<p>Our daughter is a 14 year old HS freshman who started out by playing piano and is now focussed on Voice. It is too early to say where she is headed with this but she loves to sing! We joined this site because we had questions about summer music programs. D is going to Interlochen for 6 weeks. As parents, our greatest musical talent is listening!</p>
<p>My daughter is 16 and just finishing her sophomore year of high school. She like many others here is planning on a major in performance (flute). She started private lessons in the 6th grade. The past 2 years she studied with a flutist with St Paul Chamber Orchestra. We recently changed to the professor at the Univerisity of Mn. The last 2 years she has gotten pretty serious in her flute studies and performed in a masterclass with Wissam Boustany and attended a masterclass and had a lesson with Keith Underwood. She has an audition for one of our local youth orchestra's this fall that she is looking forward to also.</p>
<p>She does well in school academically (ranked 1st in her class) We just recenetly started putting together a spread sheet of schools after reading the recommendation to do so here on the board. So we are really just in the beginning stages of our research and we have found this board really helpful in the planning.</p>
<p>Oh and I sang a bit in school and have a pretty good ear but never mastered an instrument the way my daughter has LOL</p>
<p>My younger S is a high school sophomore. He has been composing since he was quite young. He plays cello in a very good Youth Orchestra, electric guitar in the high school's nationally known jazz ensemble, cello in a string jazz trio/quartet, and sings and plays in a Funk Band. But it's the composing which is as essential to him as one of the food groups. He can't live without it. My older S is a Junior at a liberal arts college in Southern California. We live in the SF Bay Area.</p>
<p>Most of you know me by now, but I realize after looking at this thread that I never introduced myself here. I'm mom to a new college graduate in an arts field other than music, with a double major in a foreign language and a minor in business, starting the long road to finding her way in the arts.</p>
<p>I post here because of my fiddler, who announced last September that yes, after all, she thinks she wants to major in music, but not on trumpet, which had been her primary instrument, but rather on violin, on which she had no previous classical experience. She plays traditional Irish music and was beginning to venture into jazz and fiddle improvisation at the time she decided to audition for music programs. At that point she quickly got a new teacher who worked with her on classical and jazz works for her auditions (3 auditions in classical and one in jazz). </p>
<p>After the long roller coaster ride of the last few months, once her acceptances were in she chose to attend Bowling Green State University in Ohio for 1) the violin teacher and 2) the world music/ethnomusicology offerings at the undergraduate level, which will complement her fiddle interests as well as her interest in non-Western music. She also plans to continue her fiddle work outside of the curriculum, as well as take jazz violin studies in the summers. We'll see where this all leads, but at the moment she is working hard to finish her high school studies, and looking forward to starting college in the fall. </p>
<p>I also have a 12yo S who to date shows no real interest in playing music, nor has he yet shown an interest in anything else that could suggest a future direction for the focus of his high school studies. We'll see what the next couple of years brings.</p>
<p>My Background- a recent steep incline
As a mom with no music background whatsoever (PhD-chemistry), I was pulled into this world by my oldest child. Several years ago I didn't know about music teachers, pre-colleges, summer music programs, concerto competitions, orchestras or conservatories. I now feel comfortable in this world and have acquired some experience that I feel could be helpful for people that find themselves where I was just a few years ago. There have been many great decisons along the way, together with a few misteps. I didn't have a college confidential resource to consult; but on the flip side-I didn't realize how much I didn't know! </p>
<p>My children-all 3 are musicians
My kids include a D, a performance major at Rice (woodwind), a HS S sophmore (brass) and another S, a 7-yr old (string.) My children have attended pre-college at Juilliard, been in many (at least 15 or more) of the NJ and NY Youth symphonies, attended Kinhaven, Tanglewood, SMI/Kennedy Center, Brevard, NY SMF, and prepare for auditions, recitals or competitions more often than I clean out my fridge! I still remember the first music fact I learned 6 years ago...get the best private music teacher you can..school is not enough. I laugh when I remember cringing at the thought of the money that would cost. A lifetime in 6 years.</p>
<p>What I have learned-
1) Your children must LOVE music to do it at this level. They have to drive it forward, not you. It is not for the meek, it is not for the uncertain. This level is hard work, long rehearsal hours, mad-cap dashes between concerts and rehearsals. (This month we have ~18 concerts, 30+ rehearsals and 10 conflicts including 2 unresolvable conflicts (with 2 unhappy conductors at how they were resolved).......but, I do have 3 kids doing this. My oldest saw it as exciting and fun and we learned together what it really entailed -although she still finds it exciting and fun! The younger ones knew exactly what kind of work it meant before they became involved, but chose to do so anyway. Lounging around in PJs watching TV on Saturday morning is sacrificed for a 7am train to Juilliard. They have to make these choices, not us. As the parent, you must always walk the precipice. Encouraging adn full of pride, but at the same time helping them understand if they should ever choose not to continue, you will be just as happy about them playing in the local chess tournament as you were in their playing 1st chair at Carnegie Hall. It's a fine line we walk. You don't want them to be afraid to decide it's not for them, for fear of disappointing you. It is their happiness we are after.</p>
<p>2) As the parent-facilitator (that's what I call myself) my job is critical. Organize applicatons, deadlines, auditions, etc, for summer programs, orchestras, colleges and competitions and in the meanwhile, get everyone everywhere they need to be, and with all the appropriate concert dress-CLEAN. And, of course, pay for it all! If you think your kids can do most of this themselves, you are right, they can. But remember, they are attending school, rehearsals, practicing, studying to get good grades and occasionally, getting together with their friends. It is the least I can do if they are working so hard!</p>
<p>The payback-
My kids LOVE what they do and are so happy! And when they are happy, they not only play well, but all aspects of their lives seem to go beautifully, including school. In the few free moments of their lives, I find them doing music anyway. It is their souls. We should all be lucky enough to discover what makes us glow and gives us unending energy at such a young age.</p>
<p>Welcome, team_mom. We have almost certainly crossed paths at NJ Youth Symphony events. My daughter played bass in YS from September 2002 through June 2005. We may also have met at Tanglewood if your eldest was there in 2004. Small world and all that...</p>
<p>And I believe my kid has played at least one Juilliard pre-college concert as a fill-in in the horn section. (Short male with long hair - he tends to stick out.)</p>
<p>One of the fun things I've learned about the music world over the years is how small it is! When S went far away to school, he met up with people he'd played in youth symphony with, or one summer program or another, or All State, or... And someday, maybe CC!</p>
<p>wow team-mom, what a great post..! Should be required reading for all parents whose children decide to set out on this course! I had been a high school English teacher and de-facto college counselor for hundreds (thousands?) of kids over a 30 year career, but when DD announced she wanted to apply to conservatories I discovered that I knew almost nothing about the process. The learning curve was pretty steep, the outcome wonderful, and, as you say, the fact that she LOVES what she is doing is the best part of all.</p>
<p>I've been hanging around here since last December, stumbling into this forum completely by accident. For whatever reason, I never posted to this thread, but I've provided some background in other threads.</p>
<p>We started this process back in late 2001, with no background, no clue. I wish we had the insights then that this board provides. We knew nothing, but we made some good choices, and we survived. </p>
<p>My son graduates this Sunday from Hartt with a BM (highest honors) in viola performance. Through this March, he was a double major, (viola performance/music ed) due to graduate in December '07, but he decided to
drop the ed and graduate this May. I'm still not sure why exactly, but I'm assuming he has issues with the lack of support for the arts in public schools.
This late change means a gap year for him now before grad school as no apps were done given his original anticipated completion date. </p>
<p>I've tried to answer some questions and provide some insights based on our experiences, both general and specific. Having gone through this pretty much on our own, I'm happy to provide whatever support I can to others on the board.</p>
<p>Some general suggestions: search the Internet. There's a ton of info out there. Network... use your youth symphony, your teachers, your instructors. It's a small world and contacts made in this process and for the future are a big part in making it work over the long haul. For the string players, Strings and Strad, and to an extent BBC Music magazines are invaluable for finding schools, festivals, and other needs.</p>
<p>I am a mom to a daughter who is majoring in classical vocal performance at NEC. She is currently a junior. She studied violin for 12 years, but stopped formal lessons as a senior in high school. Two sons who enjoy playing music but not going to be musicians. </p>
<p>Neither my husband or I are musicians. I wish I had found this website before she applied to conservatories!!!!</p>
<p>Better late than never, DrNancie! Who knows, you might be looking at grad schools soon. In the meantime, NEC is a school that comes up a lot in discussion, and it will be nice having someone here with personal experience!</p>
<p>Binx, you are right! She is planning to apply to grad school. Anyone who has had experience with that, please let me know!</p>
<p>I am happy to answer any NEC questions and I also have a son at Brown.</p>
<p>Oh yes....grad school...DS did those auditions this year. BTW...as others noted, when DS auditioned undergrad, he met folks he knew at EVERY school. It was amazing. We were in totally strange places and he was talking to others, comparing notes, catching up, etc. Some were from youth orchestra, but most were from his summer programs. Oh...and don't forget "networking" from here. DS actually did some participation at a summer thing last year that was suggested by Binx (and he did it as her son suggested...only one or two shows, not the whole summer) which we never would have known about otherwise.</p>
<p>Hi folks -</p>
<p>My D is a violinist. She'll be attending NYU Steinhardt in violin performance this fall. She always enjoyed playing and it came pretty easily to her, but she didn't become serious about it until she started attending the local performing arts high school in the 10th grade (she decided not to apply for 9th grade because she wasn't that serious about music and wanted to go to a "normal high school" -- well, one year of a normal high school cured that). That's when she started working hard, under a new teacher, and was exposed to other talented and ambitious students, and decided she wanted to study performance in college. No more skating by!</p>
<p>She's always been pulled by other musical interests, other than classical. She loves classical music but she also likes many other kinds of music, and there are things about the classical music world -- things outside of the music -- that she is put off by and thinks she would have difficulty with. But when she finds a kindred spirit with wide-ranging musical interests combined with great talent, she is thrilled.</p>
<p>That acceptance of the vaildity of other forms of music, and the opportunity to explore and perform in those areas in addition to her studies and performance in classical music, became the major objective criterion in her search for a college. Yes, teachers are extremely important, but you never know how the relationship will unfold. So, understanding the school's responsiveness to individual student's evolving development and possible changing areas of focus and the ability to change teachers if need be also entered into the decision. All that, combined with the subjective gut reaction of a "fit."</p>
<p>And I think that's one of the great benefits of the often arduous audition process. Compared to most high school seniors, performance majors really have a pretty good idea of which schools among those they have applied to are the best fit. NYU started out as an afterthought for my D and became her top choice. Most students don't have the benefit of an application process as revealing and instructive as those who do auditions.</p>
<p>My D is a vocal performance person (coloratura_as). She applied at Oberlin for the reason that it was so close and they had early review in December. We would not have to travel too far and she'd get comfortable with auditioning before we did have to travel in January, February and March. She'd also done sample classes with someone there and even went to some student productions. She got accepted before Christmas. It did what we had hoped, and gave her some confidence doing the other schools - all accepted her, too! So where did she end up? Oberlin!!
Good for Mom and Dad. She is only 30 minutes away so we can see her when she in in things, plus they gave her a bunch of money - making Oberlin extremly affordable.<br>
I was a clueless, non musical person. I can't believe we got the best choice for her and it's in our backyard. For years I thought that Oberlin was this bizzarre, politally liberal place. Then we got to know the Conservatory... Perfect fit.</p>
<p>a.c.bay</p>
<p>a.c.bay-</p>
<p>Great story! Isn't it wonderful that you get to enjoy your D's performances?
Our S is close by also and like they say, it's priceless!</p>
<p>I'm the mother of a jazz guitarist son, a hs junior, starting to look at conservatories. He is a current pre-college student at MSM. He is infatuated with MSM and really wants only to go to college there, though he will apply to all other jazz strong places: New School, NEC, Berklee, Purchase, Uof Arts in Philadelphia (this a new one we discovered and plan to investigate further)--maybe Temple, Ithaca?? Currently, I am overwhelmed with trying to help him navigate this process. I am not a musician and I feel like a blind person trying to lead him around!! This forum has already been a wealth of information for me. I will be looking for advice!</p>
<p>jazzzmomm - Don't overlook University of North Texas. Great jazz program.</p>
<p>Hi jazzzmommm --</p>
<p>My D also started out infatuated with MSM, then fell in love with NYU. They also have a strong jazz program. Good luck and have fun!</p>
<p>Thanks, binx, for bringing up North Texas. We've been hearing a lot about it. At the moment my son is convinced he will only be happy in NYC. He loves the jazz scene here, and who wouldn't? Undergrads at MSM have thrilled him with stories of playing out at Cleopatra's Needle and Smoke, etc.! I feel like we really need to see some liberal arts colleges with strong jazz studies departments, so he can compare the college experience to the conservatory one. He has visited NEC, Berklee and New School, and they all look good for different reasons, though New School seems a little independent in style for an 18-year-old. Two older brothers at Northwestern and Brown, non-music majors, have given him a taste of campus life, and it really doesn't interest him all that much. He seems to be, at least at this point in his life, totally committed to the musician's life. I suppose this all belongs in another thread, though, and I am off to look for it!</p>