Contemporary Vocal Performance AND Music Business Programs

College Majors Music Major
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Thanks for the insight on Saint Rose @stradmom , they addressed the cuts at the parents meeting during the audition.

They claimed it was housekeeping for sparsely enrolled programs. Their facilities are gorgeous though, the recital hall, recording studio, and performance lounge are all top notch.

D is warming to the idea of Saint Rose even though she’s not a big fan of Albany. The Music Industry program seems very solid and you’re right they’re putting a lot of focus into it as a hallmark of the college, so it may not be a bad place to land.

More to come, at this point we’re both crossing our fingers for Loyola. She LOVES it there and really had a bounce in her step while on campus. Obviously awaiting an official acceptance and hoping they offer some decent scholarship money.

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Lots of great updates in the last month, D auditioned for the New School and got to meet up with her roommate from the CU Denver Summer Camp who was in town from California auditioning there as well. She didn’t feel the audition went that well as she said she felt out of synch with band. Still waiting to hear on acceptance into the program but was told she’d hear by April 1st.

She did a 2-day shadow at Saint Rose and really liked the Music Industry classes she took but felt disappointed with the musicianship of the other students. She did receive a modest talent scholarship and financial aid package which came to about half the total cost, still a challenge but actually in the doable column. She’s still not a fan of Albany but could do it as a safety school.

She also received a fairly generous financial aid package from University of the Arts which added some university grants in addition to the 1/4 merit scholarship she was initially offered which also represents about half the total cost but with a higher tuition makes it less affordable than St. Rose. She likes Philly and U Arts but while the offer helps it still presents challenges.

She received her program acceptance and a very modest talent award from Loyola and was hoping for much more. With her academic money its about 1/3 of the cost. Berklee aside, Loyola is her top realistic choice and she’s still wishing to find some way to make that one work financially.

She passed her pre-screen for CU Denver and has her LAST audition is scheduled for the first week in April. They’re later than the other schools and have a May 15th notification date as opposed to May 1st for most of the other schools which makes that one interesting if they offer any scholarships.

BUT…the BIGGEST NEWS came from Memphis over the weekend. D received a Full-Tuition talent scholarship which also includes an out-of-state award!!! It doesn’t cover Room & Board but Memphis’ is much cheaper than any other school she’s considered. As Dad I’m over the moon about the offer!!! She on the other hand really likes the school but isn’t as much of a fan of the city of Memphis itself. She’s happy and impressed with the offer, they’ve asked her to accept by April 15th. She’s hoping to use it as a negotiating point with Berklee and Loyola but believes Memphis is the best choice if the negotiations don’t yield a matching counter offer.

She has already heard back from Berklee who said they can’t offer her any money but did offer her the ability to defer her admission for a year and re-audition next year for another chance at a scholarship.

Surprisingly I’m having to do some convincing about Memphis. Its not big enough city for her and the “deep south” aspects of the region are a bit of culture shock which are causing her some initial pause. I’ve thought since our visit last year that it was the best school for her. The faculty is amazing and she’s already been offered some potential gig opportunities. But, unless Loyola can match or Denver immediately offers a full ride, she’ll be going to Memphis. Clearly finances play a huge role but I think she’ll have the best guidance and opportunities there.

We talked and oddly I think the Berklee deferment might be what wins her over. I told her she could go to Memphis, learn all she can and determine how she likes it after being there. If she loves it stay, if not or if she still REALLY wants she can re-audition for Berklee next year. If she gets a big enough scholarship she can transfer after a year.

However I think she’s going to love it and will be a huge success and I’m super proud of how well she’s done with all the auditions and acceptances!

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Dad, that sounds like a great plan. I’m a little shocked at CU Boulder’s calendar choices!

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Although my D is a musical theatre major, I noticed this thread because of the mention of UArts. My D is a freshman there, and is absolutely loves it! Last year, D was initially offered a large scholarship and a grant, but we were able to drive the price down even more. Don’t be afraid to call UArts, explain your position (including what other, less expensive options would cost), and see what they do. They were amazing to work with, and we’re delighted at the outcome. We know of one other MT major who did the same with terrific results. It’s worth a shot!

I’d try the same with Loyola if that is her top choice. I have no experience with them, but, again, it’s worth the shot.

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@PopPrincessPop: This may be moot based on what you’ve said about your D’s school preferences. I auditioned for CU Denver on March 11th. I had the official offer 4 days later. The May 15th date is the deadline to confirm enrollment. I think they said all acceptances will be sent out no later than April 15th. The financial aid office said the aid numbers would be posted by early April, so presumably she’d have them by the time she gets an admission offer.

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That April 15th deadline is interesting. I understand why a school might have it, although it seems like it works against your daughter’s decision-making. Also, one unintended benefit of my S waiting to commit was that some schools upped their merit money without any action on our part!

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PopPrincessPop, my son had some similar experiences to your daughter. He got an award from St. Rose that added up to about 50% of the total bill. But after doing an overnight and a lesson with the bass professor, he felt like he would be one of the best bassists in the program on the day he walked through the door. He wanted more of a challenge than that. He also wasn’t a huge fan of Albany.

He got into Berklee with a small scholarship-not nearly enough to make it financially feasible. He deferred his acceptance and went to the Hartt School at the University of Hartford instead. After being there for his first semester, he decided not to bother with re-auditioning for Berklee.

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Thanks for the feedback everyone! Its an exciting time and I’m enjoying watching her decision making process.

@myloves I’ll make sure she reaches out to U Arts. Prior to her Memphis offer and based on the existing cards on the table, that was the school we were going to fight to make happen for her. The COA based on what they offered was a smidge over budget but we were going to see if we could make it work.

@SingingPianist thanks for the info on CU Denver, they did let her know she passed her pre-screen in only a couple of days so I hope they’ll be quick with a decision AND scholarship determination. Are you going? They also said they remembered her from Camp last year so hopefully that might help.

@drummergirl on the April 15th my D thought that was unfair! My guess is they’d want to offer the scholarship to someone else if she declines. She is going to actively pursue asking for increases in merit money instead of waiting. She needs to know fast, April 15th is only 3 weeks away!

@electricbassmom thanks so much for the insight. My guess is that’s where she’ll be once she gets to Memphis. Honestly I think she’s going to love it. In my opinion she needs to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond and I worry how she’d do in such a competitive atmosphere at Berklee. But if the prospect of deferring for a chance to re-audition makes her feel more comfortable then that’s a good thing! How is your son linking Hartt now? That’s in our backyard here in CT! We visited but she decided not to apply because there wasn’t an opportunity for her to do Popular and Commercial music.

@glassharmonica I’m a little surprised that CU Denver does have such a late commit date, she’s auditioning late too and we’re just playing out that hand but was surprised that even their academic deadline was so late. We back burnered that one to fit in audition trips for all the other schools. That being said she really does like the program and had a blast at Camp last summer. Its a good choice though again as Dad I prefer Memphis but I’d be happy to see her go there if they offered her a full package.

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Then I’d definitely reach out and tell them it’s her first choice, where you need to be in order for her to attend, and how much Memphis will be. Ask to talk to one of the heads of the financial department; we dealt with the second in charge, and he was wonderful.

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@PopPrincessPop CU Denver is my first choice, but it will all rest on finances so I’m going a little out of my mind waiting for the aid package.

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@SingingPianist - Completely understand waiting for the aid package! CU Denver has a really nice program, good luck and fingers crossed for you! If you don’t mind my asking, where else did you apply?

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@PopPrincessPop I also applied to USC’s popular music program but didn’t get an audition, and Berklee. Those were the only 3 programs I could find with a good mix of songwriting and performance.

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This is just based on our experience and what I’ve gleaned from this site but The New School doesn’t seem to give out much merit money, unless you apply separately for some of their special scholarships. It was the most expensive option for my son. Hopefully, your result will be better!

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@PopPrincessPop Just make sure that as a transfer student your D would be eligible to get the scholarships she wants. Because it is possible that when Berklee said that she should defer and re-apply for the scholarship, they meant defer, take a gap year, and re-apply for the scholarship as an incoming freshman student. Once she takes classes elsewhere, she is applying as a transfer student, which often changes things!

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Good point @uskoolfish ! Also, FYI @PopPrincessPop Berklee will not accept any Music credits. Your daughter can test out of some classes but Music credits WILL NOT TRANSFER. Good luck!

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@PopPrincessPop, my son has really enjoyed Hartt. He’s in the jazz/music business program, but most of the kids have bands. He is in a couple of bands outside of school so he is involved in commercial music as well.

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The plot thickens, she got her Loyola aid package and it pretty compelling. They’ve offered her a 3/4 package and are about $10K away from Memphis. She’s gone back and told Loyola about her Memphis offer and is hoping to hear back soon.

As for Berklee, it was a nice exercise to explore options but none of them work. She did hear back from The New School and got in, they offered her a 1/4 aid package which isn’t enough but nice to know she got in.

At this point she really wants Loyola a lot more and its risen to #1 so the question is if they can counter and close the gap.

At this point its between Loyola and Memphis with potentially a dark horse if CU Denver immediately offers a full package after her audition there.

So proud of her for having so many wonderful choices and being in a great position to negotiate the best offer!

@electricbassmom great to hear that you son is enjoying Hartt!

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After a long journey my D has decided to attend the University of Memphis!!!

She spoke with Loyola who told her they couldn’t offer any more money. While I was willing to go to bat for her for that option, she decided on her own that Memphis was the smart choice and taking the scholarship offer along with the ability to attend without taking out loans was the wisest decision. She also feels that she’ll have more performance opportunities in Memphis…and sooner!

While she’ll have to warm up to the city itself, she’s reassured by the vibrant campus life and activities and has a promising potential roommate who she connected with on the University portal that shares many of her same interests. She’s also hoping to get into the brand new dorm that was just completed this year. The Music School is also building a brand new facility that’s scheduled to be completed during her sophomore year.

She does plan to defer her Berklee admission as a back up just in case she “hates it” at Memphis…but I’m confident she’ll love it there and will be in a great environment. She’ll be a Contemporary Vocal Performance major and will have many required Music Business and Music Industry classes!

So…in a very fitting way she we found a program that exactly fits this thread “Contemporary Vocal Performance AND Music Business”!!!

Thanks to EVERYONE for your advice and guidance!!! We couldn’t have gotten here without this CC community and the outstanding commentary and suggestions!

When I started this thread I knew nothing about college music programs, what to look for or which schools to consider. While we’ve reached the end of this part of the journey, its an exciting start to a whole new one!

I’m super proud of my PopPrincess and look forward to her future at the University of Memphis!!! Go Tigers!!!

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Congratulations! It sounds like your D has a great head on her shoulders, and I’m sure she’ll come to love it at Memphis. It sounds like a great fit for performance and academics, and she’s sure to get to know cool neighborhoods and hot spots in the city proper once she’s there. (Isn’t Memphis supposed to have a cool emerging arts scene?) Best of luck to both of you!

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Congrats @PopPrincessPop!

I just found this thread as my D is a year behind … but with some similar questions. So though I may start a new thread, I’m putting this here b/c I’m hoping those involved in this one may have some good advice. Apologies in advance for the book.

My D (current HS junior) is starting the college search and we’re realizing it’s going to be a challenge figuring out how to prioritize. She’s classically trained in voice and piano for years, and wants to continue though unsure if she’ll make those parts of music a career, so leaning away from conservatories. She’s also been a singer/songwriter/performer with voice/piano/guitar since she was 10, loves performing, produced her own albums, and is seriously considering the more contemporary/pop route. She’s also however entirely in love with MT and wants to be somewhere she can pursue MT (she and her sisters have been all Hamilton, all the time, for months … guess I shouldn’t complain!)

We’re very much an LAC family so the lists have started there, but we’re realizing quickly that outside conservatories, most LAC music departments (even at top tier schools that have resources) can’t hold a candle to Luther College, right here in Decorah Iowa where we live. D and I recently did a college visit loop on a trip out east that included Wesleyan, Bard, Berklee, and Vassar, with more cursory swing by Barnard/Columbia and NYU. She ate up Berklee, wasn’t interested in Bard/Wesleyan, lukewarm on Vassar, and did not want to leave NYC.

So our thinking is quickly moving beyond the LAC universe. She realizes she’s not going to “do it all”, and she understands the value of being able to explore options in arts and academics at LACs, and that if she does move towards a career in performing arts she’ll need to focus. But she’s quite strong academically (nothing may be out of reach) and may find serious interest in humanities or social sciences as well. Cost does matter, which ironically we’re finding can lead to a focus on expensive top-tier academic schools which are also very generous with aid.

So my general question: advice on how to help her think about the college search, whether to try and focus on one aspect of performing arts now and focus the search there (eg classical music v contemporary music v MT), or just try to find a place fairly strong in all and explore and then possibly pursue an MFA later? More specific question, suggestions of schools in (probably) more urban settings that could offer “some of everything” in performing arts AND strong academics and financial aid? We’re not ruling out Berklee, but also thinking about places like Northwestern, University of Michigan, Brown/Yale (of the ivies they seem most pertinent), maybe Barnard/Columbia. Big challenge is that a chunk of that universe of schools that might “have it all” are public universities and out-of-state costs may be out of reach.

Thanks ahead for advice, feedback