<p>team_mom, congrats and the best of luck to son. Thanks for providing the CMU link. It seems a heavy load for a 4-4.5 year program.</p>
<p>Congrats, I think your son will do fine at Princeton, though if he is that disciplined he would probably do well most places I suspect. He wonât have the ensemble work at Julliard or the music theory and such that he might with a joint program (not sure how that works), but he is working with a high level teacher (I would assume), and that is cool. A friend of my sonâs is graduating this year and is thinking of Princeton for a science degree and he is a musician as well (I donât know what school he has chosen yet), and he seemed to like the environment (and a plus for your son, if my sonâs friend goes there, he is a pretty serious horn player, was in Juilliard pre college for several years until graduation). One thing I will throw into the mix, a couple of years ago my son was practicing at a church for a program he had been invited to play in, and an older gentlement, who was a Princeton alumnus, got to talking with him (apparently he is active at the school, interviews prospective candidates, fundraises, etc). According to this man (who was really kind, gave my son his card, told him to call him in a couple of years:) Princeton was looking to beef up the music program, so he might find some serious music types coming around and the department there ramping up (I canât guarantee this, this was simply from this one encounter). </p>
<p>One suggestion for your son, if he doesnât mind travelling to NYC, he might want to check out the New York Youth Symphonyâs chamber program. It is stand alone from the orchestra itself, so if your son doesnât like orchestra work he doesnât have to do the orchestra. The organization is fantastic (my son is a member, his group performed last night at Weill with the other chosen groups) ,but it would require some further schlepping, which might be difficult for him. As part of the program the kids practice weekly, they are assigned a coach (who usually works with them twice a month), and they also have workshops and master classes that are pretty high level (they arenât kidding on their website, they get members of top chamber groups and teachers to do the coaching, like the members of the Shanghai quartet, the Tokyo Quartet, Ani Kafavian, Fred Sherry,a murderers row, and yes, they do have wind players come in:)âŠit might be rough on your sonâs schedule, the master classes might be tricky (I think kids have to attend 2 of the myriad master classes and a couple of the workshops) since they occur during the week a lot of the time,along with the rehearsals, but I think he might enjoy the kids he would get to play with, they are always putting together all kinds of groups:). And even nicer, outside of an initial fee, the whole thing is scholarship.</p>
<p>I wish him well, I am sure he will do just fine:)</p>
<p>team_mom: congratulations to your son! I wish Iâd seen this thread before but the past 48 hours have been a nonstop conversation with my son (violinist, composer) trying to decide between Yale and Princeton. </p>
<p>We live in Princeton and my son has been involved in music theory classes and the Composerâs Collective on campus all through High School, and I think your son will have an outstanding undergraduate experience there. The commute to New York is really not bad. The âdinkyâ train leaves right from Princeton and NJ Transit is a superior commuter line. We know many many Princeton students who take their private lessons at Juilliard (my son would have been among them if he hadnât chosen Yale).</p>
<p>The Music Theory and academic courses in the Music dept. at Princeton are excellent. There are also many musical ensembles of all kinds, including a two tier orchestra. String ensembles are coached by the Brentano quartet. At the Composerâs Collective concerts, Iâve had a chance to see many Princeton ensembles; some of the kids at Princeton who were at Juilliard pre-college continue to bring in Juilliard musicians to these programs (their friends who stayed on for conservatory), so I consider the musical level to be very high on campus. </p>
<p>Additionally, Princeton offers a Certificate in Performance, and a Junior year abroad at RCM. </p>
<p>I think your son has made a great choice and congratulate both of you!</p>
<p>The choice between Princeton and Yale was very difficult for my son</p>
<p>Hard Decisions,
No matter how straight forward they may seen, I ran an orchestra benefit this weekend and ended up with shingles! Nothing is as easy as it appears! </p>
<p>NW-He loved the teacher-all seemed perfect-except for the 5 years of full tuition. Didnât seem like the right move at this time. And miles to go before I sleepâŠS2 starts college in 8 years! Iâm not being productive just sleepy.</p>