<p>Universities that my D applied to that required screening CD/dvds:
U Mich
ASU (Tempe
UCLA
IU (Indiana</p>
<p>All major state universities. (and they require them for undergrad and grad)</p>
<p>Even Cal State Northridge requires screening CD/DVD’s for certain performance majors.</p>
<p>just sayin</p>
<p>Not that I’m checking, but it actually depends on your major - for example ASU at Tempe requires “pre-screening” for voice and conducting majors, but not for instrumental…but I definitely concur those are good music schools.</p>
<p>And @imagep is a decent person - really. Can’t we all just get along?</p>
<p>Well I think that absolutes such as “no major state universities” throws alot of us off. Especially when our personal experience demonstrates otherwise.</p>
<p>Throw UT (Butler) and UNT (Denton) into the mix.</p>
<p>SUNY Purchase, a very popular (and decent) music program here on cc, requires prescreens as well. As do most, if not all, of the Cal States that offer music.</p>
<p>I mean, seriously, let’s be really clear for the benefit of those who come here seeking solid intel. </p>
<p>The poster should have, and probably meant to say “SOME or MANY decent programs don’t require DVD’s…” not “THE decent programs don’t require DVDs…” As written, it’s not sEmantics; it’s just incorrect and misleading.</p>
<p>Glad it’s been straightened out.</p>
<p>But, for clarity’s sake, here’s another confusing comment:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Most students (not all) who come here seeking information are indeed focusing on the undergraduate level, and as is documented in our yearly official official Acceptance threads, a huge number of those musicians are accepted to major conservatories. (With some of those conservatories at universities.)</p>
<p>I’m also confused by this:
</p>
<p>Because, Stonemagic, as you yourself also said recently:
</p>
<p>I agreed with you the first time on that one!</p>
<p>^^^Yep, those were the two I was thinking of just off the top of my head – UNT and UT (Butler School of Music). Both require pre-screenings. As somebody pointed out, several of the California schools require pre-screenings, too.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Oh boy. That’s what several of us are saying here. It’s simply not true. Several major state universities require pre-screenings.</p>
<p>These are just silly, sweeping statements that are ripe for misinterpretation. That’s why I bothered to clarify. It’s okay, StoneMagic. I sure didn’t mean to pick on you. And I don’t think it would have come across as ‘picking’ if the ensuing clarifications had just been left alone. You’re okay. ;)</p>
<p>Actually, U of Miami has a prescreening requirement for jazz. Fortunately, all this information about what is or is not required can be found on each school’s website. Therefore, the main point here is that prospective applicants need to carefully research the requirements for their instrument or program at each school.</p>
<p>Put another way, if you are interested in a performance major, there is a reasonable chance that you will need to make a good CD and/or DVD. Allow yourself plenty of time to do this.</p>
<p>As someone else posted, it often depends on instrument. Eastman still doesn’t require prescreening for Double Bass. So even the “big names” can vary and one should always check the school website. Also, at son’s state school (Crane-SUNY Potsdam), the freshman bassists include 2 All State and 3 Youth orchestra members and at least 1 Juilliard pre college program. So the competition is all over at even state schools, son didn’t participate in any of the above and still was accepted with a music scholarship. Just practice, practice, practice.</p>
<p>I don’t think it matters the level of the program. When my son auditioned on cello at top conservatory programs in 2001-2002, none of the programs he applied to required pre-screen for cello. Now they all do. When a school starts getting more applications on a particular instrument than they feel they can reasonably handle during their audition period, they are going to start requiring pre-screens. It is more a reflection of the number of applications and the length of the audition period than on the quality of the program. </p>
<p>Also, I believe that all students who are auditioning for performance base programs should prepare a CD or DVD even if not required. It may be needed if there are weather related problems around audition time, illness or whatever. It doesn’t hurt to have a good recorded sample of your work available. In addition, these can also often be used for applications to high level summer programs.</p>
<p>There was something else I just picked up from the thread, I think it was in the original post that started these responses and it was how CD’s/DVD’s can be recorded multiple times until they get it correct, etc…and that is true, there is no doubt about it.However, those watching the dvd or cd know what to listen for, and if the person auditioning isn’t really right for the program, it will show up there, all the great recording in the world, reverb and so forth won’t hide flaws in playing, like intonation and so forth. The point of a CD/DVD prescreen is simply to eliminate students who aren’t at sufficient level given the level of the program, to not waste time on auditioning kids who have no chance, and as others have pointed out depending on the program and school, they may or may not feel the need to prescreen.</p>
<p>This doesn’t replace the live audition, and if someone really messed around with the pre screen cd and got an audition through that, in effect cheated, it won 't do them any good as the live audition will find them out.</p>
<p>Son went to a summer jazz program that required a cd and no subsequent audition for admission. Much to his and the rest of his combo’s frustration the drummer couldn’t read music and was able to hide that on the cd since no sight reading was required for admission. It was only a summer program and the on campus audition after prescreening that most music schools require would have caught this.</p>
<p>Mdndad, are you still there? :)</p>
<p>From the time you mentioned this in post #12:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I thought of Lawrence University in Appleton, WI. Have you checked it out?</p>
<p>It was one of my son’s favorite schools when he was applying. He was pretty certain that he wanted to major in music (performance, in his case) but like your son, he was also an excellent student and wanted to double major in something more ‘academic.’ (Not that music isn’t a very academic degree. It’s filled with history and theory and other academics – but you know what I mean.)</p>
<p>We were very impressed by Lawrence! Kind of like Oberlin, it offers tremendous opportunities in both music AND academics. It’s a small school in a small, friendly town. The education there struck us as top-notch. Music, too. The faculty, staff, and students were remarkably friendly and welcoming! Its kind of a quirky school, in our opinions, but its quirky in the way that we love.</p>
<p>Your post regarding music education really struck a chord because while we were at the conservatory for some sort of admissions event (years ago), one person after the next spoke of all the scholarship opportunities for those who wanted to major in music education. They were REALLY pushing for education majors and were willing to pay to get them – it seemed.</p>
<p>Lawrence U is a private school. Which means: its expensive. It publishes a maximum of 1/2-tuition scholarships, as I recall (or they used to), but we know from experience that they are willing to go much higher than that for someone who perfectly fits their need that year. My son was awarded their maximum published scholarships at first, but as time went on, they came up to full-tuition. </p>
<p>He ended up NOT attending Lawrence, but he came really close. Just 1 week before National Decision Day (May 1), he chose another school instead. The main reason? He was worried that it took a full day to get back and forth from school to home. We are NOT conveniently located.</p>
<p>Anyway, I would say Lawrence U & Conservatory is worth checking out on the web. And later, if the website looks good to you, check it out in person! We loved it.</p>
<p>Lawrence University Conservatory does not require pre-screens, because, according to their website, they believe every applicant deserves a chance to audition for faculty. They also require anyone living within a 350 mile radius to audition on campus.</p>
<p>^Yep. That’s right! :)</p>
<p>Wrong again - most do NOT require pre-screening. I love how people just throw around general statements with zero stats to back up their inane banter. Not here, not now, not ever.</p>
<p>I agree - nothing replaces the live audition.</p>
<p>Well said.</p>
<p>Oy. Maybe we can all agree that some schools require a prescreen for some instruments/majors and some do not :)</p>
<p>Personal anecdote with no bearing on the argument - my S has not been required to send a CD/DVD/prescreen at any school he’s auditioning for. But some prospective majors/instruments at those same schools do need to prescreen. And I’m willing to bet that if we have this conversation again in 2 years the schools/majors/instruments that require prescreen will have changed, again.</p>
<p>Once again, you actually backed up your statement with a real-world example…how impressive and rare on here. And I’m just in shock, you mean someone actually faked they could play on a CD and the school actually fell for it? Hmmm, so it would have come down to the audition…and to think, at a music school?</p>