Who are (or have) you requested recommendations from? Private teachers? School music instructors? Outside directors (i.e. performance groups that are more selective)?
Do you think that recommendations make a difference at all in the admissions process? If yes, do you think that the credentials of the person writing the recommendation matter? For instance, a “famous” director vs a high school instructor.
I can only give an anecdotal response to this and some thoughts. Hopefully others will chime in too.
My D used her high school music teacher for recommendations. We did not use her private teacher (as she was not “famous” but she worked at a well-known music school in the city and was known in the city - still that was on my daughter’s music resume along with her name - for most schools they would not have known her).
Her high school teacher had given my daughter guidance on schools. It was a big school and each year a few students went to good music schools. We knew she would write a thoughtful recommendation. Plus she also knew people at the good regional schools like Lawrence.
We also used her high school director for the MT auditions. He had told her he would write a very good recommendation. In one MT audition, they had his recommendation in front of them and asked her to do some “things”, mainly vocally, that he mentioned in the recommendation. It was the only audition where the recommendation was “present”.
Besides knowing that the teachers would write good recommendations, at my D’s high school, all the teachers recommendations were loaded electronically into “their system”. I’m not sure how we would get outside teachers recommendations loaded. Something to think about. My D needed music, acting and academic recommendations. So most recommendations were just loaded at the school and sent electronically to the universities. We never touched them.
However I do remember that the MT recommendation, plus additional material, had to sent in a separate envelop. That was the one where they had definitely read it and considered it. Also another school did require the music recommendation to be sent separate as well - because it went to the wrong address and was returned to the high school - that was fun to track down!
It’s such a busy time and getting applications done is like trying to dock the titanic. So her high school and teachers made it easy. And I never considered asking her private teacher…maybe my bad… We were winging it a bit.
My guess would be if you have a well-known instructor, by all means try to get a recommendations from him/her. Just be sure that whomever writes the recommendation has an interest in your kid and will do a good job.
So consider who will write a very good recommendation, on time!, along with how you will get it there. You may want to ask the private instructor if they do regularly do it and if they would be comfortable. Then go from there. I still think high school teachers are a good resource if you trust them and have a good relationship with them.
Hope this helps you!
And…do the recommendations matter…yes, I think so. The audition is still king. But I think good recommendations with a solid music resume are your introduction to music faculty. It’s like a firm hand shake before you open your mouth and start talking (or singing).
My son had recommendations from 2 private teachers. Both professional orchestral players and his youth orchestra director who is a professor at a local university. No recommendations from his his school. He had a very bad high school experience with his band director. I will mention he knew all the teachers he was auditioning for in advance. Two through summer camps and one through a sample lesson which came about a month before his audition. Good luck.
If a school asks for an academic reference do you think an AP Theory teacher fits this description?
The short answer is, yes, if you know that they’ll write a good academic reference, I think an AP theory teacher would be fine. You will want to be sure you have a separate teacher that can do the music reference letter (meaning it’s not the same teacher). Again … in my opinion…for what its worth.
The longer answer on references is:
Consider the degree (is it a music degree or liberal arts with a music minor), the size of the school and who will see the academic reference. I think small LCAs look at everything. Larger schools…I’m not so sure.
The academic reference may be part of the common app (with its many short questions that take so much time to answer thoughtfully - and I still wonder if anyone read those!!). All students need to provide it not just music students. In the MT example I gave above, the academic references went direct electronically through the common app to the school and we mailed the theatre reference separately to the MT department (along with the resume etc). Anything that is requested only for music students (like music resume, music references), I would put the most emphasis on - work on that now! It would be best to do it all at 100% but time does get tight and sometimes you need to prioritize. I know we found some crazy last minute requests on some common app at the beginning of Dec…and really it got down to just fill something out and send it off…my god who will read a 100 pg portfolio on my kid??? We did a bit of that and she still got accepted!
I hope this helps.
I meant LACs…I think I’ve had too much coffee today after re-reading this.
My daughter had private teachers write letters, and I am quite sure they made the difference at the college where she landed. In fact, I think they were the main reason she got in, period.
She used them for conservatories, and also for the arts supplement to the common app. The letters were mailed by postal service along with recordings, music resume, repertoire list, concert programs and so on.
Yes, the letter-writers had excellent academic and artistic credentials.
For a conservatory, not sure how much these letters would help, honestly- maybe a lot, maybe a little. Auditions or portfolio count the most for conservatories, generally. If a conservatory is part of a college or university, versus free-standing, I would think letters would have more import, but that is just conjecture.
Have a good music resume and repertoire list, a good recording, include programs, if impressive, and the letters and it can really help your application. The letters can have a very real impact on how admissions views you because they can talk about your work ethic, your interests, your character and of course your talent 
So, here’s a new twist.
Is it appropriate to ask a music director for a recommendation if he also happens to be the professor for my son’s instrument at one of his top school choices?
My son plays in a regional youth ensemble, which is associated with one of the major professional orchestras. Participation is by audition and he’s in the top band; it’s a year-long commitment and this is his second year as a member. He thought the director might be a good recommendation source since he’s well-known professionally himself, treats the band like a professional band and will have seen my son through lots of rehearsals, performances, jam sessions, etc. Unfortunately, he moved across the country for a new position, but my son knows the new director, who is the jazz sax professor at one of the schools he’s applying to. He’s had a lesson with him, as well as summer jazz camp and numerous masterclasses. Just that he’d also have a big say in admissions.
I don’t see why not, what is the worse thing the guy could do, say no? First of all, if your son is going to be applying to a number of schools, you might want him (the director) to write one you can use at the various programs (and yeah, it might be awkward if he says something like “Well, I assumed you would apply only to my school”, which would be kind of weird, given that most kids apply multiple places cause there are no guarantees), and if the guy asks him why he is applying elsewhere, say you need contingencies if there isnt’ a slot at his program, or some such (it doesn’t matter if you actually plan on going to the director’s program or not, though it would be awkward if he expressed an interest in teaching your S, he went to that school and used another teacher…). If you are worried about appearences of nepotism or some such, forget it, these kind of relationships are part of how a lot of kids get into music programs (I am not saying the kids are undeserving and get in, but kids who get to know teachers at the music schools have an easier time getting into the teacher’s studios, which you need to get admitted; you might have a great audition, but none of the teachers want to teach you, and you would get rejected).
I agree with Musicprnt–if anything his recommendation would be an advantage.
Thanks for the feedback. I couldn’t decide which was more awkward… asking him for a recommendation to apply to his school or to another one. He’s the only professor for the instrument at this school, so that’s a given.