Getting into Frost.

College Majors Music Major
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<p>Hello, my name is Jorge.</p>

<p>I am a guitarist, with a desire to become a music teacher. I would like to major in music education. At the Frost School of Music in the University of Miami. You may ask why, well, it's a very good school, I've heard (I'm sure you will agree), and it's literally 20 minutes from my house. </p>

<p>I am a guitarist. Not a classical guitarist. Not completely. But I know a lot. I would say I'm a really good contemporary guitarist (considering the fact I begun playing a year ago). Frost has a classical guitar performance program but I'd rather go for music education.</p>

<p>Here's the problem: I've never had a formal guitar lesson. Also, I've noticed most music majors (at least in prestigious schools) have received private lessons. Which I cannot afford.</p>

<p>My high school has 4 levels of guitar. Note, I just finished freshmen year. And I did not take Guitar I (I took Piano I). I'm taking Guitar I next year. And I plan on getting close with the guitar teacher, a PhD holder who went to FSU and then Frost for graduate school. So I'm guessing he's pretty good. I am also taking Chorus I, which is also taught by the guitar teacher.</p>

<p>But anyways, I'm hoping he'll allow me to take Guitar II and III at the same time. See, I had a lot of friends in various levels of guitar last year. I learned two things: the teacher's curriculum does not change, and what his midterm/final is for Guitar II.</p>

<p>The midterm for Guitar II is Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin. The final is Carcassi's 7th study. I mastered them both. With proper technique. Honest. </p>

<p>Incidentally the audition requirements for classical guitar in Frost are six songs; three of Carcassi's 25 studies, on work from Sor, one from Bach, and one from Sagreras (book 4).</p>

<p>And I hope to discuss these desires with the teacher, maybe he'll help. I don't know.</p>

<p>But enough rambling... </p>

<p>What can you recommend that I do to further increase my chances to get into Frost?</p>

<p>Also I know your GPA matters. I finished freshmen year with a 3.6 unweighted, and a 4.0 weighted (approximately). </p>

<p>And I play bass guitar every Friday and Sunday at my church, and I will continue to do so for a LONG time (trust me). That's musically-extracurricular, right?</p>

<p>Thanks for the time. </p>

<p>God bless.</p>

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<p>I don’t know anything about Frost or guitar, but I do no that job openings for public school guitar or piano teachers would be rare. Public schools do not normally teach those subjects, and the Music Ed degree primarally is targeted at getting a job teaching in public school.</p>

<p>I’m not saying that you can’t do it, I am just sayig that if you are only looking to teach guitar, most likely you will end up doing it in a home setting or a music store setting, and I don’t know if you can justify the cost of college for that. I suspect that you go to a very high end private school, but there are not very many job openings at those types of schools because they are so rare.</p>

<p>At my sons college, music ed majors are expected to be profecent on either ALL string instruments, or ALL wind instruments or ALL percusion instruments, or in piano AND voice.</p>

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<p>Honestly, don’t worry about me and “career opportunities.” And don’t worry about the college’s cost. I’ve got a plan, and the cost is taken care of. Trust me. And even if it wasn’t taken care of, I believe I could easily get a scholarship. And you’re wrong, I go to a very poor, public high school. </p>

<p>Interesting thing about the necessity to be proficient in all string instruments, I didn’t know that. As far as I know, for Frost at least, I’m pretty sure it’s not necessary to achieve such proficiency for music education. </p>

<p>But thanks for the input, I appreciate it.</p>

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<p>

[quote]
At my sons college, music ed majors are expected to be profecent on either ALL string instruments, or ALL wind instruments or ALL percusion instruments, or in piano AND voice.[/unquote]</p>

<p>

[quote]
Interesting thing about the necessity to be proficient in all string instruments, I didn’t know that. As far as I know, for Frost at least, I’m pretty sure it’s not necessary to achieve such proficiency for music education. [unquote]</p>

<p>I may be mistaken, but I think you two may be talking about 2 different things:</p>

<p>the proficiency of the applicant to college
vs
the proficiency of the college student in the music ed program, to graduate with a BM in Music Ed</p>

<p>Also, Jorge626, since you are so close to Frost geographically, have you considered going there during the school year? Schedule a meeting, and discuss in advance what you need to do to “further increase my chances to get into Frost”</p>

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<p>Jorge626, sorry if I assumed wrong. I’ve just never heard of a public school offering piano or guitar. Of course I have also see a heck of a lot of CC posters discussing their hs music theory classes, thats also pretty much unheard of in my area. I guess it’s different everywhere.</p>

<p>Around here, public schools just offer band (marching and concert), string orchistra, and chorus. At all of the colleges we researched, the music ed degree was targeted towards one of those three areas. Frost was not one of the programs that we looked into, so you may be correct. </p>

<p>At my son’s college, they have a basic music curriculum that all music students take, regardless of specialty. They there are more specialized classes for each specialty (like performance or education or theory or composition or history), and then a few sub-specialties (like for music ed they have orchistra, band, and chorus). At his college, music ed band students take 7 semesters of applied music classes on their primary instrument, two or three semesters of piano, and then one semester of group classes for each individual instrument ( something like 5 or six different wind instruments is the minimum), plus a “teaching” class for general woodwinds, another for general brass instruments, and another for percussion. In total, music ed - band students are expected to be proficient on piano, all percusion instruments, and several brass and several woodwind instruments - in addition to their primary instrument (which I assume can be anything). But thats all because most music ed students are looking to be band or orchistra or choral directors.</p>

<p>The colleges we looked into had seperate “piano pedagogy” degrees, which I assume are basically music ed programs, but there just not called “music ed”. The piano pedogogy degree at my sons college is not aimed at certifying the student to teach in public school. I would think that what you are really looking for would be more like a “guitar pedagogy” program, but with a curriculum which would lead to a teacher certification.</p>

<p>Update: I just peeked at the music ed curriculum at Frost, I didn’t see that you had to take classes in bunch of different instruments (other than your primary instrument and piano), but it still appears that the program is mostly geared towards band/chorus/orchistra (as opposed to single instruments), requiring classes such as “MED 340 Marching Band Fundamentals or MIP 549 String Repertoire and Pedagogy”, and “MTC 418 Orchestration or MTC 515 Choral Arranging”, “Conducting I and II”, etc.</p>

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<p>Ya, that to, but I was more concerned with the practical application of a Music Ed degree to the OP’s professional goal, which I assumed to be to just teach guitar. I felt like his assumption was that just teaching one specific instrument in grade schools was the norm (and he has apparent experianced that), while it’s been my observation that it’s not “normal” at all, nor is that the intent of the typical Music Ed program. </p>

<p>Regardless, there are obviously some schools that do have single instrument teachers, and most likely some college will have a program that fills the OP’s educational need. I looked at the curriculum for Frost, it may or may not meet the OP’s needs. </p>

<p>Your suggestion for him to visit Frost is excellent.</p>

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<p>Just to add clarification about high school guitar programs: The guitar program at my sons’ large suburban public high school is extremely popular, and the school has a full-time teacher who teaches nothing but guitar classes.</p>