<p>S (piano) has very little typical community service yet. One of his most time-consuming activities is accompanying vocalists in his high school who are preparing for auditions and competitions. He does this completely on a volunteer basis. The vocal teacher is hugely dependent on him. If he were volunteering as an after-school math tutor, it would certainly count as service. Is it reasonable to list his accompanying activities as service?</p>
<p>All of my d's community service hours came from music one way or another. I would say accompanying would definately it count as long as he is not getting paid.</p>
<p>My daughter used some music activities (cantor at church, for example) as volunteer/community service activities. Considering the time spent as well as the PREP time, it surely counts in my mind. He might consider asking this teacher to write a letter of recommendation for him where he/she could elaborate on his skill, time, good attitude and how much your son has contributed to the teachers program!</p>
<p>Yes - definitely - 80% of my son's 60 cs hours were musical (performances out in the community - group and solo). He has done well in his college app. process, so I guess it went over well enough.</p>
<p>Thanks! We didn't know if we should redirect some of his energy towards a more typical volunteer activity. I guess the group's wisdom is to leave him be for now. He loves the social scene of accompanying vocalists, and the challenges of sight reading, and he gets huge social recognition for doing this. Not to mention all the girls doting on him and begging for his time... ;)</p>
<p>It's a really, really great thing to do! Antonio Pappano, now the music director at Covent Gardens, started out accompanying for his father (a voice teacher in CT) in his private studio. He never went to music school. From High School, he got a job at the NY City Opera as a repetiteur (piano accompanist to singers) and started to do some assistant conducting. He caught the eye of Barenboim who took him to Germany as his assistant and the rest is history. He was still under 40 when he was appointed to Covent Gardens. So you never know where this might lead for your son!</p>
<p>catbird- what more could a young man ask for?!(re: post #5)</p>
<p>Menanngful community service such as volunteer accompaniast that is also in their passion is more imprtant than a scatter shot of odds and ends. Just make sure he can express it's importance to his community.</p>
<p>Nearly everything on my S's application had something to do with music, and he had very little by way of "volunteer" anything. He had the typical musician kid's packed schedule. He spent one afternoon a week helping the middle school band teacher (coaching the small group of horns in a back room each week.) He was required to do some time-waster volunteer activities for Beta Club, but other than that, he didn't have much of anything. No one cared.</p>
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<li>100 to all previous posters. Same here: musical daughter, all her activities are either a volounteering musician ... or paid musician. ;) All essays - about love of music and music-related activities. The most stellar "additional' recommendation - from the choir teacher. Being in a school club called "Music for Community" also helps.</li>
</ul>
<p>So far, colleges seem to want her. ;) Well ... most of them. :)</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone! Singersmom, I love how you put it. Stringfollies, I looked up Pappano--what a great story. </p>
<p>I assumed that "real" community service should be self-effacing if not downright alien to the student's normal activities, so I'm glad I asked. I guess S is actually in good shape service-wise, for a sophomore. He's having the time of his life with all the girls depending on him, and I will hereby encourage him to do even more accompanying. :D</p>
<p>My kids have all volunteered to be in "outreach" ensembles, that play in nursing homes a few times a year. They started doing this before they had CS requirements, just so they could play more music. I can guarantee you that "community service" had nothing to do with it - at least initially.</p>
<p>This week our local newspaper had a picture of S2 playing his cello at an eldercare day center in the section entitled "Senior Focus." It is not a section I normally read, and had not someone called to say they were saving the picture for me, I would never have known about it. The picture showed him from the perspective of someone attending the concert, through a walker!</p>
<p>My son had no "typical" community service hours either, and also had everything related to accompaniment, volunteer teaching, service band stuff, etc. </p>
<p>Seems not to have hurt his admissions results in the slightest! :)</p>
<p>On the contrary,Allmusic. I have the impression that my son's fixation on his musical life throughout his high school years actually helped him a lot with the non-music schools he applied to -- it showed the degree of passion and commitment that he has to his music life and the schools seemed to warm to it. He was accepted by every academic school he applied to and several of them were stretches given his GPA (which was not as stellar as it would have been had he not been practising 2-3 hours a day) and unprepared board scores.</p>
<p>S is accompanying 15 vocalists on their NYSSMA solos this weekend. He's been working with them daily, and even got excused from classes to rehearse. From his perspective it's pure fun, so it's nice to know this will count as a service activity.</p>
<p>My D's community service will primarily be her time spent as a church cantor and choir member as well as her volunteer work with music therapists at the county geriatric center. Since therapy is one career option she's strongly considering, the last one can have a lot of value in her life.</p>
<p>Wow, catbird! My D is only accompanying for a few!</p>
<p>catbird- I do agree with the others that accompanying for free is indeed a community service EC.</p>
<p>But given the amount your son is doing just for the NYSSMA alone I want you to consider that he may be doing himself a bit of a disservice.</p>
<p>If he is that highly sought after, he must be good. And if he's good, his time and talent are worth something monetarily.</p>
<p>Don't get me wrong here. He's learning, building skills, making others happy and helping. But the prep, and travel time, transportation in arranging rehearsals, run throughs and performances must take an inordinate amount of coordination and organizing. Make sure his own workload is not suffering.</p>
<p>Plus, I have seen school teachers, faith based music directors take advantage of a student's willingness to help and go far more than a step beyond just because of their age.</p>
<p>I'm not suggesting NOT doing certain school or faith based playing accompanying on a gratis basis. Playing at community centers, church services, high school functions is part of the joy of being a musician.</p>
<p>But for performances and services where the norm is to pay for a professionally rendered talent or skill, it is only right to be compensated.</p>
<p>Consider that if son was not willing and available, these 15 NYSSMA performers would in all probability have to pay an instructor, undergrad, grad student or freelancer for their time as an accompianist.</p>
<p>I'd suggest that he might consider asking a set or hourly fee for his time. It can be small, and in line for what is the norm for your area. He might trade for lunch or dinner, or quid pro quo if he needs a vocalist. He may offer special deals to certain friends. I'd also wait to implement this either over the summer, or beginning next school year. No need to change horses midstream.</p>
<p>But it does a number of things:</p>
<p>-he begins to see this as a business, and learns hows to market, present his talents, negotiate.</p>
<p>-he begins to establish himself as a professional (in his mind as well as others).</p>
<p>-it may begin to lead to other gigs.</p>
<p>-it may well position him to have a leg up and a system and mindset already in place when he hits undergrad.</p>
<p>Just my $.02.</p>
<p>Thoughtful comments, violadad. It can get overwhelming, and parental units occasionally fret about homework, piano practice, chores, and sleep that get crowded out by the accompanying. :rolleyes: </p>
<p>The NYSSMA rehearsals are at school so no extra travel. Our district encourages high participation, including needy students who don't study privately and could never hire an accompanist. If S and a couple other students and teachers didn't volunteer, many fewer students could do solos. </p>
<p>There--I just answered my own question about whether accompanying counts as service. :)</p>
<p>I agree that next fall is a good time for S to make his "professional" availability known in the community, and start raising $$$$ for 2009 summer music camp.</p>