No Sample Lessons at Boyer

College Majors Music Major
1

<p>Although we live in the Philly area, my D was certain she didn't want to even look at the Boyer College at Temple U. She doesn't want to go to school in a large city and didn't want to be too close to home.</p>

<p>My choir engaged mezzo-soprano Lorie Gratis for a couple of works we performed last year. I struck up a conversation at rehearsal one day with her about my D to try and glean some advice for my kid. It turns out that Lorie teaches voice at Boyer and insisted that my D should check the place out.</p>

<p>After she performed Verdi's Requiem with us, I introduced her to my D and they ended up chatting for a good 15 minutes with Lorie telling my D that she could email her at any time.</p>

<p>With school and crunch time for college starting this fall, my girl emailed Lorie asking about a sample lesson. The response she got was not from Lorie, but from the admissions department stating that, by policy, Boyer teachers don't do sample lessons. Has anybody ever heard of a policy like that, either at Boyer or any other school?</p>

2

<p>I have never heard of such a policy at any music school. You should ask the (ironically-named) teacher directly. If her email is being intercepted, try a phone call or US Mail. If a teacher agrees to give a sample lesson on their own time away from campus, then the school doesn't even have to know it happened.</p>

<p>They really expect you to commit to spending that much time and money on a teacher while refusing to allow a test run at the student's expense? Preposterous. </p>

<p>I understand that they may be deluged with applications from sopranos, and that there may not be time in the day for the more popular teachers to give sample lessons to all who want them. In that case they should have at least offered to allow you to observe a lesson or a masterclass given by that teacher, even if only on video. If you cannot work things out to your satisfaction, I suggest you tell the admission department that it is your policy not to consider schools that you cannot thoroughly research and take your business elsewhere.</p>

3

<p>I am of the same mind as BassDad.</p>

<p>I would also want to see or hear the policy reiterated by a faculty member, department chair or dean, rather than as a generic reply issued under the auspices of the "admissions department".</p>

4

<p>Excellent point. Particularly at this time of year, you may be dealing with a student who only has a couple of hours experience helping out in the admissions department and who either got the answer completely wrong or else did not know that there were other possibilities that should have been suggested to you.</p>

5

<p>Hmm, back when I was looking into Temple last year I was also told by the admissions person that Boyer did not offer sample lessons and I do believe I saw or read it somewhere as well. However, the impression I got was that the college itself does not set up the lessons but if you were to contact the faculty member directly, there is a chance that they would be willing to meet with you. As a current student there, I can say I know students who told me they had lessons beforehand or met with some of the faculty. Also, when I called my voice teacher before I had decided to attend, he was asking me if I wanted to come and sit in on some lessons (with a student's consent of course) or visit the studio classes. I'm sure it's different for each teacher but not all the teachers at Temple are unwilling to speak/meet with prospective students. </p>

<p>I just checked the Temple website for Lorie's email and unless Lorie Gratis is a separate identity for her, that's not her email. All the teachers here have an email address that corresponds with their name....except for a few, such as the lecturers...which I see that she is. I emailed a lecturer last year and also tried calling them and both times the address and number I used connected me to admissions, not the faculty member. I have some friends in a voice class with Lorie, I will try and get her actual contact info for you and send it to you in a pm. Other voice teachers you might want to consider, and their contact info is on the site, would be Christine Anderson and William Stone. </p>

<p>I hope this helped? If you have any other questions, feel free to direct them to me and I'll try my best to answer them or find someone who can answer them.</p>

6

<p>Hah, I wondered if that name might be a pseudonym. Many professional singers I know who belong to a union will use an assumed name when they wish to perform for free or for less than union scale. That way they do not get in trouble with the union if someone were to see their name mentioned in a program or a review. Some of them like to pick a name that pokes a little fun at the situation and Gratis would have fit that mold perfectly.</p>

7

<p>About a year ago, I arranged (directly) for my son to have a lesson with the main cello teacher at Boyer, all by email (not the lesson itself). We also arranged to visit the music school and the main admissions officer knew my son was having a lesson with Mr. Solow. Everyone was very hospitable. If you continue to have trouble, can't find the teacher's direct email or phone number, and haven't already, maybe you should talk directly to the head of music admissions.</p>

8

<p>In 2005 to 2006, my D had 3 lessons with a prospective teacher at Temple, but we made the arrangements ourselves directly with the teacher and paid for the lessons as well. I would also suggest that you get the teacher's direct contact information and make arrangements directly with the teacher.</p>

9

<p>Hi – </p>

<p>I am the Associate Director of Recruitment and Financial Aid at the Boyer College of Music and Dance. In response to the comments above, I will try to answer each of the questions and points brought up.</p>

<p>Boyer does not have a blanket “no pre-audition lesson” policy. It is a decision, made by each department, whether or not to allow for sample lessons. </p>

<p>The voice department, for instance, does not allow for sample lessons, but the instrumental department does give pre-audition lessons. The voice department does allow for students to sit in on studio classes, which are held by each voice teacher weekly on Tuesdays. </p>

<p>If the instrumental teacher is a full-time faculty member (Jeffrey Solow (cello), Helen Kwalwasser (violin), Edward Schmieder (violin)), they will not charge for the lesson; if the instrumental teacher is an adjunct faculty member, it is a personal decision whether or not to charge. The jazz department also allows for sample lessons.</p>

<p>Each department also has a separate policy for post-admissions auditions. In other words, if the student has been accepted both musically and academically, there are additional possibilities for taking a lesson.</p>

<p>As for the contact information for teachers, students are first referred to the department for initial contact. Students and parents can email me at <a href="mailto:music@temple.edu">music@temple.edu</a> or call me at 215-204-6810 with any questions, or to get direct contact information for teachers.</p>

<p>Students also have the opportunity to meet faculty members at the annual Open House on Sunday, October 12th, and seniors can sit in on classes and ensemble rehearsals at our Student for a Day program (on Tuesday, November 4th). Reservations are required for the Student for a Day program, and can be made here: Boyer</a> College of Music and Dance, Temple University</p>

<p>Again, please feel free to contact me directly with any questions at 215-204-6810 or <a href="mailto:music@temple.edu">music@temple.edu</a></p>

<p>Thanks!
Kristi Johnston
Associate Director of Recruitment and Financial Aid
Boyer College of Music and Dance
Temple University</p>

<p>Office Location:
Student Activity Center South
13th and Montgomery Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19122</p>

<p>Mailing Address:
Presser Hall
2001 N. 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122</p>

<p>215-204-6810 (phone)
215-204-4957 (fax)</p>

<p><a href="mailto:kristi.johnston@temple.edu">kristi.johnston@temple.edu</a>
Boyer</a> College of Music and Dance, Temple University, Home Page</p>

10

<p>You gotta love this forum. See, they really do have a reasonable policy after all. You just have to know who to ask.</p>

11

<p>It seems like that policy for the voice department would hurt recruiting. I don't understand a department making that decision.</p>

12

<p>I could see it if they are getting a lot more requests for sample lessons than they can comfortably handle. I don't know what Temple's numbers are, but some schools get ten to twenty applications and a lot more initial inquiries for every opening they have in their voice departments. If a teacher were to have three or four openings in their studio, they could be getting requests for an awful lot of sample lessons. I think the ability for students to audit a studio class and then have a post-acceptance sample lesson is a reasonable compromise in that situation. When a department is already getting as many applications as they can handle, recruiting may not be the highest priority that they have.</p>

13

<p>University of Maryland String studio officially does not 'do' sample lessons. At least as auditions get closer...</p>