<p>I was originally going to audition for music ed as a vocal major, but my teacher pointed out that I am more comfortable on piano than I am voice, which means I should audition on piano (I've been mostly looking at Slippery Rock University). I agree that I am more comfortable, however, I feel as I may not be able to perfect my repertoire before audition time.
My main point is that, if possible, should I just do my first year at my local community college and get my basics done while still trying to take piano lessons, or would that make things more difficult?</p>
<p>Check directly with Slippery Rock and see what will and will not transfer from the particular CC that you will attend. For example many schools will take music theory as a general ed. transferable credit, but it will not count towards their specific music theory sequence. And it is also difficult to transfer individual music performance credits. That being said, some colleges have agreements with specific CC programs.</p>
<p>I have a relative who started out at a CC before going for her piano performance degree. So it’s definitely doable. I agree with musica that you should check to see what will and won’t transfer.</p>
<p>Back in the dark ages, I went to a Community College in music ed and transferred to a University School of Music as a sophomore. I had to take placement tests in Theory, Piano and History before I could be placed in sophomore level classes. So, depending on the policies of Slippery Rock, you might have to test in to make sure your CC classes were comparable. I remember my theory teacher at the CC constantly telling us that it was his goal that we be able to pass those placements and transfer as sophomores…</p>
<p>A couple of things…</p>
<p>I was a volunteer for jazz festival and was a driver for some artists. I drove one very well known instrumentalist, who still tours after retiring from an academic position at a major conservatory. I asked, “Do you have any advice for parent of a young jazz musician that wants to go to be music major in college?” </p>
<p>Pretty open ended, huh? This was his response. Out of all the things he could say, he said this:</p>
<p>“The first two years at all the conservatories are basically the same. Music theory, ear training, harmony, music history, etc etc. I would spend the first two years somewhere local and cheap, and then go to one of the expensive conservatories.”</p>
<p>Kind of shocking to me that he wasn’t selling me on his old school from the git go. </p>
<p>Some of the other posters speak to the practicalities of that strategy. </p>
<p>Some college music programs give transfer credit for general ed but not music courses. You may only get some non-descript music elective credit that isn’t worth much. However, I know of some conservatory students that take general ed courses (like English and history) at the local cc during the summer to really save time and money at the conservatory.</p>
<p>Some schools let you test out of just about anything. Some don’t. Some want all their students to be on the same page when it comes to music theory, etc., so testing out is not offered. I have heard of students testing out of so much at Berklee or New School that they finished in 2.5 or 3 years, or simply had a year or two to gig in town and not need to work very hard in their college courses during those years. If they were on scholarship anyway, why not? </p>
<p>State schools tend to have well defined articulation (I think that is the common buzzword for it) of credit between that state’s community colleges and the state school. So you should be able to find documentation of at either the cc or the state school. I expect the cc guidance office or cc department office would have it handy, since that is a key selling point for attending a cc in the first place. </p>
<p>I am in California so I am more familiar with its system. California has a system of UC’s - University of California at_<strong><em>, and CSU’s - California State University at _</em></strong>_____, and Community Colleges. The policies may vary between UCs, CSUs but I expect the policies for transfer credit to be well defined and available. Likewise credit for AP courses should be well defined but may vary.</p>
<p>Another point. I know of students that auditioned out of high school and may have gotten accepted at a school they wanted to but didn’t get much in the way of merit scholarship money. Taking a year or two in community college to work on your chops, and re-auditioning can take you from the 1k-10k range in scholarship to the $20-30k range in scholarship. I have seen it happen. Plus, in the case of big programs like Berklee, coming into the school with a big scholarship means the school really wants you. You can expect some support getting into top ensembles and featured events. It doesn’t mean that you can’t just show up and blow them away once you get there, but being one of the many and expecting to catch up during your time there is difficult. There are just too many talented students arriving. </p>
<p>Another thing is that the grind of high school schedules these days with all of the AP classes and after school activities like marching band, musical theater, jazz band, etc. leaves students sleep deprived and scrambling. Taking a gap year, or taking a year at a cc, and taking a lot of courses in your major can only help you focus and be prepared to do your best work at the audition. We have seen voice students in the midst of AP classes, musical theater productions and jazz choir festival season, then traveling to on-site auditions around the country in Jan, Feb and March, and just get sick and blow the audition. In some cases they didn’t get accepted, let alone get a scholarship. </p>
<p>I know of parents that have told that in the year their student took at a local cc they matured greatly, much more serious and focused, whereas going to college right after high school would have been a waste of money. </p>
<p>So, I would say that taking a gap or some time at a cc could be a wise decision for some students.</p>
<p>On the other hand, being a transfer student can cause some surprising issues. My D had lots of cc credit by the time she finished high school. Various programs with community music ensembles (youth choirs and youth musical theater) give cc credit for their participation. Not worth much - just general ensemble course credit - but she had years of it since she was 8 years old. We even enrolled her in some special vocal jazz courses (her specialty) when she was about 12 or 13 with a local legend in the college jazz scene. The registrar at the CC finally caught up with us after a few years and told us she couldn’t take any more until she was like 16 or 17, or a junior or senior in high school - I can’t remember the exact language. It had everything to do with the state budget crisis and cc classes being subsidized by the state and so the cc’s began enforcing policies to actually reduce enrollment. She did take a gap year after high school and I told her to take an online French class to keep he foreign language up - but that was the only cc course taken post high school. </p>
<p>Well…</p>
<p>Some schools called her a transfer student, some called her a freshman. Some called her a freshman after I sent an email explaining the situation. Being a transfer student may make you ineligible for the honors college. Some school and outside scholarship funds are only eligible for incoming freshman (not transfers). The CSUs are in the midst of the California budget crisis and sent my D a letter saying, sorry we are not taking any lower division transfers at all. What? Scary language. Once they see cc credit, and you are kind of legally obligated to report and send transcripts from all secondary schools and colleges or face expulsion for academic fraud (more scary language), a box gets checked that may have major ramifications. And getting that boxed unchecked may be a serious negotiation. Some lower level admissions person has to take your letter of explanation to a meeting and plead your case. In the end, most things could be fixed, except the outside scholarship programs. For some the cc credit while in high school or earlier didn’t matter, but that one online French course after high school was the issue. So watch out for that.</p>
<p>So…</p>
<p>The credit for music courses may not be worth very much. The extra skills and experience may be worth a whole lot.</p>
<p>General ed course credit may be a safe bet and save you time and money later.</p>
<p>Be careful of the bureaucratic issues of being a freshman vs a transfer student. Difficult to find these rules anywhere until it is too late. Be ready to negotiate.</p>