shared your experiences as one alternative.
Thanks drummergirl. It worked out well enough
Hope your son is happy where he landed!
He’s still up in the air compmom - one more audition to go! Almost sad to see the journey end
Good luck to him in the last audition and in making his choices!