<p>Hello, I am a junior in high school who plans to major in oboe performance. I am still searching for schools. The schools that I am considering apply to are IU Bloomington, UW Madison, University of Michigan, UC Boulder, Arizona State, and Lawrence University. I do not know much about the music programs at UC Boulder or Arizona State... does anyone have any information about their reputations? I also am kind of considering University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, but I don't know enough about their music school either.
I am looking for more suggestions that are ATTAINABLE for me. I don't want to go to Juilliard or Eastman or anything like that (for undergrad). Any suggestions?</p>
<p>If you are open to the Northeast, the oboe studio at Potsdam’s Crane School of Music is a tight group with a young teacher, Anna Hendrickson.</p>
<p>My daughter is an oboist and a soprano. (Loves to sing, but loves the oboe more.) She is currently an sophomore, music ed major at our state school. She loves the school, the program and her oboe professor. It is a great fit for her.</p>
<p>I do not know anything about the music programs at the schools you mentioned, no less their oboe professors, but I suggest you go visit the schools and see what you think. Go to a couple concerts, if you can. Meet some faculty and some of the students. You should arrange a sample lesson with the oboe professor of any school you are seriously considering. You should also read the bios of the oboe professors at the schools you are considering. </p>
<p>Time for you to start doing some more serious research. Good luck!!!</p>
<p>Hi, OboeSoprano. </p>
<p>As an incoming oboe major myself (in my senior year of high school), I think you have a spectacular list of prospective schools. While I can’t speak personally to the programs at either UC Boulder or ASU, I’ve heard excellent things. I have one friend, also an oboist, who found UC Boulder to be an excellent school and program, and is applying this year. As for ASU, I know that Martin Schuring teaches there, and I’ve heard spectacular things about him and his studio! Of your list, I would say that the best performance programs are at IU and Michigan. Professors Strommen and King, respectively, are fantastic teachers and human beings. Ultimately, the choice will be yours. Good luck, and have fun!</p>
<p>At our local university, UW-Madison, Marc Fink is retiring and they have hired an interim who is recent PhD with no definite schedule for permanent replacement. The music school here is pretty good for music ed. I hear. My oboist D just accepted to ASU studio for next year and it was love at first sight, though I had trouble getting her to even look at the school initially. “I don’t want to live in the desert!” Martin Schuring is amazing. The honors college Barrett is just wow, weather fantastic. They are trying something a bit unconventional with their ensembles and assignments, not sure how well it’s working out. Just auditioned at Michigan also. Nancy King is super. Michigan is pretty competitive. You have to visit these places like someone said. D also checked out Twin Cities. They had 2 oboe profs, one of whom just retired. John Snow is the other. They have recently added a performance emphasis BA to list of majors. She also loves John Dee at UIUC, who accepted her. They have a terrific program. You should ask to sit in on studio classes when you go for lessons so you can meet other students, and visit orchestra/ band rehearsals, maybe attend concerts if possible. PM me if you want to hear more once your reach 15 posts, too much to say.</p>
<p>My kid (flute) is in the process of auditioning at nine schools, three of which are on your list. A big thumbs up on Boulder. Please note that Boulder is over 5000 ft above sea level and as a wind player, whether you visit (highly suggested) or audition it is best to get there at least a day before to adjust to altitude. Good Luck!</p>
<p>Hi OboeSoprano,
I graduated from IU with a BM in Oboe and absolutely loved it! The one thing is, Indiana, and also Michigan, are practically conservatories in university form. If you mention those schools, then you saying that Juilliard and Eastman are unattainable is not necessarily true. After my Bachelor’s I went to Mannes for my Masters to study with Elaine Douvas and several of my classmates went on to other big oboe schools like NEC and CIM. If you want to study with any of the people who teach at the schools you mentioned, I would recommend going to visit and taking a lesson so you can get a feel for how they teach and if your personalities will mesh. Especially for the very competitive schools, in many cases, knowing the teacher is absolutely important. I’m sure that if Linda Strommen at IU has the time, she would be happy to give you a lesson. Also, feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions about the process that I went through, the hard work pursuing a music career, as well as more names of some of the top oboe teachers.</p>
<p>Hi OboeSoprano! I have a good friend who is looking at grad programs, and applied to several schools, including U of M (for her grad program) and Lawrence (for undergrad). The oboe professor at U of M is really kind and incredibly knowledgeable. I would also look into Chicago College of Performing Arts. It’s a small school in downtown Chicago, with a teacher whom my friend calls a great “oboe mom,” if you’re looking for a nurturing teacher.</p>
<p>Frank Rosenwein and Jeff Rathbun at CIM are both top-notch artists and hold chairs in the Cleveland Orchestra. The department is small- 8 students- and thus is a really tough admit since there are two openings each year, but you would have a seat in one of the student orchestras right away and the opportunity to perform at Severance Hall. If you’re good enough, it’s not to be overlooked.</p>
<p>I remember that UF has a good oboe or bassoon program; I can’t remember which (sorry).</p>
<p>So, I meant that I didn’t want to go to an East Coast conservatory because of the atmosphere and competition. I want to go an actual university with a conservatory in it, I guess. Plus, I don’t have a chance at Juilliard or anything like that because of my skill and money. I am a good oboist, just not the best in the world (yet).
And I understand that I will find that sort of competition in any large university, and I am prepared for that.
Thanks for all your wonderful suggestions!:)</p>
<p>And if I do go to IU or Michigan or Lawrence (or even Wisconsin), I do plan on attending an East-Coast conservatory in the future :)</p>