Meeting with music directors

I am a French horn player and I want to attend a small liberal arts school. I don’t want to major in music but I would be interested in playing in a band/ orchestra and taking private lessons if they are available. Should I just send in a music supplement or am I expected to meet with music directors at each college even if the college does not have a huge music program?
Thanks!

My kid emailed the professor of his instrument to request a meeting during his campus visit; if that didn’t work out, he contacted the department administrative assistant to see if it was possible to tour/visit the department. Most schools were very accommodating, and he wound up having extended private meetings with professors, the Chair, a tour of facilities etc. Depending on the school, there may be auditions in the first week of orientation/class for ensembles/orchestra.

My D was a violin player who attended a LAC and played in the orchestra for all 4 years. In all honesty she asked on tours/information sessions if one could join the orchestra without majoring in music but we did not even think of asking to see if she could meet the music director ahead of time. She emailed the orchestra director before college started and auditioned once she got to college in the fall – the orchestra was pretty low key at her LAC and my D said any competent musician was welcome to join and that the audition was pretty much just for seating. FWIW she really enjoyed being a part of her college orchestra.

Thanks for the reply. Most of the schools I am looking are very small and don’t have extensive music programs. Because the music program is so small would it look odd for me to request to meet with the music director before I apply to the school in January? Or could meeting with them possibly help me get in to the school?

I don’t think music directors at small LACs with programs that are not extensive will have any pull at all in terms of admissions. They create a band/orchestra with the kids who are at the school and have an interest.

Yeah thats what I thought but my private lessons teacher keeps telling me to meet with them so I figured I would just meet with them to make my teacher happy. I just wanted to make sure it wouldn’t look odd to meet with them. I don’t want to embarrass myself and have the music director think Im crazy for asking to meet with them. Do you think it would look weird to meet with them?

That is impossible to predict and likely will vary from school to school. At my D’s college the orchestra conductor (who was wonderful) was not a full time faculty member (he was studying for his PhD) and pretty much was only on campus for orchestra classes and concerts. And he would not have been the person giving any private lessons. It might be different at other LACs.

And FWIW my D stopped taking private lessons in college – the demands on her time between classes, research with professors, and ECs was too great and she felt lessons would not be meaningful since she didn’t have enough time to practice. She did love being part of the orchestra for all 4 years of college and felt that the weekly rehearsals kept her playing at a decent level.

I might recommend getting to college and going through a semester without private lessons to assess your time available. And you can walk over, meet the teachers etc. I guess it depends on how serious a musician you are – my D was a very good (not great) violinist and did not had no aspirations to major in music or make a career of it.

Perhaps this question would be worth an email with admissions officers at each school – you can say you are interested in pursuing band/orchestra at the college and ask if it would be appropriate or important to meet the orchestra/band director.

In terms of a music supplement, the general consensus is that it should be of truly outstanding quality (almost conservatory level) to make any positive difference in your application. If it is not that level then you can let your HS music activities (ex. band/orchestra, private lessons) speak for itself. Again, my D was very good but never considered sending in a music supplement.

FWIW my D’s HS orchestra was much bigger, more formal, more intense than the orchestra at her LAC which was very low key. She loved both experiences equally.

ok. thank you so much for all the help!

My daughter visited a very small LAC and had a lesson with the instructor for her instrument and we met with the department chair. They had not had an student oboist in 5 years and the chair made it very clear she would be willing to give my D a large scholarship to attend the LAC if she would play in the orchestra. Since my D wants to major in music, this school was not a good fit for her. French horn players are in demand, any school that you are considering applying to just might be willing to give you money just for playing in one of their ensembles. You should definitely reach out to the music department. Good luck to you!!

thanks for the reply. Do you think it would look odd to meet with a music director if I don’t plan on majoring in music and the school has a very small music program?

No, it does not look odd. We visited 10-15 LACs, and my kid set up meetings with someone in music program whenever he could on those visits. He did not intend on majoring but wanted to understand what options were available for a non-major, though he indicated he was considering a minor. He usually contacted the administrative assistant for the music department who would refer him to the appropriate contact. That usually led to some combination of a tour of the performing and practice space, and/or a meeting with the Chair, or the director of the ensemble he would be interested in, or the faculty teaching his instrument. It helped him understand the pros/cons of various schools and helped refine his search process.

I think it’s a great idea! My daughter got a small music scholarship for non-music majors at Susquehanna University. In addition to the yearly stipend, she gets weekly jazz piano lessons for free. She’s obligated to play in the jazz band. It’s been wonderful for her - music is a coping mechanism for her. Good luck to you!

Consistent with @MaineLonghorn’s experience – many schools we visited had a scholarship which would cover private lessons for students performing in an ensemble.