<p>Tomorrow we are driving our son out to IU to begin his freshman year. This has been an incredibly rewarding year for us all and it has been a wonder to have this great place to learn from and in turn to share experiences with. We so hope that a life in music will work for him since this is what he wants. </p>
<p>Tonight I am thinking about all the friends I've made here and how many of them are also going to be "letting go" this week. It is a bittersweet moment for all parents, but perhaps even more so for those of us who are helping musicians plan their futures. Good luck to all of you and to your great and talented kids. I look forward to hearing how they all fare on this wonderful journey.</p>
<p>Good luck, Stringfollies--though our sons are pursuing different musical genres, I have learned so much from your experiences and wisdom--thank you!! Congrats to your son--may he blossom even more this year!</p>
<p>Good luck to your S and to you Stringfollies. </p>
<p>I moved D in on Tuesday and it was heartbreaking driving off - only cried for about 2 hours though. The thing I miss the most is her singing around the house. Her dorm is a long way from the music building but she already feels like the music building is her second home - she likes just hanging out there. Auditions are starting already for various ensembles so she is already very busy. Of course, she woke up this morning with a little stuffy nose and a cough - not a cold in sight all summer.</p>
<p>Congrats to all of you sending your freshmen off - here's hoping for a fabulous year for all. Yes, Cartera - I find that the worst is the quiet house. One of the reasons I returned to teaching piano - needed some kids making music in the house.</p>
<p>Took D to Ohio this weekend to begin her second year at MU. S2 leaves Wednesday for grad school. The quiet isn't here yet, but it's looming.</p>
<p>stringfollies, my son will be beginning his senior year at IU--trumpet major--and he has been very happy with the music school. I wish your son the very best in his new adventures!</p>
<p>Best of luck to you and your son. Is this your first one out the door?</p>
<p>I know many people at IU and love to visit the campus. I think there will still be some fireflies around at this point, which always do it for me.</p>
<p>Congrats to all. We dropped son (our youngest) off at Susquehanna a few days ago and I can relate to the quiet house syndrome. Wife took off without me over the weekend to visit daughter, so I got a double dose. Daughter will be back tomorrow from her summer job at Lake Luzerne for one evening before heading back to Oberlin for her senior year. Now if she could only decide what she wants to do after graduation...</p>
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Now if she could only decide what she wants to do after graduation...
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<p>That's the million-dollar question, isn't it? :) ... I have a current junior who remains clueless as to her future--and I suspect this won't be changing any time soon.</p>
<p>This one is our last too. We're here now. He must have won the lottery because his room assignment is amazing. In an old dorm, it is on a high floor with a stellar view. It's single and huge! We've been shopping for extra seating so he can have lots of visitors! He's been fretting about the orchestra auditions on Friday. They are behind a screen (his first time) and very, very challenging. I don't think he will feel comfortable until those are done. Life is a constant audition for these guys!</p>
<p>He's our last to go off too and I must say that I really dread life without live musicians in the house......I think I'll be spending a lot of time in Bloomington in the future.</p>
<p>DS (our oldest) moved into the Tufts dorm on Sunday and attended orientation at NEC yesterday. He's in the midst of orchestra auditions and theory exams at NEC today and tomorrow. Tufts orientation is also tomorrow, so his plate will definitely be full. A fitting prelude for the five years to come, I suspect, given the double degree.</p>
<p>Although nervous, he was thrilled to audition in Jordan Hall for John Page and Hugh Wolff, among others. Formally a composition student, he's looking to continue his violin studies at NEC as well. It's not yet clear exactly how that will play out (ensemble, lessons, ?). Here too, he is a bit of an anomaly as most composition students apparently sing in chorus to satisfy their ensemble requirement. S would rather play violin.</p>
<p>DH reports that he is hanging out with some older DD students and talking music with other composition and string students. Happy as a clam, in other words.</p>
<p>Just moved our son into NEC this weekend too. Ensemble audition yesterday, theory testing, etc. His first night without us he went to Cambridge to hear some jazz with other jazz majors. So, I think that's a good sign. It's so funny the difference between the jazz and classical students, and a bit odd that there does not seem to be much cross-socializing. The orientation recital for parents and students was phenomenal!! I am still kind of in awe as I think back on it. But, of course, the classical students were all dressed up formally, and the jazz performers had on flip flops and ripped pants. This suits my son very well!</p>
<p>For us, this is our third kid out of the house, one left at home, and it hasn't really sunk in yet for me because things have been so hectic, settling older ones at the same time we are launching this freshman. </p>
<p>Life at the conservatory--I couldn't quite get a handle on it, but I was worried by the new freshmen practicing behind closed doors in the dorm, alone. I think my son is more social than that, and has already been jamming at night with groups in practice rooms. I hope that is more what the culture is for jazz students--any comments about that?</p>
<p>Just want to add thank you's to all the people whose comments and advice helped us in the past year as well. This is such a helpful and supportive forum, really a treasure.</p>
<p>We left our D (our youngest) at Peabody on Wednesday and feel very good about how this whole journey has turned out so far. The administrative faculty at the orientation exuded just the right balance of congratulations, reassurance and expertise when they spoke about what our kids were about to embark upon. </p>
<p>Of course, time will tell how she fares. But, for now, she and my husband and I feel like she's in the right place and has been blessed with an amazing opportunity. </p>
<p>I wish for those parents and students about to go through the application/audition/decision process all the best and hope you are sitting where my family is now next year at this time: feeling very hopeful and content with how things unfolded and how the future looks. The process was often tough, but we learned and grew along the way.</p>
<p>Though I was mostly a lurker over the past year because much of the advice I could have given and questions I would have asked were already well-articulated by others, I do so appreciate the reassurance and guidance offered by many on this forum!</p>
<p>jazzzmomm, I think it is typical of jazz students.</p>
<p>Dropped S2 off last weekend at Eastman. He's happily ensconced in a really nice dorm room with a friend from a past camp experience (assigned as roommates totally by chance). I've restrained myself to one phone call to say we had arrived safely at home, 2 emails and 2 text messages since Monday afternoon. He's called twice. H wants to call him, but he won't talk about anything we'd like to hear if anyone else is around. </p>
<p>Auditions next week and he already seems to have a practice schedule down. </p>
<p>Son is now ensconced at IU and we are home. He has had a bit of a rocky start. He's in a single so it is a little more difficult for him to find people to talk to. The room is actually pretty fantastic - large with a great view. But it's not in the dorm where most of the music students live. He is not great at transitions and is on the shy side even though he has quite an independent nature. So he's at odds socially. Yesterday he took theory placement tests which were given at the same time as the social event for new music students so he missed that opportunity to connect and didn't fare so well on the theory tests. He had passed the initial theory test, but was hoping to advance quite a bit further. Theory at IU is known to be very, very hard. Today he found out that he did not pass these more advanced lests and he's very upset about it feeling that he will have to repeat so much that he already knows well. It's the first of what will no doubt be a number of times when I won't be able to do much to help him except give advice and try to help him calm down. This is very hard for me even though I know that it will pass for him. </p>
<p>We are so intertwined after the past year of getting through auditions, choosing schools and teachers and packing, etc. that it is going to be hard for both of us to get loose. 600 miles will dictate that we do it, but I do feel very sad not to be there when he's down. </p>
<p>I have my fingers crossed the orchestra auditions go better for him on Sunday.</p>
<p>It is far best that he be comfortable with the theory courses from day 1. It will serve him well over the total experience and potentially save stumbling over the more advanced courses.</p>
<p>Let him know that this is not a reflection on his abilities; most of his compatriots are in the same boat. Few students succeed in testing out of initial theory in many top flight programs.</p>
<p>Stringfollies, violadad is right about the theory. My S2 had a 5 on his AP theory, and a strong background as a pianist and composer in addition to his primary instrument. But his mind went blank on his placement test at Juilliard, and he did not place out. It was a bit irritating to him at the time, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. (S had a friend who did pass, and she really struggled in the second year class.)</p>
<p>College is enough of an adjustment, and having just one class per semester you don't have to continually stress over can be important.</p>
<p>Thanks binx and violadad. I've told him this, but he doesn't believe me. I think he feels insulted since he, too, has done a lot of theory and composition already. He says that he knew everything on the tests so doesn't understand why he didn't pass out. I agree that it will be nice for him to be able to slide through theory this year. It's too bad it meets at 8 AM!</p>