<p>I plan to major in trombone performance, and I'm having a hard time deciding where I'd like to go. I'm still a Junior in High School, so I have some more time left (I'd like to get my applications and all in by October if at all possible). I have really been looking at two places: Northwestern University and Indiana University Bloomington. Indiana has the No.1 program in the country, and Northwestern is in the top 10. Which one would be more beneficial for me (i.e. which place would benefit me based on their trombone professors)? I know that there's Mulcahy in NU and M. Dee Stewart and Ellefson at IU, but I have no clue who'd benefit me more. I tend to favor a more European sound on trombone (not contemporary, but a more rich and flowing sound, one that sings... not a really heavy, huge sound, but a soloistic and colorful sound). Which place would be more like that (if at all)? I just need some guidance if at all possible. Thank you.</p>
<p>going to Northwestern would put you near the CSO, with their legendary brass section. You might like IU better though because you'll get more orchestral experience (since they have 5 orchestras).</p>
<p>You have to be a little careful with IU due to the number of grad students. They have a bunch of orchestras, but it may be hard to get into the studio that you want as a freshman. When you go for sample lessons you should ask them about how they handle studio assignments.</p>
<p>Bassdad,</p>
<p>Are there more grad students than undergrad?</p>
<p>Please tell me how you know the rankings of these music departments, and by instrument, too???
My middle school son plays oboe and piano (3 years each), would like to pursue music in college. His friend, also in middle school, has played viola for 6 years so far, plans to be a professional musician.
So they both would like to know how to match up their instruments with great music profs. How do you do that?</p>
<p>Thanks for any help.</p>
<p>I don't have the numbers, but I know that there are lots of both undergrad and grad students and have heard that some departments there give the grad students first crack at the most popular studios.</p>
<p>O I think that might be because the standards for grad are higher, and generally grad students tend to be the more skilled players.</p>
<p>That well may be the reason that it happens. Regardless of the reason, if an undergrad wants to study with a specific teacher they should try to find out how realistic that goal might be. Large programs that have many teachers for the popular instruments are very good about advertising their world-famous faculty members but may not be as quick to mention that many incoming freshmen are going to be studying with a relative unknown or possibly even a grad student for a while. I know a couple of people who absolutely love IU and also a couple of people who were disillusioned when they found that they would not be able to study with their first or second choice teacher. It is better to find out that kind of thing before deciding on a school.</p>
<p>ISfan,</p>
<p>Even if you were to get rankings of schools and departments, you would have lots of arguments over whether those rankings were valid. For most kids, middle school is a bit early to worry about a college music program. Lots can change with both the kid and the college in the course of five or six years and you really want to get this kind of advice from someone who knows the kid from having worked with them and who is familiar with what it takes to get into a top music program.</p>
<p>For now, probably the best thing they can do is to find the very best private teacher they can get (even if the commute is inconvenient) and work to develop their musical talents to the fullest. There will be time in high school to worry about the step after that and that teacher will be their guide.</p>
<p>ISfan - I would also recommend that your son and his friend also become involved in a youth orchestra if that is at all possible. Not only will they be able to develop their skills, they will be able to meet other kids who love music as much as they do. Finally, youth orchestras often have opportunities for networking with other parents whose children have the same goals as yours. Some youth orchestras can be overly competive, but there are a lot of very well run orchestras that can be a valuable resource to young musicians.</p>
<p>ISFan, I'll agree completely with shennie on yo participation. It is often a student's first exposure to a high level playing environment, and can also be a good indicator if music is a area that your child wants to continue to pursue.</p>
<p>The interaction with peers, both at equal and higher levels is a major plus for a lot of developing players.</p>
<p>And the ability to network with other parents, and gain additional insights based on their current (and possibly earlier) experiences will be invaluable in gathering info for local/national summer programs, potential teacher upgrades, instrument/luthier recommendations, and potenially college options.</p>
<p>Take advantage of it if at all possible.</p>
<p>Yes, a good youth orchestra is an excellent idea.</p>
<p>Peytoncline, I have a friend who's auditioning right now for trombone performance/music ed. He was really interested in the trombone professor at SUNY Purchase, as well as North Texas. He started out the year thinking he wanted just trombone performance, then later decided to think about music ed as well. If you want to have the opportunity to major in music education, you will want to tailor your options to that detail as well. I hope this helped!</p>
<p>Vis-a-vis grad versus undergrad advantage for studio space: first of all teachers are looking for talent, but they also are more likely to be reluctant to take on an older student if there are obvious, significant technical problems. Polishing a technique and artistry is fine, but repairing and reprogramming muscle and motor memory is a chore, more often than not unsuccessful. </p>
<p>At the same time, strong conservatories and graduate-heavy university music programs will have less interest in younger voices, because the singers are not, nor should they be, ready to manage major operatic repertory. A university with a strong music education and choral program is more likely to nurture its undergraduate singers. It is more likely that a younger instrumentalist can be competitive enough on a talent level to achieve admission to a strong studio.</p>
<p>BassDad, thanks for the practical advice--come April, I will be sure to have my son find out who, realistically, he may be studying with at the schools that have accepted him. Though, I guess when you are admitted they also tell you whose studio you are admitted to?</p>
<p>lorelei summarizes the situation nicely. A certain well-known horn teacher doesn't distinguish between graduate and undergraduate applicants to his studio at all; he just makes a ranked list of the ones who had the best auditions, regardless of age. This makes it extremely difficult to get into that school as an undergrad horn player, because there are rarely more than two or three slots available. A friend of mine was third on that teacher's list one year-- with two master's applicants above him-- but there were only two slots, so even as the top undergraduate applicant he didn't get in.</p>
<p>jazzzmomm,</p>
<p>Different schools and sometimes different departments at the same school handle things in different ways. Sometimes you will get a studio assignment as soon as you are accepted, sometimes not. Some, as shennie points out in <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1059683505-post26.html%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1059683505-post26.html</a> try to postpone assignments until they know which students will attend. Personally, I would have to know who the applied teacher was going to be before sending in a deposit check.</p>
<p>Always check the policies and procedures carefully. My D could have gone to a State U a few minutes from home, with a full scholarship, honors status, and had one of the really great teachers for her instrument. Unfortunately the great teacher was not allowed to teach undergrads regardless of audition performance. For a while that policy seemed to be in doubt, but after several visits, phone calls and two auditions, the administration's policy held firm.</p>
<p>Then there are some schools that try to balance their undergrad - grad school numbers. For example they want to have a 50-50 mix or 75% undergrads - 25% grads, or 1/3 undergrads - 2/3 grads, etc. You can usually get an idea of this from their enrollment data. Often schools will have a certain number of undergrad openings and a certain number of grad openings and admission of the two groups is considered seperately. However, within a school, certain teachers may not hold to this way of doing things. So one teacher may only take grad students or exceptional undergrads, while another teacher has mostly undergrads. However, I think most music schools have a pretty good idea of the ratio they want of grads to undergrads and work to maintain these numbers overall.</p>