Flute School Predicament

College Majors Music Major
1

<p>Hi everyone! I have been playing flute for 8 years and am a senior in high school. I have been researching flute schools and have come up with a final list which I could use some opinions on. The schools I am considering are:</p>

<p>Carnegie Mellon U. - Baxtresser
U. of Michigan - Amy Porter
Rowan University - Adeline Tomasone (she also teaches at Temple but I heard from several people Temple's surrounding area isn't very safe)
Rutgers - Bart Feller (does he teach undergrad?)
Indiana University- (heard the flute teacher isn't happy with the school location and is only at the school 2 days a week?)
NYU
Oberlin Conservatory (a little too far from the east coast... and there isnt much to do off the school campus)</p>

<p>Maybes (and yes I know they're competitive, not sure if I want to go to them for undergrad studies)
Juilliard School of Music
Manhattan School of Music</p>

<pre><code> My greatest question is for undergrad studies, does the school itself matter that much as opposed to the flute teacher? I'm curious about this because personally I love Rowan University as well as its flute teacher but I know Rowan isn't one of the greatest "music schools". I can see myself attending Rowan (academic and musically I qualify for a LOT of financial aid and could possibly attain a full or near-full ride) and the flute professor Dr. Tomasone is fantastic! I know she can get me where I need to be as a flutist. Also another factor is I still wish to attain voice lessons in college (I have been singing for 11 years) and I know at Rowan I would still be able to continue my voice studies as a secondary study.

I'm just concerned whether having a bachelors in music performance from Rowan will give me some sort of disadvantage when juxtaposed to someone with a degree from perhaps Indiana U or NYU. I personally know the flute professor at Rowan and have studied with her privately so I know she would be a great flute teacher. I'm just curious whether having the name of Rowan associated with me could hurt my career. (and by no means am I bashing Rowan U., its just known to be more of an engineering school than anything else). Also, at Rowan I could possibly double major in music performance/edu; gaining teaching certification could essentially save me financially in the future.

I would greatly appreciate any advice from anyone who could comment on Rowan's music department and my "school vs. teacher" predicament.
</code></pre>

<p>Thank you!</p>

<p>P.S. Here is my main repertoire list to provide you all with an idea of my playing level:</p>

<p>-J.S. Bach
Partita in A Minor
Sonata in Eb Major
-E. Burton, Sonatina
-H. Busser, Prelude et Scherzo
-C. Chaminade, Concertino
-C. Debussy, Syrinx (P)
-G. Enesco, Cantabile et Presto
-G. Faure, Fantasie
-L. Ganne, Andante et Scherzo
-P. Gaubert, Nocturne et Allegro Scherzando
-G. Handel
Sonata in G Major
Sonata in F Major
-P. Hindemith, Sonata
-A. Mozart
Concerto in D Major
Concerto in G Major
-G. Telemann
Fantasia No.1,2,3</p>

<p>PPS</p>

<p>Here is my general academic profile as well:
GPA: (weighted) 4.5 (unweighted) 3.9
Class rank: top 5%
ACT scores: Composite 30<br>
English 35
Math 30
Reading 27 (a little low but I did get a 5 on my AP Lang exam)
Science 27</p>

2

<p>The people who can really help you with this are at the Music Majors sub-forum inside the College Majors Forum. You can find it by clicking on “Discussion Home” in the upper-left of this screen and scrolling down. Here is a direct link for you:</p>

<p>[Music</a> Major - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/]Music”>Music Major - College Confidential Forums)</p>

3

<p>I’ve moved this thread there for you.</p>

4

<p>Your list looks pretty complete; I don’t know anything about Rowan so I can’t comment on that. My understanding is that you are right about Bart Feller not taking undergrads. Also, I believe that Baxtresser is still on sabatical and isn’t taking new students.</p>

<p>I strongly beleive that the teacher, and your relationship with them is everything; so if you are happy with the teacher at Rowan, in the very least, you should certainly apply there.</p>

<p>Just a note…you do know that prescreens and applications are due by December 1st to many of the schools on your list?</p>

5

<p>If you are wanting a career in performance, then you will probably do a graduate degree. Your admissions chances for a graduate program in performance are based on how well you play and not on the school you attended. If you audition for an orchestral position, the orchestra cares only about how you play; what school you attended or whether you went to school is entirely irrelelvant.</p>

<p>If you want to teach flute privately, then some prospective students and their parents might be impressed by a Juilliard pedigree, but most either won’t know or won’t care. Ultimately the success of a private studio is more dependent on your skills as a teacher and as a marketer. </p>

<p>The big advantage of the name-brand school is that it usually has a very strong group of peers. An excellent teacher at a no-name school may have a good studio, but if you are to develop as a player, you need to have good musicians on all instruments around you. Playing in an excellent orchestra will help/force you to grow a lot more than playing in a mediocre or poor orchestra or band. Being in a chamber ensemble with musicians better than or at least as good as yourself will stretch you. So much of music is acquired through osmosis rather than by direct teaching. At most good schools you will spend about 10 hours per week in rehearsal with orchestra/band/chamber ensemble–do you want to be hearing out-of-tune grotesque trumpet sounds for that 10 hours, or do you want to be inspired by the music those around you make for that 10 hours? </p>

<p>So yes, the teacher is generally more important than the school’s name (i.e. good teacher at mediocre school beats lousy teacher at good school most days of the week for undergrad), but the peer group is also very, very important.</p>

6

<p>HI flute1298,</p>

<p>I know prescreening recordings are due by Dec 1. Thankfully all most schools essentially share the same recording requirements so Im almost done recording. I’ll just be sending the same CD to each school most likely (even though it will exceed requirements at some schools).</p>

7

<p>and thank you Chedva for moving this thread for me =]</p>

<p>Its good to hear from someone else that the teacher is more important than the school. I understand the need to play in good ensembles as well (I’ve heard Rowan’s and they’re decent). As for the possibly bonus of having a degree from a school with a “name”, Im hoping that with the intimate training I would get at Rowan I could attend a more prestigious university/conservatory for my graduate studies; I do not plan on attending Rowan for graduate work.</p>

8

<p>If anyone has some personal information about Rowan’s music department I’d still like to hear it.</p>

9

<p>I should have mentioned: I know nothing of Rowan, so my comments were not directed towards it. </p>

<p>Indiana is huge and has two flute teachers (Lucas and Robertello). I wouldn’t necessarily be concerned that a teacher is only around 2 days of the week. This is fairly common among excellent teachers, especially at the world-class level in instruments like violin; many excellent instructors split their time among two or more schools. </p>

<p>However, some students find that they benefit from a teacher that is available all week and that fits in extra lessons, studio classes, etc… How dependent you will be on your private teacher depends partly on the school’s offerings: will you have weekly chamber coaching from a knowledgeable person? Are there masterclasses on your instrument offered regularly? Does the orchestra/band regularly have sectionals led by a flautist? If the answer to the foregoing is yes, then there is less need to have your private teacher available 24/7.</p>

10

<p>Thanks Violindad, I understand what you mean. I will have to consider other factors beyond who my flute teacher will be after I see what schools I get accepted to I guess.</p>

11

<p>If you can possibly do so, visit Oberlin on an evening when Debost runs his studio class (I think it has been Mondays, but is worth a call to find out). In addition to their usual private lessons, his students take turns playing works in progress for the entire studio in a masterclass format. Sometimes he will put those who are not playing that night on the spot by asking for their impressions of what was just performed before he gives his own. He certainly teaches the art of playing flute, but the rapport that he has with the students and the anecdotes and diversions drawn from a lifetime of professional experience turn these evenings into something more than mere flute lessons.</p>

<p>I think this experience would convince you not to dismiss Oberlin on the basis of location or that there is little to do off-campus. While the latter is a pretty accurate impression, there is a lot to do on campus and some people find the lack of outside distractions an advantage. You would certainly have an excellent teacher, first-rate facilities and very good ensembles there.</p>

12

<p>FYI - as of early October 2010, Debost is on sabbatical for this semester. He’ll work the spring semester, supervise the auditions, and then he is retiring. They don’t know when they’ll have a replacement but it will be someone of “his stature”</p>

13

<p>Thank you, mtpaper, I had not heard that Debost was retiring. It will not be easy to replace what he brought to his students at Oberlin, but it will be very interesting to see who they bring in.</p>

14

<p>It’s true that the teacher is the most important factor. But it’s worth noting that Rowan is /really/ far from the level of the big conservatories. That means you’d lack real stimulation from your colleagues (if indeed you’re of the level to get into Oberlin or Baxtresser’s studio), and it’s hard to grow as an ensemble player when you’re a standout from day one.
Flute is one of the most competitive areas there is. That means you need every advantage possible, starting with a great teacher; if you can combine a great teacher with world-class musical environment, all the better.</p>

15

<p>I don’t think Jeanne Baxtressor teaches undergrads. At some schools like IU it may be almost impossible to get placement in one of the major ensembles as a flute player until your sophomore or perhaps your junior year unless you are very good. You should check into these things specifically at all your schools. You should also check whether being in a specific studio actually gets you the teacher you want or perhaps a grad student for a year or two first.</p>

16

<p>Ditto Fiddlefrog and Violindad. I really caution extremely accomplished players when they are considering lower level music schools, even if there is a good teacher there. I know that finances play a role, of course, but for some students, the full/near full ride at a school with few/no comparable players for ensembles, etc., is simply going to make for a weak undergraduate experience. The students who are challenged by a more competitive pool of players will quickly eclipse those who are the big fish in the small pond. This has many ramifications further down the road.</p>

<p>Balancing everything (high caliber teacher/other students and cost) isn’t always easy, but it has to be considered carefully.</p>

17

<p>Chiming in to agree with others! This is key:

</p>

<p>I also am not sure Temple deserves to be crossed off due to “undesirable area.” Have you visited? (I haven’t. Just wondering. Is it really worse than other big-city schools?)</p>

18

<p>Let me echo what others have said regarding finding the right balance of teacher and peers. With just the right mix, however, one can attend somewhere that people call “less prestigious” but still find high-quality performance opportunities in chamber groups etc. One of the advantages of being a slightly large fish in a slightly small pond (as opposed to a whale in a puddle if you take my meaning) is that the student may be offered performance opportunities (competitions, leadership roles, ensembles, even gigs) much earlier in their college career than might happen in one of those name-brand places. Ultimately, these opportunities, used well, could give you an advantage when applying to a graduate program.</p>

19

<p>Let me give my advice. I am a closeted homosexual and am in a similar situation with my instrument- Cello. I have pretty good grades (29 act) and am in top 10 percentile.
My problem is that while I’m concerned about my future music teacher, I am also concerned about campus life. What schools are going to be a good fit for a liberal gay male? What schools will I find people like myself?
I know flute and cello are worlds different but they are much more similar than say flute and baseball. You have to ask yourself when you wake up each morning- “Will I be happy at ____ school?” And then you will have your answer. </p>

<p>Of the schools you are interested in, I believe that since you have a close relationship with the teacher from Rowan, you should go there. Comfort is more important than a name. At the end of the day, a name is a name but comfort is something that never will leave. And to be honest, a flute teacher DOESNT need some fancy name. Its hard for me too, I know, since I worked hard in school too. The reality is, an uneducated plumber is going to be making much more than you and me some day. Its a tough, unfair world. Also, youll probably get some nice cash from Rowan while even if you by chance get in Carnegie Mellon (not the best reputation music program imo anyway) or Oberlin (many have not heard of it). </p>

<p>Good luck and I hope you have some new ideas based on this!</p>

20

<p>PS: I saw that you are considering NYU. think that NYU would be a bad fit for you and music. Their music program is lackluster and unless you live in NYC or another large city the atmosphere leaves MUCH to be desired. Quite simply the campus isnt that nice. My sister went there and hated it (she too was originally a music major but switched to education because of her terrible experience at the music program). </p>

<p>This may or may not be important to you: Depending on your race, you might feel as if you are a minority at NYU. My sister and I are black, and she felt that her department underrepresented blacks. She felt there were way more asians than whites with maybe one or two blacks for every 200 asians. This did not make or break her experience, but she did find it surprising. She had expectated a larger population of fellow african americans.</p>