<p>My son is a high school senior who wants to get a BM in Music Performance on the Electric Bass. He has been working with two excellent teachers; one in school for ensemble work, the other in weekly private lessons for more than 4 years. He rehearses with two different bands. At the annual school concert he performed on bass on 22 out of 26 numbers. His sense of pitch is excellent, he is working rapidly on sight reading and memorization--trying to perfect the Bach cello prelude #1 played on bass guitar. He is serious, works with conviction and is very inventive and creative..</p>
<p>The problem is that his SAT grades in math are not good--around 450. His English is in the high 500s. He failed his geometry NY state regents exam but got a score of 97 out of 100 on the history one. He is taking another math course this year in hopes of raising his regent score in the spring. His grades average for high school is B+. We parents are really worried that the SATs will sabotage any meaningful admissions application.</p>
<p>Can we get this guy into a college with a BM degree in bass guitar somewhere in this country?? He prefers east to mid-west but will go anywhere if necessary. We live in New York city but he wants to have a different experience for the college years.</p>
<p>We have visited Willaim Paterson University in NJ, the University of the Arts in Philadelphia amd Manhattanville College in NY state. Any suggestions would be most appreciated.</p>
<p>Years ago, BIL went to Berklee College of Music in Boston. He’s a jazz guitarist (not Bass).
His plan all along was to attend just long enough to learn what he needed (music theory) and move on as a musician. He did just that—and has spent his adult life performing. He also teaches Jazz Ensemble and guitar at private elementary and secondary schools. </p>
<p>I couldn’t find the common data set for Berklee. I have a feeling that admission is strongly based on the student’s audition and musical ability.</p>
<p>The straight conservatories typically do not weigh grades and test scores, as the admit is largely a function of strength of the applicant’s audition within that year’s specific instrument pool. In looking at two equally qualified musical candidates, grades and scores MAY become a tipping point.</p>
<p>Conservatory level programs attached to a university or college treat things a bit differently. Some require that the applicant meet the academic admissions standards as well as the musical bar. At some, an outstanding audition will not override low grades/stats; at others, a strong audition will overcome weak or slightly deficient academic stats.</p>
<p>Does he have a preference in genre? Is he more jazz or contemporary/popular focused?</p>
<p>Without looking at the institution specific academic requirements, Belmont, UDenver/Lamont, CCPA, possibly the New School’s Jazz and Contemporary program. His stats may be low for USC/Thornton’s Popular Music program, but it’s worth looking. Berklee, as conservatory does not look at grades, but the talent level is extremely high musically, and is really music 24/7 with a minimum of academic requirements.</p>
<p>You did specify “college”, not conservatory.</p>
<p>Thanks ViolaDad:
I am completely new to this forum and have not totally looked at all the available fora and topics and discussions. I just wanted to get this question out for answers and comments from all the helpful folks here. Thanks for the info so far and I am certainly willing to share all the things that our family has discovered so far about the schools.</p>
<p>Yes I did specify college and not conservatory. Our son may–I emphasize MAY-- have later interest in a possible minor or certainly some humanities courses in history.</p>
<p>Just a quick procedure question?? How do you find your post and the replies when you sign on later??</p>
<p>If you open the “My control panel” in the bar towards the top of the page, there are various options as to getting email alerts or subscribing to a thread or thread. </p>
<p>Alternatively, you can just look for your thread(s) in the appropriate forum, although in some of the more active general forums, a post can move from page one to three or deeper in a matter of hours, depending on the thread topic.</p>
<p>Threads that you have posted in show a star, provided you are logged in and have cookies enabled. Replies are shown chronologically within each thread.</p>
<p>Needless to say, I found the answer about 5 milliseconds after I posted the question.</p>
<p>There is a lot of information here for someone who has just arrived. And most of it is great information. I look forward to sifting through it to find the pertinent gems.</p>
<p>Welcome to College Confidential! Your thread has just been moved to the Music Forum, where many well-tuned or plugged-in readers work together harmoniously. (Note, that is a smile not a xylophone). </p>
<p>Adding Thanks to ViolaDad. When he notices music-related threads started elsewhere, he contacts us to move them to this sub-forum called “Music Majors” for view and response from CC’s best-informed readers re: Music.</p>
(Note, that is a smile not a xylophone). </p>