We are now into mid-January, and the main audition season is getting underway for our seniors and prospective grad students. My DS has 6 more college auditions in 4 states in 6 weeks, plus 3 concerts and 1-2 local auditions (not for college) during that 6-week window. I feel like we’re at the top of the first hill of a roller coaster looking down at the bumpy ride to come.
Good luck to everyone – I hope you have safe travels, good weather, good health, manageable stress levels and no instrument mishaps or missing luggage! Many thanks to the CC Music Major forum community for helping us get this far.
My son has 6 auditions scheduled between now and March 5, still waiting to hear on the 7th. In addition all-state falls mid-February and is a 4 day event. Plus it’s soccer season for high school meaning a game every Tuesday and Friday evening. Thankfully club soccer season is over!
I’m actually very glad to be so busy, because it will keep us from fretting over outcomes - there won’t be enough time!
Good luck all! I’m always strangely excited for everyone…living vicariously I guess…
I checked in with my D this morning and asked what she was up to today. She reminded me she has an audition (the 3rd in a month). Nothing high stakes so it had slipped my mind. But it never ends.
The next few months will be a time of many emotions … and a time you’ll never forget. Go forth and conquer!
Glad to hear there is another parent living vicariously through other’s posts. Bridgenail I am now completely on the other side. All my peeps have graduated from college and are either in grad school or have completed grad school. But then as a mom we can always find stuff to stress about: DD saying she is job hunting because her boss is leaving. Middle Son fretting about the state of science and post-docs and my baby thinking about finally being without the structure of school and being a working musician on his own.
But I have fond memories of my baby’s college conservatory auditions. We had two fun trips to NYC for auditions (NYU and MSM). The first trip the weather was unusually spring like and I still remember climbing on the rocks in Central Park and seeing daffodils in bloom. The second trip the weather was awful but we had fun anyways and had some good food.
Enjoy this time with your student everyone. Because before you know it they will be off and on their own and you might not see them nearly as much as you would like. My musician is in Panama right now and in addition to being insanely jealous seeing pictures of him without shoes on…I miss him as well.
Yes, sports too. This is the last soccer season, which is bittersweet. We’ve been sitting on the soccer sidelines for 14 years now. We love the sport and we love watching him play. He doesn’t plan on competng beyond the intramural level in college, because there are only so many hours in a day. So this is it. So many lasts!
“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” -Closing Time by Semisonic
I am excited. S says he can’t wait and go play at the auditions. So much time and attention has been spent preparing for them. We have a much easier schedule with no sports or ECs beyond music. Hoping for good driving weather with only 3 confirmed auditions and one still to hear from.
Something interesting is that we decided to head to Miami several days before that audition, right after the Michigan audition because I did not feel like driving back from Michigan, working for a day or two and then starting the two-day drive to Miami to get there a day early. So, we were just going to enjoy a weather-break for a few days. S mentioned our early arrival to the instrumental professor, and the professor offered to put together events/classes that S could visit during out extra time there. At least, if S is offered a spot, he will have a good chance to know what he is choosing. S already got a feel for some of UNT during the summer week-long camp, so we will just spend one extra day there. Michigan will be a fairly quick audition visit, but it is within a reasonable driving distance for a re-visit if there is an offer from there. The Michigan professor mentioned that there will be a chance for everyone to jam after the auditions, so that is wonderful. We do not yet know if there will be an audition invite from Purchase, but their site (see the FAQ) suggests they will notify between Jan 23 to 30.
I hope everyone has a good season. It feels good to type something in the forum once in a while. Compared to last year, I feel like I am hardly typing at all, but there are just no questions that come to mind at this point.
What an exciting time! We were in the throes of this just one year ago. If you are traveling with your student, really enjoy the time you have together. It can be a celebration of all the hard work to get to the audition. Now it’s all about finding the right fit for the student.
Rollercoaster - yes. Stress - yes. But also joy to see your child going for what they love. My daughter is heading back to school today after a month home and she couldn’t be happier. So - one semester in we are feeling like the process worked for her.
@GoForth that sounds like a great way to spend a few days after a long drive! I hope the weather in Miami is great. Try to arrange a main campus tour while you are there if you haven’t already planned one. We enjoyed both the music school and main campus tours when we visited, though DS decided not to apply there.
We only have one long drive to do (2 school combo) and upstate NY weather likely will not be nearly so nice.
@BassTheatreMom yeah those “lasts” that come with regularity during senior year will get you every time.
Thanks for the good wishes, experienced music major parents! I am sure I will continue to hang around here in the coming years because I won’t be able to stay away and because I’d like to pay it forward after learning so much here.
I’m joining in to wish everyone good luck and safe travels! Looking ahead the weather in the upper midwest is going to be unusually warm for the next week and a half or so, hopefully that translates into safe conditions!
My S has been through the process of auditions twice now and is in his first year of a masters program. When he is home for the holidays he was talking about starting to get ready for professional auditions! Can’t believe he’s almost at that stage, goes so fast. Enjoy the time spent with your children, I am very nostalgic for that time.
My S has a bunch of auditions for grad school literally all over the country, mostly in Feb and March (two of the schools still have not released their pre screen results yet). Some of them are working out nicely, ie the two west coast schools are literally days apart, so easier to go, others may be a hassle. The hustle and bustle hasn’t changed much, he also has auditions for summer programs and applications, keeping him busy:)