Hi, glad to have some support on this crazy road! My son is a junior headed for music school, we hope. He’s a jazz saxophone player (primarily tenor but also plays alto and baritone), takes piano and sings as well. Jazz is his first love but he also likes classical (though not as strong in it, I fear). Basically if it’s musical, he’s happy. Right now he’s struggling with whether to apply in performance, specifically jazz performance, or education or both. He wants to play lots of instruments, sing, record, the works. He’s also interested in teaching and will be a TA for the concert band at his high school next year.
Background: Through membership in a regional honors band at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, he got a scholarship to the five-week at Berklee last summer and really enjoyed it. He also visited Ithaca College and was very impressed by their education, jazz and classical tracks. He may even have preferred it to Berklee – he loved the idyllic campus. He was just admitted to the jazz workshop at Eastman this July, so he’ll get a taste of that school as well. Other possible schools on the list include Syracuse and Peabody/Johns Hopkins, neither of which he has seen; and Rutgers, since we live in NJ. He didn’t love Temple or NYU; he doesn’t want to go to NYC for college since he’s lived nearby most of his life. I was pushing Oberlin, but they don’t have a music education track.
Oh, and he won’t go south! He likes cold weather. SMH.
So…we are still looking. U. Michigan could work, although I know little about it. His academics are pretty good, especially GPA (well over their cut-off for the music school), so would love to hear people’s experience there and anywhere else. Good luck to all!
It’s a bit late, but have you considered sending him to Interlochen? It’s the kind of place that will fill his rep sheet with impressive performances and the teachers are excellent. Also, it’s hyper competitive and acceptance means he’ll have competed at an international level (many nations are represented there). It’s a great place
My 2 cents worth after having a sax player who is now a teacher, is that there are not many programs out there that are “jazz music ed”. Most music ed programs are “classical heavy”. Having said that, the level of playing required for an audition for an “ed” program is less demanding than for performance and if he’s amazing at jazz and decent at classical, he should be fine in many great schools
@NYsaxmom That’s exactly what he was told. Some schools also have more slots in the jazz studio than in classical, which may skew in his favor. The reality is, he’s very strong jazz player and a solid, but not exceptional classical one, and that’s not likely to change before auditions.
This is my first post here. We have a sophomore S who wants to major in Composition. We being cautious parents would like to see him pursuing double major. For this summer he applied to Curtis for summer camp and also Otterbein. He is very good academically, and he is most happy when he is composing. I know junior year will be hard, and I have a feeling that I will be learning a lot from this forum.
Composers have many options, Make sure to read the Double Degree Dilemma essay posted near the top of this forum. Composers can do a BM, or a BA, or even major in something else entirely, and still succeed. It is quite different from the path of instrumentalists. In fact, an argument can be made that studying art, literature, social sciences, math and CS can all contribute to composition over the long term. That said, there is also no need for a back up major. Music majors can gain job skills by interning and working, and their degrees gain them access to many kinds of jobs, in and out of music, as well as grad and professional schools. Quite a few doctors were music majors as undergrads. In other words, if you take the long view, it is fine to major in music or more specifically composition.
I am on this forum hoping to find insight as to what I can expect from these Conservatories and music schools, and what they offer for financial aid. So far, I haven’t found much information on the aid side of things. Within the past 6 months, I decided last minute to switch my undergrad major to music instead of computer science. Not sure how far I could go, I took a shot at SFCM, and got accepted into their TAC program. However, now I am really nervous about getting financial aid. Everything is going pretty easy, but I have heard that they will sometimes not provide substantial resources. Anyways, that is the point that I am at so far, I am gonna be looking around for some information concerning that. So I hope you all don’t mind me.
TAC is a great, relatively new program. Did you apply anywhere else? You can learn some of the same things in other programs, of course. Are you a composer? Do you work mainly in a studio type setting? Do you do computer or electronic music? Look at the thread on piano for composition.
It does look like a good program. SFCM was the only conservatory level school that I applied to due to the fact that I haven’t prepared years ahead for auditions like some people. Like I said, it was a sharp turn towards music for me. I am a composer and prefer to work in a studio (my room), I have mostly been composing in various genres on the piano. SFCM was interesting because of the TAC program, I think it is really important to incorporate electronics into music nowadays, and that is why I applied there. I am beginning to learn the technology side on my own, like composing in computer programs and using virtual instruments.
Composers don’t have to have prepared for years. You just need a portfolio of 3-4 pieces, and they should be fairly recent. You could start composing in late junior year and still have a portfolio ready.
Every composition program at colleges, conservatories, schools of music, large universities will have electronics in composition. Certainly some composers stick to acoustic pieces but most do some electroacoustic work.
Preparing could simply be finding a sound, or testing different genres of music, I believe there is preparation with everything in life. However, I agree, having a portfolio within a year or two is possible, but the quality will be nowhere near as good. Perhaps some people could make beautiful complex pieces without years of prior experience, but I wasn’t one of them (not that I make beautiful and complex music).
I also agree that most music programs have the same descriptions and classes, but that does not mean that the program is good. I have been to multiple colleges stating that they have a composition degree, but it usually ends up being untrue to an extent. What is important to me in any school, is the experience, enthusiasm, and teaching ability of the professors. So, I just believe that a college/school stating it has a composition program and similar classes means very little. Thanks for your thoughts on it though, and what you say may be correct, however, where I live it is not the case.
What I wrote was that most composition programs will have some electronic work and there are many ways to learn what you apparently want to learn, so if it isn’t TAC, you can still progress.
Summer programs can be a good way to assemble a portfolio.
Professors really cannot teach you to compose. That is an important thing to realize.
Hello, everyone! I am a long-time stalker who finally decided to join because, even though I graduated from college last year and am now in graduate school, I absolutely love reading about everyone’s journeys while selecting which music school to attend. As I said, I am a graduate student in a coordinated MLIS/MM (with an emphasis in Music History and Literature) program, and I graduated with a degree in viola performance from Luther College in May 2017. Excited to read about where everyone ends up over the next month or so!
Hello. Just introducing myself. I’ve been reading the forum for a few months now. This is such a helpful place!
My S was admitted to SMTD at University of Michigan and will attend in the Fall. We are over the moon excited! I have another artist in the family as well - a D 15 who is a singer/dancer so I will be around for a while!
I’m a parent of a HS senior. He is applying for BM in vocal performance. He has auditioned to several music schools and we are waiting for acceptance emails. He applied to Mannes, MSM, Peabody, and Juilliard.
I’ve been reading the forum for the past few months and this is my first post. I’ve been enjoying all the conversations here, and I’m learning so much about this very unique road that musicians must navigate in order to get into music school!
I’m a parent of a HS sophomore jazz piano player who plans to apply to BM/BFA programs in performance. She will be attending Eastman’s jazz program this summer. She’s excited to meet other serious jazz musicians!
Hi! I’m a “violin mom” of a HS senior. She was accepted to CIM, NEC and Juilliard and has decided to got to NEC in the fall, class of '22. So very excited! I enjoy reading about everyone’s journey and experiences with this crazy world of music! Here’s to the music that keeps this world beautiful!
So happy any time I see Interlochen mentioned, @imptime18. D (a rising HS Junior) will be attending one of their Institutes this summer. She (and we!) are super excited for the opportunity and experience, just don’t know entirely what to expect. Glad to read your recommendation!
I finally joined and can post! I am the father of a student who will be starting at a well known conservatory in the fall. I’ve spent the last 2 years learning about this process, it’s nothing like “regular” college admissions. And although I know nothing about music it self I’ve had recent experience with many of the “top” schools an summer festivals and the perspective of a parent.
