<p>Thought I'd try this as a "new" thread and see what kind of feedback I get.</p>
<p>D is a HS junior trumpet player. She is currently studying with a U Houston trumpet prof who gives us good feedback on her upside potential, as does her youth orchestra conductor, whose last principal trumpet is headed to Juilliard. D is also pretty strong academically (not 1st in class, but say top 10%), and that's important to her, too. </p>
<p>We took an opportunity last summer to visit a representative conservatory, LA college, and state U. She decided to focus on modest size LA colleges/univ that have music as a major emphasis area, have high-quality trumpet faculty to make performance a credible career opportunity, and offer dual-degree or MwOF as a serious option. She's been mostly classical to this point, but has some interest in jazz/contemporary. A few more parameters: anything east of the Mississippi River is still in play at this point, big-city center urban schools without a true "campus" are not. We visited Ithaca College (which she liked), and we've also thought of Lawrence, Miami, Depauw, Vandy as possibilities so far.</p>
<p>I'd love to hear feedback on those schools, along with others' good ideas for us to consider visiting this winter/spring.</p>
<p>When you say east of Mississippi, doesn’t that mean “only”? For some reason, I thought I read on your other post that you were considering schools all over. If that is true, and you are already in Texas, UNT would be a logical addition to your list. And I agree that St Olaf is a good one for trumpet. Maybe Indiana? Or is that too big?</p>
<p>When you say Miami - do you mean Florida or Ohio?</p>
<p>The veterans of this forum always catch you when you’re imprecise, don’t they:)</p>
<p>As far as geography goes, D’s first requirement is “not in Texas”. We’ve pointed out that she’s arbitrarily eliminating really good options like Rice and UNT, to which her reply is “There’s always grad school!” The “east of the Mississippi” part is my interpretation of her general preference - she doesn’t want to go to the west coast and has family and friends scattered around the East and Midwest.</p>
<p>Miami, FL is the one we were thinking of - don’t know anything about the trumpet faculty at Miami, OH.</p>
<p>TrumpetDad - Thanks for the list. We’ll do some more research.</p>
<p>Could you kind people add some schools that would be good for a trumpet player that is first a Jazz player but also wants to continue with classical. More the eastern/midwest/southeast part of country. Maybe Texas as we keep getting told UNT and Miami(FL). Berklee has also been recommended but they do not have classical or am I mistaken. One professor he played for made a case for applying to a university with a music school instead of Julliard/conservatory because of all around education. It made some sense, but it is too early in the process to be sure. I have read some of the older threads that cover this topic but would appreciate anyone giving an opinion/recommendation. You can probably exclude any school that does not award scholarships if you have that information. Thank you.</p>
<p>Reading more here, I see I should have been more specific. Son is a junior in high school. Strong performer, academically and in music theory. He has a top flight private teacher. Looking for a program with top level jazz trumpet teacher with performing history. Has to have a history of top level jazz ensembles, combos and traditional jazz band. Should have an excellent classical trumpet teacher as well. Quality orchestra and band large enesembles. We have read some lists of schools that offer music degrees, but are hoping for more specific knowledge about programs that might contain those ideal qualities. Thanks for you patience with me.</p>
<p>I’m still in the list-compilation stage myself. I’ve been focusing on LACs that offer a BM degree [I’ve already posted part of that list on this thread], but now I’m starting to budge on that a bit and at least consider some places that I’d classify as conservatories.</p>
<p>We’ve seen her perform with the Maria Schneider Orchestra and have read great things about her as a private teacher. We’ve been thinking of buying an hour-long lesson with her as a present to my son for his 16th birthday. It wouldn’t necessarily be a one-off event [we live in RI], because she also does lessons via Internet video, but requires an initial in-person lesson as a prerequisite.</p>
<p>What looks interesting about MSM is that they have multiple trumpet instructors, some devoted to jazz, some to classical. And they’re in NYC. And it looks like it’s not as tough to get into as a place like Julliard … but I’d be interested to hear more about that myself. I know there are others here with first-hand experience with MSM who can share much more.</p>
<p>I just ordered a hard copy of their view book … which puts us on the mailing list, of course.</p>
<p>Thank you for the links on Manhattan. Their trumpet faculty is impressive both classical and jazz. As you are, we are probably looking more at a university with a quality music program and probably not at conservatory. Just the cost of living in NYC alone is more than attending some excellent universities and as good as conservatories are the difference in cost probably is prohibitive compared to any potential advantages they possibly offer. For a grad school that might be the opposite.</p>
<p>I have noticed most instrument teachers are listed as adjunct professor or lecturer and rarely are full professors. Not certain it matters a great deal or at all in helping compare the quality of instruction, maybe just likely longevity in the program. But you can not take sample lessons from 50 professors.</p>
<p>I was surprised looking at Oberlin how sparse their jazz faculty seems. I know about their new building and monster additions to the library but there does not seem to be a major commitment to jazz yet. Indiana also seems like jazz is secondary there and not fully staffed despite David Baker’s presence.</p>
<p>Many of the states major universities seem to have programs like OSU, Penn state, UMich, UMaryland, FSU but I do not see much to separate one from the others. Many are monster size universities and that maybe a drawback.</p>
<p>Maybe after the holiday some others will contribute to the thread.</p>
<p>Since yours is a year ahead of mine, I’ll be most interested to follow your progress.</p>
<p>I’ve just exchanged emails with Laurie Frink. It looks like it’s going to happen, maybe late January. Once she spends some time with my son, it should be interesting to hear any assessment she may have regarding realistic target schools, as well as summer programs. It just seems so hard to gage at this point. I’d say we need extra help like this because neither my wife nor I are real familiar with how things really are in the music world, academic or otherwise. Plus, it’s a good excuse to spend a day in NY. We’ll be touring MSM the same day.</p>
<p>TrumpetDad you not only have an extra year you also have a big head start here and in gathering information. I feel very inadequate being so late.</p>
<p>You are fortunate to be so close to NYC. It should be a great experience.</p>
<p>Son has played for some college professors and many jazz players and we hope we have some idea where he stands level wise. But until the audition you never know, you just hope.</p>
<p>Make sure you write plenty of details here about your visit to MSM and include positives and negatives. I expect you to take notes for those of us that can not get there. Kidding of course but do look forward to reading what your reflections. Don’t forget about dorm situation. Most schools seem to have horrible dorms.</p>
<p>We will likely try and make a visit to a couple schools either during Christmas or spring break and hope to include a sample lesson. Have not a clue which schools, but there is some time to figure it out. It won’t be Eastman in December.</p>
<p>Some of the lists on here are interesting but without the thinking behind why a school is on the list it is difficult to understand. So often it just seems it is like Casa Blanca. Round up the usuall suspects.</p>
<p>TrumpetDad - You and I may see a lot of each other over the next year or so! Sounds like we’ll be learning our way around together. We’ve evolved our thinking a bit since I first started posting. </p>
<p>D’s teacher is really a Chicago fan if the objective is trumpet performance. He’s encouraged us to add some Windy City schools to our list (Roosevelt, Depaul, even Northwestern as a stretch goal if she continues to develop). We’re now thinking of a spring break trip to the Chicago area - will visit her old teacher (now a student at Roosevelt) and also visit John Daniel at Lawrence along the way.</p>
<p>I’m also going to make her visit Ithaca College in February, when the weather is truly awful! If she’s still interested, we’ll keep it on the list. Her teachers here seem to put a lot of stock in Frank Campos as a teacher/pedagogue.</p>
<p>Coronet glad to see you will be doing a great deal of leg work. Please keep us up to date on what you learn. </p>
<p>I am going to let my fingers do the walking on the keyboard until have a better idea of what schools should make his long list, maybe even his short list.</p>
<p>Ithaca does sound interesting, as does Frank Campos. As for the Chicago schools, I will have to learn more about Northwestern.</p>
<p>Another aspect that I suspect we may start to budge on is to start considering larger schools. We’ve had this idealized notion of a strong trumpet faculty in a small school, but those are few and far between.</p>
<p>As an aside – and this will date me – Coronet440’s handle conjured up an idea for a funny handle on this site for a trumpet person/parent: “CoronetBlue”, the name of a summer replacement series in 1967 that I watched faithfully. Not too many people would “get” this, but I’d be entertained by it…</p>
<p>He goes back and forth on that, but, yes, the current preference is jazz. The week he spent at the Litchfield Jazz Camp this summer seemed to have an impact. He seems to have a better handle on improvisation now, and his main ensemble this year [as of today] will be his HS jazz band. Though, if the RI Philharmonic School starts up a brass chamber ensemble, as has been floated, he’ll immediately sign up to audition. He was in a couple of larger ensembles with them last year, but decided against those this year.</p>
<p>His private instructor splits time between classical and jazz.</p>