<p>Now that I have been reading and posting for about a month, I am wondering if my son is a real anomaly, since he doesn't seem like most of the kids here (single instrument, high level, and/or single genre), although shares the passion, drive and ambition musically.</p>
<p>For all of you or your kids, who are exceptionally talented in one instrument and usually one genre (classical), the path for auditions seems clear...find a teacher at designated conservatory, prepare audition materials, etc.</p>
<p>My son plays two instruments, across genres. If someone heard him audition in only jazz percussion, they would have no idea how talented a classical pianist he really is (he has already prepared many of the required repertoire pieces for a college audition, such as a concerto and cadenza... which he has played with a complete orchestra). Likewise, as a pianist alone, his gifts in percussion, both classical and jazz, wouldn't be obvious. Or does anyone really care (aside from him, who can't see giving any of it up, at least not yet)?</p>
<p>He is clearly leaning towards auditioning in jazz; however, he will need a top notch classical piano teacher too, to continue to study privately. Does he audition in piano too? Does it help or hinder his prospects that he is diverse? Are there schools who welcome kids who play at a high level across instruments/genres like this?</p>
<p>I am just trying to help him consider all of his options, so that he positions himself in the way that is most advantageous.</p>
<p>Allmusic: Your son sounds amazingly talented! Although I doubt that he will be able to fully pursue percussion, piano, jazz, and classical within the scope of one performance degree, he certainly has many options for college/conservatory auditions that would seem to increase his chances of admission. For example, many of the top conservatories require pre-screening recordings before inviting an applicant for a live audition for piano or any type of jazz study. If he is not certain which path to take for the performance degree, he could actually submit several recordings (classical piano, classical percussion, and jazz percussion, jazz piano too ?) to each conservatory and see which program(s) invite him for the live audition.</p>
<p>Last year, my son applied to music schools in two fields: composition and oboe. As sidelines he studied saxophone for 4 years and played drums in a rock band for a couple of years. The sax is now for sale and the drums...a sideline. He sent in 3 applications to every school where he applied: regular, composition and oboe. He sent recordings of oboe and recordings of compositions and sheet music of the compositions as well. It was a big project to say the least. But he is not only interested in a BM in composition/oboe specialization. He is going for a BA in Political Science as well. He is now in an oboe studio and studying composition and starting to take his first government class. That said, there is a perfect school out there for your son. You just have to really do research, visit and do it again & again. I think it may hinder his prospects at certain types of schools. My son was accepted everywhere he applied (USC, Indiana, Wooster, Redlands, Denver, Bard, UCSB-CCS & Lawrence, his choice) except the Bard Conservatory. He is very happy with his choice. In the end, I think he really needed a school with a more flexible, individual oriented program.</p>
<p>I do think your son will give up some of it. What part neither he nor you know yet. Like I said, my son is selling the sax. You can't study oboe and something else with a reed and come out on top. He loves jazz and will continue to cultivate this love by being a great listener. Maybe he can incorporate it into his compositions.</p>
<p>Look for places that have both classical piano and jazz and who would encourage a dual program. You can find out by emailing various types of schools of music. Look for schools with a jazz program etc.</p>
<p>Next, what type of campus, environment does your son want? That focus will also continue to narrow his choices.</p>
<p>My son visited schools and talked to professors and in the end didn't apply since the music program didn't fit. The UCSB program at the CCS also in the end didn't fit him. But he didn't really know that until he had sent in all the essays etc. Just studying compositon with private oboe lessons would have been too confining. Great location though! Both USC & Indiana would have worked but the location and school size didn't in the end for my son. Wooster would have been the closest to Lawrence.</p>
<p>If you open your mind and look for matches most probably in unknown places to you now, you may be surprised with what you will find.</p>
<p>My S also plays piano well, and composes (in addition to studying horn). -AllMusic- I can't remember how old your S is. My S decided to major in music early on (middle school), but did explore the possibility of double majoring in horn and composition. Eventually, through his own insight, and counsel of others, he decided to concentrate on horn as an undergrad, and go from there. He is able to take composition-for-non-majors, which he enjoys. Piano has never been his first love, but he knew it would help with his other pursuits, and he is quite good. He placed out of the requirements for piano, but did take an elective piano course (didn't like it). And his composition skills got noticed at his audition, when he played a cadenza he had written. One of the teachers even asked him for a copy of it.</p>
<p>All this to say, sometimes there is overlap. The extra abilities may be gravy on the application, prompting a closer look. Sometimes, one area comes out on top, but the others don't have to get dropped. I don't think it is really all that unusual to have musical kids who have more than one area of interest. But yes, it is easier if there is a clear preference.</p>
<p>(I had written more, but noticed I am just reiterating what overseas has said above. -- that is, find a jazz program in a school that also teaches classical, and see how much interaction the departments allow.)</p>
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<p>he has already prepared many of the required repertoire pieces for a college audition, such as a concerto and cadenza... which he has played with a complete orchestra. >></p>
</blockquote>
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<p>Wait a moment here... For classical piano perfomance audition, I don't think a concerto is required. Some audition requirement actually says that no piano & orchestra work is allowed, since there are so many solo pieces for piano around. If your son is looking for multiple programs, it's a good idea to look at the audition repertoire required by the different music schools for the programs NOW. For classical piano performance, it's usually a baroque piece + a complete classical sonata + a substantial romantic piece + a 20/21 century piece + a fast etude. (Some schools ask for slightly different things, but hopefully a carefully designed program will work for all).</p>
<p>It's a good idea to start practicing some of the audition requirement to truly audition quality now (if you son had not done so) so that you can either use it for audition or record it for precreening purpose and/or for audition tape since it's not advisable to rush the audition preparation for multiple programs in the end of junior + beginning of senior year. Should your son decide to do new pieces for the auditions, he can always do so, but starting now will be good preparation and leave more room for choice later on.</p>
<p>I think Northwestern would be a good place to explore . There is a jazz program, but the school is classical in orientation and we were told that all jazz students were required perform in classical ensembles. I liked that very much; S did not. I am not sure how this would work out in your specific case, but it would be worth checking into.</p>
<p>Woops, thxzyl...I am obviously mistaken about repertoire. Maybe I read here about a concerto (but he has prepared different pieces from your list except the complete Sonata...has done pieces of several).</p>
<p>A lot of interesting advice. DS is only a Sophomore, so still time to explore (!), but I think beginning to get a handle on practicing audition pieces now also makes sense...if preparing for both classical and jazz is the way to go.</p>
<p>Still would love more input, if anyone has any, since you are all a great wealth of information.</p>
<p>Then it's time to start a complete classical sonata, a Beethoven one if possible, because music schools usually have all kinds of restrictions on Haydn, Mozart or Schubert sonatas but very few or none on Beeethoven ones. Preparing a whole sonata is different from just a movement from it - so it's time to prepare a little bit. </p>
<p>To approximately gauge your son's repertoire readiness for conservatory audition, here is a good quote from Peabody:
Most successful piano applicants have been taking private lessons for seven to ten years, and are currently practicing for several hours a day. Applicants who have been splitting their practice time between two or more instruments are less likely to be successful. Peabody hears about 100 undergraduate piano auditions each year, and the acceptance rate is about fifty percent. Successful applicants can perform a Chopin Ballade and/or Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody with flair and artistry. Typically, they have a complete (all movements) Beethoven Sonata and a Bach Prelude and Fugue ready for public performance from memory with only a little brush-up practice. Audition requirements are taken seriously.</p>
<p>By the way, Peabody's audition requirements for piano performance are (just an example of what the music schools are looking for):
BAROQUE - A Prelude and Fugue or any other work containing a fugue by J.S. Bach.
CLASSICAL - Complete (All-Movements) sonata by Mozart, Beethoven or Schubert. The Mozart G Major Sonata, K. 283, and Beethoven Sonata, Op. 49 may not be used to fulfill this requirement.
ROMANTIC - A major solo work by a 19th-century composer. For example - Chopin: Ballades, Scherzi, or Sonata; Brahms: Op. 118 or 119 (complete); Liszt: Dante Sonata, Vallee d'Obermann or a Hungarian Rhapsody. Note: A Chopin Nocturne or Etude may not be used to fulfill this requirement.
20TH CENTURY - A major solo work.
ETUDE - A virtuoso Etude by one of the following composers: Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Debussy, Bartok, or Stravinsky.</p>
<p>My son is visiting campuses next week, including Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, the New School and NYU. Then we are going to Boston to tour Berklee where he has already been offered a scholarship.
Alto sax is his primary instrument. He also plays keyboards and is a vocalist. Any input about these schools?</p>