I sent an email to the Choate music director a while ago with a link to a piano recording and he replied yesterday.
He wrote:
MODERATOR’S NOTE: Post edited to remove email text, as it is not allowed per forum rules.
Does this mean anything good? Or is it a bad sign?
Really don’t know how to read between the lines anyhow so thank you!
I don’t think it’s appropriate to be copy-pasting emails from a school that were personally for YOU, onto a public Internet forum.
It’s just a courteous reply, @Totorocinnamon03. Don’t read anything into it as there is nothing to read. It is not a sign of anything.
Agree with @ChoatieMom He probably does want a musician like you on campus. If you’ll notice, he’s touting the assets of their music program more than anything else. DS received numerous such emails regarding hockey, XC and music programs as well. The most agressive of the schools in doing so was one of his 2 rejections. The school that did this the least was the acceptance with FA. Don’t read anything into it.
I agree with the above. I would not read too much into it other than you are on his radar which is a good thing. Some exceptional musicians have a separate interview with and performance for the music director and performing well in that can amount to a hook, I think, along the same lines that an impact athlete might have. If your child is at that level then you can always reach out to your admissions officer to see if one can be arranged. Piano is highly competitive.
My student had submitted a tape to all her schools. She was a first chair at a well known music school in the Boston area. But it seems the music directors have a read on what they need and who they are going after. It didn’t make a difference in her apps. No music director reached out to her. In the end, she didn’t end up in the BS orchestra she attended, because it was a time consuming activity and she decided to put her energies elsewhere.