Suggestions of Colleges with Music Majors

<p>I wish my daughter had had the advantage of this discussion when she was applying to college! Despite our family's relative sophistication about music training, we found it very difficult to get reliable information on the quality of conservatories, which liberal-arts schools had good music performance situations, etc. At the time she was a talented and musical cellist but not at the top rank technically, so places like Juilliard & Curtis were not even on the radar screen. Also, she was wavering between music school and a LAC. Hedging her bets, she applied for the Tufts-NEC dual program and, weirdly, got into Tufts but not NEC. Ended up on a full-tuition Trustee scholarship at BU, which worked out wonderfully for her. By the time she graduated last spring, she was light-years ahead of where she had started, vastly sophisticated about and committed to a performance career, and had also had the opportunity to take many excellent non-music courses because BU is also a "real" university with a distinguished faculty. Also, she got to experience mainstream college life (read: frat parties and a cappella), which wouldn't have been possible at a place like NEC or Peabody. She is now thriving in grad school at Mannes in NYC, studying with a famous teacher there, and already making valuable contacts in the city for when she finishes her M.Mus. next year. </p>

<p>But it still would have been a huge help to be part of a community of parents who knew the ropes a little bit. Though things turned out well for her, who knows what opportunities she might have missed because we just didn't know about them.</p>

<p>Maybe there should be a special forum on College Confidential just for music students (I realize there's one for music theater majors, but that's a completely different situation as those of you in this thread are well aware of.)</p>

<p>Veteranmom, with whom is your daughter studying at Mannes? One of my closest friends is a freshman undergrad vocal perf. major there, studying with Ruth Falcon (not sure if I spelled her name correctly). Mannes is a fantastic school- congratulations to your daughter for having gotten there; I'm also happy for her for having had such a great experience at BU!</p>

<p>I definitely agree that there should be a special forum for classical music students. Just judging by the length of this thread and others like it, it seems that there is plenty of interest here. Moderators?</p>

<p>(Note: as I nervously await my results from NEC, I somehow feel better glued to my computer screen and commenting on this thread than doing anything else. Despite the wealth of info to be found here, this makes me glad I didn't know about CC in Dec. 2003 when I anxiously awaited my ED results from Tufts!)</p>

<p>Daughter was accepted at NEC, by one of the two teachers she wanted but with no merit award. A call to Oberlin reveals that studio assignments do not come out until July. This complicates matters. We are now going to have to make another trip out to Oberlin for sample lessons with another teacher. </p>

<p>We may also try to get NEC to reconsider their merit aid decision, having $12k per year offers in hand from Oberlin and Peabody. Has anyone heard of NEC ever sweetening the deal when presented with offers from competitors?</p>

<p>She has some great choices. If she goes with NEC she will be studying with Lawrence Wolfe, the assistant principal bassist of the BSO (and hence the Boston Pops principal). She played for him in a masterclass at Tanglewood last summer and we will probably try to arrange a one-on-one lesson in the next couple of weeks. If she goes with Oberlin, she could be studying with either Scott Haigh, the assistant principal of the Cleveland Orchestra or with Thomas Sperl, a section member of that group. Both were present at her Oberlin audition, but she has never had a sample lesson with the latter. Her teacher at Peabody would be Paul Johnson, principal bassist for the Baltimore Opera.</p>

<p>My politically-active, liberal, Vegan daughter's personality is a definite match for Oberlin and she has no problems with their "middle of a cornfield" image, but I'm sure she can find like-minded friends and Vegan food in Boston. I'm not as sure about Baltimore; more investigation is needed. I think this decision is going to come down to the wire, depending on how the sample lessons go and on NEC's final merit aid decision. Any input from the CC community is most welcome.</p>

<p>Bassdad, DS also was accepted at NEC two years ago into the studio he wanted. AND they only accepted three trumpet players. He got no merit aid at all. They do not negotiate merit aid. We tried. I would suggest you try, but don't be disappointed if the answer is no. DS opted to go to BU where his merit aid was substantial. He is very happy.</p>

<p>It sounds like your D would be perfect at Oberlin. If she can get the sample lesson with the other teacher, that would be great. When D was accepted to Oberlin 2 years ago, before she got the acceptance she heard from her first choice voice studio inviting her to be in her studio. I guess the bass department works differently. D thinks she would have been happy in the music program at Oberlin and the kids from her graduating class at Interlochen who went there are very happy. The experience at NEC has not been as good- many kids have transferred or are unhappy. (D is a soph vocal performance major at Rice and is NOT the WildChild referenced in my screen name...)</p>

<p>Juliatorgo--S did get accepted by Tufts (no $) and also has a University Scholarship at Boston U.</p>

<p>Veteranmom,
While there is no special forum at CC designated JUST for music majors, there is a forum listed under college majors called Arts Majors. I've thought for a long time that that is where the music conversations belong. There are acting majors, technical theatre majors, film majors, and art majors who have all started threads under that heading. I have seen threads regarding music scattered all over CC. I have occasionally seen questions about musical theatre posted in the "wrong places". I or another regular from the MT forum usually direct the newbie to the MT forum. If one of you regular music major posters would start a music thread on the arts majors page, maybe eventually everyone would end up there. Just a thought :)</p>

<p>Come to that, how does one start a new thread? I cannot seem to find the appropriate place to click.</p>

<p>Bassdad: If in your heart of hearts you think your daughter will stick to music and have a go at a career, she would be much further down the performance pike from experience in a cultural city. If she is likely to get more sidetracked by her intellect, Oberlin is a better choice. As I understand it, NEC's location in amongst many schools, and while it is in a city, it is a collegiate area. Peabody is a smaller educational oasis, and she would have less freedom there. What is the difference in residence hall situations? As I understand it, NEC students may not get to stay in the residence halls very long, and Boston apartments are expensive. NEC is expensive, higher than the NYC conservatories.</p>

<p>Veteranmom: With whom does your daughter study cello at Mannes? Did she consider Manhattan? How do the studios work there? Is there a sense of community and family within the studios? The NYC conservatories with faculties who teach several places are worrisome to this parent, because students need a support system of a teacher and peers.</p>

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<p>NEC students are required to live in the dorm their freshman year. I can't imagine that there are very many students who would WANT to live in it any longer than that! The (one) dorm is positively the worst of any we have seen at any college we visited...the WORST. It's only positive is that it is very close to the school facilities.</p>

<p>That bad, huh? It must be awful for a parent to think paying Boston apartment rents is a preferable option! I made the decision when we took the audition tour this year to not clutter my brain with all the visuals until we knew where there would be acceptances. Now, of course, I need to know more, but all of it is superfluous to the educational decision. When he decides I will find out what I need to know. </p>

<p>Bassdad: The waitlist thing is always a problem. It comes to an issue of pride. Even though it is with a very fine school, with an excellent musical reputation, the fact is that they did not choose him as a high priority, for whatever reason, and even if they issue a subsequent offer of admission, it will never be as much fun, as much of an accomplishment. There would be a feeling of second class citizenship. [My daughter was deferred by a very fine school several years ago, even though she was NMS, because she had one term of a C in a course which she dropped, retook with a good teacher and earned an A. Subsequently, the music school used their admit to get her in regular admission and gave her ALL the money they had, their highest offer. She could not get past the fact that the school itself did not want her, and she chose another school.] So I know that kids think about this, especially in a field where performance ego is so important. He might revisit, try to re-engage his enthusiasm that he felt at the time of the auditions, and it might be okay, but maybe not; and we understand how he would feel. </p>

<p>Does anyone know when those waitlists tend to open? Probably it would be most tempting if it happened really fast or if it happend quite late, when he is away from his high school friends with whom he has already processed this. Meanwhile he has some other options when are really good, and he is currently sorting out the teacher situations.</p>

<p>The NEC dorms are indeed quite bad but they are survivable- a really close friend of mine (another soprano, of course) is now finishing up her first year at NEC and she lived in the dorms there so if you have any specific questions, I could forward them on to her and report back. You could also think of some excuse for your children not to live in them their first year, provided you find alternate housing. It's complex but it can be done. I have a picture of the dorms if that would be helpful to any of you. The bathrooms are questionable but again, it's all managable. </p>

<p>I started a thread for Music Majors under College Majors>Arts Majors (as noted by dancersmom above). You can access the thread from this link: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?p=659745#post659745%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?p=659745#post659745&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Does anyone have current information about the vocal performance program at Oberlin Conservatory? We are hearing conflicted reports about the teachers who are there now. S was admitted to both the college and the conservatory with good scholarships, and three people have called him about joining their studios. Are there any current students (or parents of students) who can tell us how they like their voice teachers and who would be willing to email us and answer our questions? We would be so grateful. We want to visit (All Roads Lead to Oberlin...) early next week.</p>

<p>When all the voice (or other area teachers) are chasing your child down the hall (figuratively), there are two (perhaps) reasons to be wary: your child is much better than everyone else there and/or the faculty does not get along with each other (very internally competitive-always a danger with voice faculty!!!!) IMHO, the best teachers do not pursue students. They express friendliness, encouragement, enthusiasm, they offer help or to answer questions, but they DO NOT approach students with "I have room in my studio for you". It is unprofessional. It puts the student in a position of turning someone down, and there is inevitably a feeling of rejection. Feelings are hurt, egos are bruised, etc. Beware!</p>

<p>Bassdad - Son was accepted to 2 schools a few years ago with no teacher assignments to either. (Neither school was Oberlin.) The school he most wanted to attend also had the teacher he most wanted to study with. We were not going to commit to that school, however, until we knew with whom he would study. Son had had 2 lessons with this teacher previously and I had also met the teacher both of these times. So I got on the phone, and in the most tactful way possible, told the teacher that my son was very interested in studying with him and I did not feeling comfortable sending in the deposit unless I knew who his teacher would be. (My son's second choice teacher was at the other school where he had been accepted.) The teacher I spoke with said he would love to have my son in his studio, he needed to speak to some people and he would get back to us. My son received a call the next day from the teacher telling him that he would be placed in his studio.</p>

<p>So, I think that if your daughter is very interested in one of the teachers at Oberlin, it is worth making a call. It is possible the teacher will tell you that they can't place until June, but it may turn out for you the way it turned out for my son. I don't think you have anything to lose. Email me if you want more details.</p>

<p>operamom -- My D looked very seriously at Oberlin last year at this time (she did not go). However, I do know about a few of the teachers there. Please email me privately if you have questions.</p>

<p>Shennie,</p>

<p>That sounds reasonable. We will be going out there for a visit next week over daughter's spring break. We hope to have a sample lesson with both teachers involved and, if necessary, have a live discussion along the lines you suggest. We would be happy with one of the teachers involved but know nothing about the other. Who knows, it may turn out that we would be even happier with the second one.</p>

<p>BassDad -- I forgot to direct my message to you, too. I know a bit about the Oberlin teachers from investigating last year. Please email me if you'd like.</p>

<p>Hi, all. I just found out that I was waitlisted at NEC. I don't think that it has hit me yet. I just feel very numb at this point.</p>

<p>Does anyone have any experience with getting off of waitlists at conservatories? I called NEC and they wouldn't tell me how many people were waitlisted this year (as they don't even know how many of them will choose to remain on the waitlist and said that telling me how many waitlist offers they sent out would be misleading), but they did say that they tend to accept mostly male voices off of the waitlist. I'm a soprano and they said that I have a chance but it's very slim. Last year they only accepted 4 people from the waitlist. How do I make myself a more desirable waitlistee? Any suggestions would be very welcome. I do plan to write them a letter expressing how much I want to go there but is there anything else that I can do? Thanks in advance!</p>

<p>Yes Lorelei...the DORM (singular...there is only one) is that bad at NEC....at least we all thought it was. The dining hall was also awful (in our opinions). Survivable...yes. NICE...NO!!</p>