<p>If your child is a music major, the AP theory course will give them good preparation for the theory tests, but yes, they will have to take the tests. AND they will also have to take theory courses....no credit given for AP music theory for music majors.</p>
<p>Re: the times...DS had some audition days that were the full day 9-5. Others were 1/2 days either a.m. or p.m. And others were 15-20 minutes long...play the music and leave.</p>
<p>RE: flights...Most likely you will be able to make an evening flight if it is a late one. You may know your audition day, but the time will be given to you very close to the audition day. E.g. DS knew when his NEC audition was taking place. BUT he didn't get the exact time until about three weeks prior. His was at 5 p.m. (it was actually the last audition they heard). It would have been a challenge to get to Logan Airport for an early evening flight (we didn't have that issue because we live close enough to drive). As Shennie said...get there the night before so your kid can sleep well, take a hot shower, relax and not feel rushed or worried that he's not going to make it. Most auditions will take place in the winter and if you're flying you need to consider that weather may bog down the flights. Even if you are going to a warm weather place, the flights may not be flying to get you there. This past year, DS's grad school auditions were all in Jan and Feb. We made the airline reservations at the end of December and flew him in the night before in all cases. Good thing because there was a big storm on one day...but he was rerouted and got where he was going (in the south, btw) with no difficulty.</p>
<p>The best bet is to talk to the admission offices. They are usually very cooperative in explaining their process. There did not seem to be any waiver for the theory tests. Peabody assigned the audition time and expected you to be there. They were only on weekdays during one week in February. DD was at 6:30 PM that day but had to get there in the AM to sign up for the theory test did not run that late I believe. Even though it was at 6:30 PM, we went the day before and stayed in the hotel since the only thing you can be sure of in February is that the weather is unpredictable and they tell you auditions go on regardless.</p>
<p>It really does vary a lot from school to school. At BU, my daughter had a late morning audition that consisted of signing in, warming up for 30 minutes, playing for 10 more minutes and then she was free to go. It was similar at NEC, but took a little longer because the audition was more like 20 minutes and the warmup 45. At Peabody she had to show up at 9 AM on a weekday and was not finished until after 4 PM. At Curtis, there was a department recital and QA session at 7 PM the evening before the audition. The audition times were decided by lottery the next morning, each one was for a full 30 minutes and they continued until about 4 PM. We then had to wait until they were all over to find out whether there was going to be a callback round that could have gone well into the evening. (There wasn't.) At Oberlin, it was theory and ear-training tests in the morning with a leisurely lunch before a warmup period and a mid-afternoon audition.</p>
<p>The AP Music Theory test means nothing at all for admission or placement at a conservatory. Each school has its own theory tests. Some give them at audition time, some between acceptance and the beginning of school and some after the students arrive.</p>
<p>Is there anyone who can give me an idea of the difficulty of the theory test or what does it actually cover? </p>
<p>I ask because my son has only taken theory classes for the last 3 years given as an extra class with his youth symphony (CYSO). Until this summer I found out that he could've taken theory classes while in high school as well, taught by his orchestra instructor. (However, the instructor has been useless and has been waiting to retire for the last several years.) He has remarked that my S. is talented, etc., but never suggested or recommended that he take any theory classes.</p>
<p>Was that the early audition at Oberlin BassDad or the regular? The weather should not be too bad in Cleveland November 30th and it would seem reasonable that you could make the 30 min drive and catch a flight that leaves after 7 PM. Testing in the AM and auditions in the PM does not help.</p>
<p>Plans are for arriving plenty early on 29th, however, if there is anyway I can schedule it we have to leave Oberlin by what 5? Drive is back towards Cleveland and traffic should not be a factor until right around Hopkins.</p>
<p>Sounds like the other schools will follow no general rule and Peabody seems the biggest problem. Good to hear CIM is only a half day. Eastman with the weather will force a big cushion. Curtis is a reach that we will likely skip. Those are after the new year.</p>
<p>Did many of you put in several applications "in case" and then only actually audition at a small number? Seems the applications have to be in early at many schools forcing you to apply just in case.</p>
<p>Also is there a travel discount tips thread here? Many of you mention frequent flyer discounts, unfortunately we do not travel (until now) enough to have those.</p>
<p>Honestly, don't sweat on the theory test. The test is for first (college) theory course placement only. With three years of theory, provided he wasn't sleeping, he'll most likely end up in the first, possibly second level course.</p>
<p>If he has the time, and wants to take theory classes beforehand, that's fine. If he doesn't, that's fine too. It's highly unlikely he'll place so poorly as to have to take the introductory remedial "theory for the clueless 100". And if that's the outcome, it's one extra course designed to build a solid foundation for future courses.</p>
<p>I'd leave the deciscion to him. If it will take time away from his practicing for auditions, don't bother. </p>
<p>FYI, a similar testing procedure is used in grad school admissions just to insure theory skills and knowledge is at the appropriate level.</p>
<p>Whew! What a relief. I've been on edge since his orchestra instructor has been so "out of the picture," so to speak. These kids have been pretty much on their own & unless one knows just what to ask, well then, it's your loss.</p>
<p>My son did decide to stop taking the extra theory class this year at his youth symphony (thankfully, saving us the $$). He said he thinks he already knows everything there is to know! I'm sure he doesn't really mean that literally, but maybe knows more than the kids in his HS orchestra! Ha!</p>
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<p>The weather should not be too bad in Cleveland November 30th and it would seem reasonable that you could make the 30 min drive and catch a flight that leaves after 7 PM. >></p>
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<p>I grew up in Cleveland and my whole family still lives there. It's on Lake Erie, and there can be plenty of snow at the end of November. It's good you are planning to go the night before.</p>
<p>The theory tests given are placement tests. Everyone has to take theory as a music major. The only question is which level you will start at. My son had taken music theory as an elective course for three summers, and took the AP music theory course (didn't bother with the test...no credit anyway). And he also had piano lessons for many years. He is good at theory and only placed out of one semester which he decided to take anyway...thought it would be a good basis for him. Some schools also have piano placement tests (variation on when those are given as well...some during the audition day, some during class selection/orientation, some right before classes begin).</p>
<p>Oberlin and Hopkins are on the SW of town as you know and there rarely is lake effect snow there. If we were talking Mentor or Painesville instead of Oberlin it would concern me. We have family there as well and are very familiar with the area.</p>
<p>Would be just the kind of luck we need to have a once every 10 year significant snow fall that early.</p>
<p>Sounds like the AP Theory was a waste of time. I guess even the AP Scholar with honors thing probably with $5 will get you a coffee at Starbucks. lol</p>
<p>Violadad I read that thread before asking here and you are correct there is a great deal of good information in it.</p>
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<p>Would be just the kind of luck we need to have a once every 10 year significant snow fall that early.>></p>
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<p>Those who have read my "sagas" here know about this. DS was supposed to have his audition at Peabody on President's day. HOWEVER, it snowed over 30 inches in the DC area that weekend...something that rarely happens there at all. Auditions were postponed until Wednesday of that week...the faculty was stranded all over the country, no one could easily drive in or out of Baltimore, and the parking situation with all that snow was impossible. I'll tell you, I could hardly wait to get back to CT!! </p>
<p>Re: the AP Theory course...not a waste of time to take the course. It is a very sound basis for theory, and that is a good thing.</p>
<p>Daughter did indeed do Early Review at Oberlin, although I do not remember whether they assigned the audition time or we requested it.</p>
<p>As far as AP Music Theory goes for music majors, the course is indeed worthwhile, but taking the AP Test in high school is pretty much a waste of time. It will not count for credit and you still have to take the school's tests for placement.</p>
<p>Re timing and CIM: you will not know until you get there what time the audition is. There two different theory tests, one written skills, the other aural skills, and the time slots for each occur several times (this is my recollection from two years ago). Most auditionees prefer to do the auditon before the theory tests. So while it may seem like a half day project, it may not be. I seem to recall them discouraging auditionees from planning to catch any afternoon flights out of Cleveland. Things do change, and there is a new administration there, so be sure to ask them how things are now. Good luck.</p>
<p>Now that I think about it, I believe we were told the audition time after we arrived at Oberlin as well. It would be best to contact them as well if you are planning a late afternoon/early evening flight.</p>
<p>Every major audition took a full day usually starting about 9 am. This often meant a day for advance travel and sometimes the following day for return travel. She did 4 major travel auditions for 8 lost school days. She also did 2 regional auditions, but each cost a school day. She did 2 auditions at local safety schools and had a callback for a total of 3 more days. That totals 13 school days between early January and early March. In addition she had taken 3-4 days for school tours and lessons in the Fall. Make sure to contact teachers and the high school administration in advance. My D had almost no difficulty with assignments and makeup tests. Actually she had the most problem with her Saturday, pre-college conservatory program. The orchestra conductor allowed only 1 cut. She missed 2 sessions, had to pay for a substitute and was almost barred from "graduation." It didn't make any sense to me since almost all of the students had auditions.</p>
<p>Yeah, some directors think that they own you. My daughter almost got thrown out of her Jazz Ensemble in high school because she missed a mandatory rehearsal of that group to perform with her Youth Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. She had told the director of the Jazz Ensemble weeks ahead of time that she was unavailable that night, and there was no problem until about a week before the event when the director suddenly realized she would be without a bass player for her rehearsal. Fortunately, one of the other music teachers at the high school volunteered his own time to replace her at the rehearsal and smoothed things over.</p>
<p>My son got a D on his orchestra "final" exam at school because I took him to visit a conservatory (purchased plane tickets and set up a lesson with the teacher 6 weeks in advance--wasn't going to change that!) and he missed a concert on a TUESDAY night that he only was made aware of two weeks before.</p>
<p>Following the tone of the last three replies, my son had one bad experience as a college sophomore where his physical presence was required for two different performances at the same time at different venues for two different instructors. One was a mandatory choir performance for a required core course, the second a small ensemble instrumental performance. The time change was a revision, on the part of the choral instructor and made three days prior. His absence would have a greater effect on the instrumental piece because of the small number of players.</p>
<p>He talked to the choral instructor, who would not excuse him. In fact, the instructor was abusive, condescending, and totally unprofessional when my son approached him to explain the conflict Based on the advice of his advisor and his status as an instrumental major, he chose the ensemble.</p>
<p>It took the intervention of the Instrumental chair to make the choral instructor accept his absence and only after my son disputed his zero grade for the performance.</p>
<p>Another schedule conflict occurred when the orchestral director scheduled a last minute promotional run out recording and rehearsal the same weekend as the American String Teachers annual conference. </p>
<p>Both scenarios could easily have been avoided with communication and planning.</p>
<p>S had an orchestra conductor at a prominent arts high school who wanted him to pay $700 to a professional sub for a pit orchestra, under threat of flunking him, when he had an audition scheduled. THere was another high school player on the sub list, but the conductor would not accept that player. It took intervention to the highest level of the school. Our stand was they could flunk him or they could excuse him or they could drop him from the course, but they could not make him pay (extortion) to pass the course (grade fraud). We would have liked to have been the fly on the wall when they ran that one by the school attorney. [To be fair, there was a conflict concerning the date by which he was supposed to tell them he needed to be gone, but he had not known he could do the audition until after that date, so it was impossible to meet the deadline.....to have told them he needed to be excused, someone else required to play in the pit, and then stayed home would have been disingenuous at best.] ]</p>
<p>There were often rehearsal/performance conflicts for my S who was in multiple school ensembles in a school with a very strong, nationally recognized music program as well and the NEC Prep Jazz Program, the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Senior Orchestra, districts, all-states, and other National competitions, master classes, etc. </p>
<p>These conflicts required negotiation and much advance notice, but for the most part, faculty and conductors/music directors in all programs were very supportive and flexible. They each seemed to value the opportunities he was being given by the others and wanted to make sure he could take advantage of those opportunities. </p>
<p>S did miss quite a bit of school and rehearsal time for college auditions especially given that he auditioned for both performance and jazz studies at each of the conservatories to which he applied(bar one). For some schools, this required separate applications and/or separate application fees. S was seen as a separate student/applicant for each program and the decisions were completely independent of one another. He was accepted into both programs at 3 conservatories, one program at one, and rejected by both at a fifth. With 5 institutions in total, he took 9 auditions. Like BassDad's D, my S had several other conservatories/music schools on his list which were dropped following a December acceptance to one of his top conservatory choices, leaving only his very top choices for the remaining auditions. </p>
<p>Each institution had their own process and expectations for applicants on audition day. We were carefull to fully investigate the requirements of each and plan accordingly, making sure that we accounted for potential bad weather, since each indicated that there would be no cancellations even in the event of a snow storm. If that necessitated additional missed school/rehearsals, we did so and again, found folks to be quite supportive. S was, however, always expected to produce academic work on time and be reponsible for missed work. Like others, we anticipated this and reduced his academic course load (he only took 1 non-music AP/honors class senior year) to reduce the risk.</p>