<p>Hi, this week my son received acceptance packages from 5 very different music schools. He is a classical trumpet player who very badly wants to transition to jazz. He has consistantly been in top All-State postions and, although, he did make 4th chair All-State Jazz, does not consider himself very competent as a jazzer. He is the oldest of four children and we are very concerned with the cost of his education. The five schools that he auditioned and was accepted to (all, but one, with some scholarships) are:</p>
<p>JHU/Peabody Conservatory (expensive, even with a generous scholarship)
U. of North Texas (great for jazz but we have heard differing stories as to whether or not this is a good place for undergrad trumpeters)
Oklahoma City University's Bass School of Music (lots of playing opportunities, current senior snagged one of two graduate openings at Northwestern; lacks a strong jazz program)</p>
<p>and two Virginia in-state schools:
Virginia Commonwealth University (to study with Rex Richardson - great player, teacher and person)
George Mason University (home of NTC)</p>
<p>Not being "music parents" my husband and I are not sure how to advise him. Does prestige trump cost? Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!</p>
<p>Be in touch with Thumper (one of the parents who posts frequently at this site). She has lots of information about the world of trumpet. Good luck. </p>
<p>Also SusanM (?) some postings last year, but her son made this journey earlier.</p>
<p>I think lorelie2702 meant to say SusanTM. I agree you should seek them out by pm if neither responds within the thread.</p>
<p>nonmusicmusicmom, congrats and welcome. I love your screen name, just kind of rolls off the tongue.</p>
<p>I’m a bit confused. You say he wants to transition to jazz, but did he apply in a jazz concentration or a BM performance path at each of these schools? </p>
<p>I’m not much help on either brass or jazz, but will point you to a few jazz knowledgeable posters. There’s a few with acceptances, and a number of posters with students at some, but not all of the schools. I can also pull prior threads, but not all will be jazz specific.</p>
<p>Hi - Thanks for responding everyone:) He applied as a BM trumpet performance major, but he wants to be able to continue working on his jazz skills and keep that option open.</p>
<p>My son is still a HS sophomore. He also wants jazz trumpet.</p>
<p>I’d never heard of Oklahoma City University. Looks like they have quite the music facility. It’s good to know of this school, because then we could get two visits in if we decide to make the trek to UNT [from RI]. I’m guessing maybe you did the same.</p>
<p>My D is in voice, not trumpet, but I would urge any music performance major that if it’s at all possible to go back to revisit the schools at the top of his list, and take another lesson with the desired teacher. My D revisited two, and she realized that although one of the teachers had a great reputation, neither the first or second lesson had done anything for her at all. Then at the other school, the second lesson was terrific. And a year later, my D is still thrilled with her teacher. I think that after eliminating schools where the social and living environment is just not what you want, that the most important element is the teacher. And by the way, the only school that you sound 100% enthusiastic about in your comment is Virginia Commonwealth. That must mean something.</p>
<p>I don’t know trumpet specifically but a friend of the family auditioned in classical percussion, went to George Mason and transitioned to Jazz second semester. It was not hard there. But he went for a fabulous percussion teacher. Teacher is very important but so are the ensembles. How challenging would each be for him. He wants to be in ensembles but not always the top of the heap. Needs performance but also challenge. I think some lessons or additional visits may be in order, and cost is always a factor. We had to decline Peabody because of money.</p>
<p>nonmusicmusicmom, that clarification is helpful. At a number of schools, jazz can be a separate program. I don’t know enough about the genre, or the specific mindset of the institutions (or the specific instructor’s philosophy, which can also be a major factor).</p>
<p>I think trying to determine flexibility here may be one of the keys. </p>
<p>Well…I would pick U of North Texas. They do have a fine orchestra as well as their very well known Jazz bands. Has your son spoken to anyone there regarding his desire to beef up his jazz playing while also continuing to play classical trumpet? If not…I would suggest you do so.</p>
<p>I would say…for most performance majors, the private teacher is a very important component to the college selection process. My son applied to both UNT and Peabody and was accepted to both programs. The trumpet teachers at both schools were very high on his list. I’ll send you a PM regarding this.</p>
<p>So glad to FINALLY see another trumpet acceptance on this board. Lots of flutes and singers…not so many brass players this year!!</p>
<p>Just a thought: Peabody’s jazz program, while small, might be an easier place to dip your toe into as a classical trumpet player, by virtue of the fact that it IS small vs. a well-established, larger program like UNT where high-level jazz trumpet players have been accepted specifically into that genre.</p>
<p>Nonmusicmom, my S was also in the All Va. Jazz Ensemble! Of the schools you mention, the in-state options are clearly not equivalent to UNT or Peabody; however, VCU has a strong program and it is definitely the better of the two in-state options, particularly for Jazz. We live in Richmond, and my two sons are very connected with the VCU jazz scene. You can’t beat the price of VCU, and Rex Richardson is very highly regarded for both classical and jazz trumpet, and tours internationally for both. Also, my sons know at least one person who is a classical major and is in VCU’s top big band, so it’s clearly not a problem for classical instrument majors to participate in the jazz ensembles.</p>
<p>My S has been accepted at VCU, but has decided not to go, though the primary reason is that he wants to go away to school. His best friend is a top tenor sax player, and has decided on VCU for jazz. I hear that several others from AVJE are going as well, including the 1st chair trombone and trumpet players, and one of the drummers, so VCU is going to have a strong entering class in the fall.</p>
<p>Hi Jazzkat - my son knows the 1st chair AVJE trumpeter from a brass ensemble that they are in together. That is actually a plus and a minus. He likes him quite a bit and really respects his playing ability, but he also has a desire to “remake” himself at university and is not sure if he would be able to when he knows so many of the other players. I’m curious…where did your son decide to go…Temple? My son is also a bit concerned that there may be too many “distractions” at VCU and in Richmond - it is a very vibrant community and school with much to do.</p>
<p>Your take on the jazz opportunities at Peabody is intriguing… I think it honestly may be our son’s first choice because of the small, self-contained campus atmosphere, but again…as parents we are concerned about the cost. We’re not sure if he should wait and take on the big loans for grad school. I guess not being a music savvy, we are a bit concerned about “the future” (A terrible way for a parent to feel - tough with him being our oldest).</p>
<p>jens lindemann at ucla is a great teacher as well… trumpet performance majors at ucla often play in the jazz combos and big bands as well. you don’t have to major in jazz to become a jazz musician. wynton marsalis was a trumpet performance major at Juilliard and made his name first as a classical musician.</p>
<p>Nonmusicmom, in response to your question, my S will either go to IU or Eastman, depending on whether or not he gets into Eastman and what the financial package looks like if he does get in. He wants to study music at the highest level possible, and although VCU would be an acceptable choice and the least expensive (and one he was definitely willing to fall back on), it’s not on the level of the other two (or in your case, UNT or Peabody). The scholarship offer from IU makes IU acceptable for our family finances, so the difference in the money between IU and VCU is not a huge issue. </p>
<p>He decided against Temple, even though it has a stronger overall music program and higher reputation than VCU. I think Temple’s strength is due, in part, to the proximity of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the fact that a number of members of the Philadelphia Orchestra teach at Temple. As for jazz, several of the jazz faculty members are in the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and it seems to be a solid program, but definitely a notch down from the top jazz programs. For my S, it is important for classical studies to be integrated into the jazz curriculum, and the only places we found that to be the case are Eastman, Oberlin and, oddly enough, VCU. He’s having to compromise on that somewhat for IU, though IU did require a classical audition in addition to jazz, and the jazz piano professor there has degrees in both jazz and classical piano. Consequently, his lessons at IU would be split between jazz and classical, and the ratio between the two is apparently his choice.</p>
<p>I think the other comments about how many jazz musicians started out in classical music is a good point, so being among high level players and having some opportunity to be involved in jazz would be the ideal as long as the cost works for the family budget.</p>
<p>The jazz trumpet program at UNT is outstanding and it’s a great value. You should make the trip to check out the department and campus. You’ll want to check out the horn section of the famous One O’ Clock Lab band while you’re in Denton!</p>
<p>We did visit UNT and saw the One O’Clock Jazz Lab practicing (and the Three O’Clock) and were very impressed. My son was a bit put off by the large size of the trumpet studio and the fact that most undergrad lessons were from TAs. Both profs that he auditioned with assured him that they monitor progress very closely and do hand pick the students that they instruct, but it did seem like you could get lost. We have also heard that fresh/sophs don’t get too much playing time, but we’re not sure if that is true or not. We’re not sure if a smaller, more personnal environment might not be beneficial. We have heard that UNT is GREAT for graduate work. We don’t know much about the atmosphere of Peabody either. It seemed a bit more “nurturing” but would love more feedback on anyone’s experience with either programs.</p>
<p>One thing to keep in mind with UNT is that while the overall music department is huge, within various departments the sense of community is very strong. For jazz trumpet majors (BM performance - jazz studies) typically the undergrads are studying with full-time faculty, not TA’s. TA’s are more typically teaching brass/Music Ed majors who must also play in the marching band.
Any trumpet player getting into UNT’s jazz program with a modest scholarship (hence in-state tuition) will surely make one of the lab bands by his or her second or third semester and there are tons of jams and recitals all of the time. I think it’s important to keep in mind that there are always smaller schools where our kids might start off playing in the main ensemble, even as the 1st chair player - but after four or five years of smooth sailing, will they have learned how to compete in the harsh world of performance music?
My freshman son, admittedly not a trumpet player, is getting loads of playing time with many older players of greater ability and even some faculty - more experience than I would have expected at this stage of his education. Both of us are pleased with “year one” in UNT jazz studies - it’s a big program for a good reason. It’s really excellent and a great value.</p>
My son is also a bit concerned that there may be too many “distractions” at VCU and in Richmond - it is a very vibrant community and school with much to do.</p>