<p>Son has always been a short duration practicer, rather than marathon sessions. Usually no more than 2 hours at any one shot, and those are rare. For him, the specific focus short duration is the most effective, a number of half hour/45 minute sessions daily. </p>
<p>Recreationally, he reads voraciously, largely history and political science topics. Soduko, word puzzles also are his escape mechanism, and the occasional video game. When he's not performing or rehearsing, Sundays are devoted to NFL football almost exclusively, and is an avid watcher of Yankee games. </p>
<p>Like binx, we knew a very promising high level player, a year behind son. The kid never learned how to loosen up, warm up, and would do marathon sessions till exhausted. After two 10 hour days of really over doing it, he just could not move his arm. Severe and irreparable tendon damage. Dropped out of school for a year on a medical leave, tried to go back, and just could no longer consider performance as a possibility. Three years later, he can play recreationally, and at an extremely high level, but for no more than an hour. Breaks my heart, he was a true talent.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>My S considers eating and sleeping to be extra curricular activities, and fits them in when his pursuit of all things musical allows.>></p>
</blockquote>
<br>
<p>My son squeezes these things in, but like Binx's son, his music comes first. He also practices in shorter sessions (2 hours would be a long practice) with a total of 5-8 hours a day...but very broken up. Even in that practice time, some is spent on rhythms and singing the parts (something he has done since beginning lessons). </p>
<p>Re: the comment about CD selections...DS has a vast collection of classical music CDs, and then old classic rock like the Beatles. He has never been much interested in more contemporary pop/rock music. He always had a vacant look when the pop artists were being discussed...but he didn't care. Also, he did have a core of friends even in high school who were musicians. That made a huge difference.</p>
<p>D, a mezzo, discovered yoga two years ago and attends three classes a week which she pays for by playing guitar during 'cool down" time. To really get the ya-ya's out on the weekend she does Senagalese dance. Earlier this summer as (college)senior she has amped up her rehearsal time to upwards of 3-4 hours a day(in at least two to three shifts) She hasnt had any trouble but in on the advice of her teacher she had her vocal cords scoped and checked out. Just before going for the big push to grad school we thought it a good idea to at least have a baseline exam. Everything checked out fine.</p>
<p>Physical injuries stories - some career ending - are not uncommon at all. Ask any conservatory teacher or professional musician and you'll be inundated by anecdotes and stories. </p>
<p>It's also important to realize that injury can occur by repetition and overuse - not simply duration. One of mine pulled this at camp one summer. Wanted to focus on vibrato and did - until the left arm couldn't even be lifted above his head. Kid had even planned the vibrato practice out well - practice duration, motions focused on and rest period were reasonable. But, perhaps because he thought his practice was well balanced, he ignored the pain twinges in his eagerness to make progress. Always a mistake! Fortuneately, several days off and coming back slowly solved the problem.</p>
<p>I've also seen kids practice left-hand pizz until they sprain the little finger. They can't believe it's happened because they didn't work the technique for more than 3-4 minutes. Of course, they also ignored the pain that occurred early on...</p>
<p>Not just instrumentalists, as musicamusica notes. Lorelei also has singer stories, I'm sure. My saddest, a nurse friend who had to leave Juilliard undergrad after developing vocal nodes. Career ended before beginning.</p>
<p>Some schools are beginning to encourage a pro-active approach to physical health - encouraging massage therapy, Alexander technique classes, etc, but I really think more should be done. It's sometimes just too hard when you are otherwise young and healthy to resist overdoing in trying to satisfy teacher demands, performing requirements, personal goals, etc.</p>
<p>Apologies if I seem to dwell too long on this point. As I said earlier, these injuries happen every year - I just hate to see it!</p>
<p>My D is a string performance major. She recently pointed out a music student group on Facebook called "You Know You're A Music Nerd When . . ." Some of these are pretty funny.</p>
<ul>
<li>Your parents know more about popular music than you do.</li>
<li>All the songs on your ipod are at least 20 minutes long.</li>
<li>You get in heated arguments about who was better: Beethoven, Bach, or Brahms.</li>
<li>You sing along to classical music.</li>
<li>Every concert you've ever been to has been in a hall decorated in the neo-romantic style.</li>
<li>When you hear a piece, you know who wrote it even if you've never heard it before.</li>
<li>You spend Friday and Saturday nights in the practice room. </li>
<li>Your idea of a modern, cutting edge concert is when the symphony performs "The Rite of Spring".</li>
<li>All your favorite music artitsts are dead.</li>
<li>You wish time travel were possible (so you could prevent Mozart's death so he could finish is last requiem).</li>
<li>Joshua Bell is your favorite "celebrity".</li>
<li>You have a bad shoulder injury.</li>
<li>You got that injury from playing your violin.</li>
<li>You got arthritis when you were twelve. </li>
<li>You hate that song "graduation" by Vitamin C because its plagarized.</li>
<li>Your skin is so fair it glows in the dark.</li>
<li>You guard your hands with your life.</li>
<li>You've had a "hickey" for 15 years.</li>
<li>It's the only hickey you've ever had.</li>
<li>You live below the poverty line, and yet you own a custom tuxedo and a $25,000 instrument.</li>
<li>The neighbors have called the cops when you were practicing.</li>
<li>You know it is very rude not to bow when the audience is clapping.</li>
<li>You can honestly listen to "William Tell Overture" and not think of The Lone Ranger.</li>
<li>You celebrate Mozart's birthday.</li>
<li>When your instrument was in the shop you didn't eat, sleep, or talk for a week.</li>
<li>You know what a V 4/3 is.</li>
<li>When the TSA people at the airport start to open your instrument case because "it looks like a weapon" you scream, "don't you dare! that things worth more than you make in a year!!!!!!"</li>
<li>You refer to half-time at a football game as intermission.</li>
<li>Practice makes perfect is not a saying but a way of life.</li>
<li>You own the Beethoven Action Figure, AND the piano sold separately.</li>
<li>Your neighbor yells out their window "don't you ever play anything but scales?!" </li>
<li>Your parents still wonder where they went wrong, and pray that one day you will become "normal". </li>
<li>You can talk about classical music all day to people who don't care.</li>
<li>You know about "the other" Tchaikovsky piano concerto.</li>
<li>It's totally obvious when actors in movies are faking playing an instrument.</li>
<li>Whenever you watch those history movies in history class, you can rattle off the composer and title of all the songs they use in them (the most frequently used are Leonore Overture - particularly for movies about the French revolution, 1812 Overture- movies about civil war, revolutionary war, and wars of 1812, of course, and Eine Kleine Nacht Music- usually in the Sister Wendy rennaissance art history movies).</li>
<li>You are going to marry a musician or a dancer. Period. This is because only fellow musicians can understand your passion. Plus, you can serenade each other.</li>
<li>If you don't marry a musician, you'll marry someone rich.</li>
<li>You asked when Soccer auditions were.</li>
<li>You're wondering why you are reading this and not practicing.</li>
</ul>
<p>I know I am late for jumping on CC. Our S is a double bassist and high school senior who is approaching the audition phase. I am getting nervous about how to make it through the next four months! He has prepared himself well by identifying his top teachers and visited each of the schools at least once to get a lesson. He recently found out that he is an NFAA finalist and will be spending a week in Miami right before his first audition, which is literally the very next day. Are we making a mistake letting him participate in the youngARTS week just before an audition that involves different repertoire?</p>
<p>dbassmom, welcome! There are more experienced music parents here than I, but it has been our experience that playing at a high level has been the best preparation for auditions. Play,play, play. make sure he's practicing his audition repertoire, but he won't orget it while he's in Florida--what a great opportunity! Congrats to your son!</p>
<p>Congrats to your son! Obviously, asking his teacher about the wisdom of participating in ArtsWeek just before an important (is it one of his top choices - or just the 1st of several) is advisable!! But, I'm sure you knew that!</p>
<p>1) Just to allow you to relax, is it possible to reschedule the audition? Sometimes schools can accommodate a different date.</p>
<p>2) Have you talked with the ArtsWeek people about their experience in this regard? Maybe he can leave a day early to simplify travel and other arrangements. Perhaps verifying that there is some time available during ARtsWeek for individual practice and final polishing of the audition repertoire would be reassuring. </p>
<p>I have known violinists who have follwed ArtsWeek with important auditions - and they did well. Not that you can always apply others experiences to yourself, but my guess is that your S is very well prepared for conservatory auditions and that he will do fine. </p>
<p>Good luck to you both. Seems this is a case of "Be careful what you wish for"! I hope you can both enjoy the honor without pre-audition stress!</p>
<p>dbass_mom, welcome. I don't disagree with what already has been opined, as all points covered are valid.</p>
<p>I would add that depending on where that day after audition is held, you may run into winter weather issues anywhere in the northeast or middle parts of the country.</p>
<p>And a lot will depend on the individual auditioner: some work best under what appears to parents as a ridiculous self-imposed pressure and feed off it, whereas others need to focus on one thing at a time. </p>
<p>This whole process is a balancing act, and you need to define your student's (and your) center of gravity in terms of "stress" and "needs".</p>
<p>Hello all. My name is Magz. I'm a musician from Rochester, NY. I produce, sing, rap, write, engineer, play guitar and bass... I live in the studio and I attend Monroe Community College here in Rochester. I'm currently a music major. I am however applying to Berklee School of Music (wish me luck).</p>
<p>I've been lurking a while - Mom to soprano daughter applying to more schools that I would like to admit. Parents cannot sing - don't know where the voice came from! :) Keeping fingers crossed on 4 pre-screening audition cd's!</p>
<p>Our DD is also a senior soprano. Maybe we'll see you around on the audition circuit. Daughter applied to 8 univ/conservatories have 2 confirmed audtions still waiting to hear on the rest. Saw on another thread your daughter will be at 2nd round of Classical Singers comp in Chicago...We'll be there as well..daughter qualified at the Boston competition. Best of luck in the next few months of auditions and waiting.</p>
<p>Thank you for the welcome Opera-Mom! We may have met at the BoCo Classical Singer competition! Congrats to your daughter also!! That was one talented group of singers! Good luck to your DD and you (!!) in the upcoming months!</p>
<p>Sorry we didn't have the pleasure of meeting at BOCO... I didn't even know she was in the competition until after she had already sung... Her school helped her get signed up and took her...We're from the middle of the country and we often don't find out about things till they have already happened....She just got in yesterday for Christmas break...looking at her school planner I think I see 3 more competitions she is signed up for this spring... I'm going to have to take a look at those and see if the audition dates we've requested at vaious schools will all work out....Not to mention her commitments at NEC...whew...I'm tired just thinking about it....Can't imagine what it is actually going to be like for her.</p>
<p>Opera-mom,
Happy Holidays! I know the school your daughter attends and saw the group of girls when we were at BoCo! Their teacher is a friend of my daughter's teacher. I wish you a peaceful holiday prior to the chaos of competitions, auditions etc.... Happy New Year!</p>
<p>i'm 16, and i'm interested in doing either musical theatre, music or law for uni. (law as a fall-back though, i'm more interested in music and musical theatre :D)</p>
<p>i'm a coloratura soprano, flutist/piccolo-...ist?/pianist - all grade 8 standard WOOHOO :)
perfect pitch, and the only daughter of the family. 3 brothers only one of which is musical. not sure how i got the perfect pitch, but i guess i gradually got it since i started piano when i was 3.</p>
<p>singing is my main instrument, flute is my second favourite.. and piano is an extra i'm lucky to have :P</p>
<p>I'm currentlya highschool student looking into going into music for university. I'm a pianist at a performance and teaching level, and a percussionist. But my main passion for music roots in conducting and i would really love to puruse a career in conducting. Unfortunatley theres a limited number of universities that offer conducting as an undergrad course, namely: Curtis, Mannes and possibly Sibelius. I have been studying conducting since i was 13 and truly wish there were other options for me. too bad none. majoring in piano for college before going into conducting could be an option, but i really feel as my true passion lies in conducting. </p>
<p>A Single Mom of three- oldest son (31) lives in Seattle on a houseboat and works for Microsoft; he plays the guitar and Celtic Harp and was in all of the choirs in school;
youngest son (14) is a high school freshman who did play around with the oboe (talented, but no discipline yet) and is a member of his school chorus, but it is my D, 17 and a high school senior who prompted me to look around on this site. She began as a flutist but although very gifted she realized that her very tiny hands would cause pain and problems-luckily, she could SING! Over the past 4 years, her voice has morphed, grown, changed and morphed again; there were days when she could sing coloratura and other days Carmen sounded fantastic! Right now she has a huge range with dark, creamy tones to die and can sing all three female roles in "Cosi"! At the top of her class in a rigorous prep school, she comes alive when performing, and has been lucky be cast in everything from traditional musicals to G&S and opera scenes as well as serious drama and comedic farce. Her choice is to attend a conservatory and major in Vocal Performance ( she's a mezzo, in case my "name" wasn't a give-away!) looking for a career in opera, her first love. Right now, she has one EA acceptance in hand- Hartt- and several more auditions scheduled. I'll be lurking around for information and to post now and then. I've already found a lot of great information here and am looking forward to sharing the rest of this incredible adventure with everyone!</p>