<p>Does anyone out their know any statistics for Cincinnati Conservatory of Music? Is it difficult to get a live audition? My daughter (soprano) sent in her audition DVD and was not granted a live audition. We are in shock and she is absolutely devastated. Both her vocal coach and school music director cannot believe that she was rejected. Just looking for some input...</p>
<p>gosh...I mean out there! I should have proof read this.</p>
<p>I don't know the statistics, but it is very competitive. Unfortunately, sopranos are always at risk to not get an audition at very competitive schools. It is particularly important for sopranos to cast a wide net. Sometimes, there is no rhyme nor reason because different schools need different things. They may be swimming in very talented sopranos and reject other similarly talented sopranos. Truthfully, it may have nothing to do with how talented she is. My daughter is a soprano and knows that she will always be in line with many other sopranos at every audition throughout her career. I'm sure if your D's vocal coach and music director believe her to be talented enough for CCM, she will have success at other places. Do you feel that she has applied to a good range of schools?</p>
<p>Yes, I do. She has applied to Indiana University, Northwestern, Ohio State, Baldwin Wallace, U of Arts, Maryland. Baldwin Wallace and Otterbein. We sent pre-screening CD's to Indiana and Maryland and have not heard anything yet. D is on pins and needles! Now she is talking about applying to others and I think it is too late.</p>
<p>That sounds like a good mix to me. My D is auditioning at Otterbein in February. When is your D's audition? I am already worried about the weather for the trip to Ohio. We visited in September. Indiana and Maryland are tough too, but the others add some balance. We are local to Maryland and getting through the screening is not a piece of cake there either and can be totally unpredictable as well. My D knows people who didn't get an audition who went on to Lawrence, Oberlin, Northwestern and other very good schools. Two sopranos who graduated from my D's high school went to NWU. One stayed in vocal performance and the other moved into a MT focus. They both had/have incredible opportunities there.</p>
<p>Her audition at Otterbein is on January 26. The people at Otterbein are really, really nice to my daughter. I am really impressed by them. She is looking forward to her audition. She has already been awarded a ton of scholarship money even though she has not auditioned. That is encouraging! I keep reminding her of this but she cannot get over this Cincinnati thing! Oh, and by the way, we live in Columbus so we are about 20 minutes from Otterbein. You never know about the weather here, however, we do not get a lot of snow.</p>
<p>What Cartera has said cannot be overstated. One of the best young local sopranos from our town was not wanted for a live audition anywhere and just managed a spot at conservatory at the last minute. Your daughter must be quite something to be awarded good financial aid at such an early date. Good luck in all the upcoming auditions!</p>
<p>Thank you, Mommybird!</p>
<p>Must be exceptionally difficult to get an audition. A friend of mine's son did not get a live audition either, and he has gotten lots of accolades elsewhere. We were shocked.</p>
<p>Good luck to your D elsewhere. I really believe these things shake out in the way they are meant to, and she will land in a good place.</p>
<p>The more I read the more I am realizing how extremely difficult it is to get an audition. Thanks for your help!</p>
<p>Linnlew, your post has encouraged me to end my 3 years of lurking. Without knowing the quality of the prescreen your daughter sent, you and she should know that mistakes are made in this step of the admissions process. This happened to my son. In our circumstance, he was ready to drop the issue, but his teacher insisted on resolution. Here was our situation. First as background, my son is currently a 2nd year string player in a major, stand-alone conservatory. Prior to his conservatory experience, he studied for 7 years with a teacher at a major university with a music department often mentioned on these pages. When submitting prescreens, he included several NYC conservatories, one of which his teacher thought far below the standard of other schools to which he applied. We threw it in only because the audition would be held at the same time as other NYC conservatory auditions ? why-not-one-more sort of thinking. Guess who we heard from first ? the last choice on his list of school applications wouldn?t even offer him a live audition. After initial shock and devastation, S and I both knew that there had been a mistake, but since he wasn?t truly interested in this conservatory would have dropped the issue. His teacher, however, contacted the admissions department. CD was resurrected, reviewed by two real professors (not the grad students who typically review string prescreens) and GUESS WHAT??? Both wanted him to audition and indicated interest in taking him on as a student based on pre-screen alone. We declined the offer for both audition or matriculation. Advice based on our experience for what it?s worth - analyze the situation. Don?t stay with devastated ? although I know that was my first reaction. It may be that the pool this year was very high and the results reflect that reality. You may be able to get some feedback from CCM. Or, it could be that the ?wrong? person heard the CD ? there may be a ?challenge? procedure if you are convinced of an error. Or, it might be that the prescreen result is correct ? just hard to accept. S (and I) had (and continues to have!) heart-breaking competition experiences that he learned from when he could get beyond initial disappointment. Best to you and D ? I remember the pain all too well!</p>
<p>Sorry about your D going through such a tough time. I can't speak for all types of music majors, but I do know about MT and VP. My son started college as a MT major and switched to VP. These programs are very hard to get into most will see hundreds and admitt 10 to 20 total, that is all voice types. Lots of very talented kids don't get in anywhere. It sounds like your audition line up is good. You might want to add a saftey (non-audition) or two, just to be on the safe side. Unfortunately most of the kids in these programs will never see a professional stage. And most that are able to work professionally will get a lot of rejection before they "get there". You've got to be really tough to be a professional musician, there are always lots of rejections. I've heard my S and his friends joke about their expensive educations preparing them to live in a cardboard box!</p>
<p>Linlew, I am still thinking about your daughter's experience and how unfortunate for her that this was her first feedback. Musicianmom, your post also struck a (sorry, I feel a pun coming on which I can't seem to stifle) chord. My son's first audition feedback (after less than a year of voice lessons) was also negative and never explained in spite of a very humble request to the Dean for more info. He felt that he had sung well (and his standards for himself are high). Within a few weeks of that rejection, Indiana accepted him in the first round of auditions based on his prescreening recording and with a School of Music Faculty Award. Ultimately, all the rest of his audition feedback from the more competitive schools (which he had purposely scheduled later) was extremely positive.
Again, good luck. I hope you will have good news soon to balance out the rejection.
On a lighter note: srw, very funny about the cardboard box!</p>
<p>We're all in this together this Spring as our kids go through the audition process. I have been through two conventional college appliers before my music kid, and the music process is so much harder in every respect. When you think of how many slots are actually open in each program, and how many really qualified and gifted students simply don't get a spot, it's essential to have some safe options. Good luck everyone!</p>
<p>I'm soaking this in. It's a little discouraging for S because kids all around him are getting in to colleges EA, ED or rolling (well, some are not...) and he's got so much ahead of him still! he's applying to half audition, half BA/no-audition, but the BA/no-audition schools are not safeties, unfortunately. He's mentally prepared for a gap year. Agree that you need a tough skin in this business!</p>
<p>It has been interesting explaining to clueless friends and family members that the fact my daughter has been accepted academically at 4 schools is great but is not even half the battle. People who don't "get" music just say, "well, if she doesn't get into the music program, it won't matter that much will it?" Yeah, it matters. At least I am getting better at letting go the fact that many people view music majors as some sort of quasi academic experience. My brother even said that the good thing about getting into a music program is that it will be an easy major - WHAT?? I guess he thought she would just be skipping down the halls singing.</p>
<p>When my son went through the whole process a few years ago, we just weren't prepared for the juggling acts, timelines, audition prep, unbelievable competition, etc. How I wish I had discovered this cc music community before we had that daunting process ahead of us. All of you who are going through the auditions and nail-biting are fortunate to have access to such valuable advice and emotional support. Being able to bounce ideas and experiences off of parents and students who have 'been there' really makes the whole process more bearable. Fortunately son is at a great program and doing well.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of your comments. My daughter is feeling better today. I have passed all of your nice words onto her! She has decided to apply to a few more schools, including our Columbus, OH (Buckeye) big rival...Univ. of Michigan! I have heard good things about that program as well. MusicianMom, thanks for all of your input. I thought D's pre-screening was excellent, but you know, I am her Mom. It was up to her standards (and voice teachers) so she feels like she did her best. Her choir director is going to call CCM for some input. She cannot believe that D did not get an audition...oh well. And like you pointed out, mistakes can happen! Now we move on and we should receive Indiana & Maryland's letters very soon. I am hoping for good news from Indiana like your son had, Mommybird. D really likes it there.
I will get back on here and report on the other schools. Good luck to your S, Neumes. I always thought my D had tough skin due to audition after audition for musicals, solos, etc. but this one hit hard. I guess because maybe it was her very first college rejection! But, she has had a lot of good things happen for her this year so I told her to hold her head high and move on!</p>
<p>Cartera45,</p>
<p>I feel the same way! My D has all of these schools after her. She has a 4.3 and is in the top 5 % of her class. She did really well on ACT and SAT. We have scholarship offers galore but no music school acceptance yet. I know...I could strangle people after they say some of the rude things. I need to let you read what my daughter wrote for one of her essays but I don't have it here on this computer. It was her counselor at school asking her what her back up plan is when she doesn't become an opera singer..quite commical! I have never sent one of these "private" e-mails. I will check into that this weekend and forward it to you!</p>
<p>Yup! I feel your pain. D had 4.22 GPA out of max. 4.25 and is a Robert C. Byrd Scholar. When I told a colleague of mine of all the merit scholarships D received from every school she applied, she said, "I didn't know that your D has such good stats. I though students who study music are only so-so in academics." A boy in D's high school Ordinary Differential Equation class called D a "freaking genius" (in terms of Math ability, not music). I don't think my Colleague's son will be taking O.D.E in his senior year (he goes to the same high school as D). A professor at Harvard told me that Harvard loves students like my D. And yet people think less of musicians. It is very frustrating.</p>
<p>I also have a friend commenting about music being an easy major. I have to explain to him about music theory, musicology, private lessons, studio class, ensembles and how many hours a day D spends in practice room. Regarding the junior and senior recitals, he said "but it is only one hour long!" People have no clue how much effort musicians put in for that one-hour recital!</p>