<p>This might be an instance where 'no news is good news'.<br>
A rejection is a concrete answer but lack of reply could still be pending good news.
That's what has happened several times in past for our S.<br>
Governor's school in high school and Eastern Music Festival in 2006 both came quite late (late April?) but were worth waiting for.</p>
<p>Best of luck to all those waiting!</p>
<p>"...it is pretty hard to stay completely anonymous, especially if auditioning for someone who hears you on a weekly basis." </p>
<p>Binx, I would have generally agreed with this statement except for D's teacher's phone call when he told me how surprised he was to discover he had chosen D's audition, prefacing his remarks with "Please don't take this the wrong way." He wasn't listening to all the different auditions to try to figure out who was playing, but to pick which ones he felt were the best. D does acknowledge that she probably has some advantage by knowing what her teacher likes, but she also thinks he would judge her audition more harshly if he knew it was hers.</p>
<p>Musicmom, I'm sorry about your son's Aspen rejection. D still hasn't heard about her Aspen application. Last year she heard by mid March, and the previous year it was around April 1.</p>
<p>Re: teachers picking their own students: We noticed this phenomenon fairly early on, even in the lowliest programs, and initially it was an enormous source of frustration for us. Over time, we have accepted it as a musical "fact of life" that occasionally will have an impact on audition results. I think it is only human nature for teachers to want to help their students succeed. After all, it reflects well on them, too. Plus isn't it much easier to say "sorry, no" to someone you don't know than it is to someone you know and like?</p>
<p>When D was "unfairly" rejected from some programs several years ago, it forced us to look for alternatives that ended up being better for her in the long run. She has far surpassed those other "favored" students both in her abilities and achievements. Those experiences also taught us some important concepts: to start building a broad network of contacts, to have D actively seek out supplemental performing opportunities as well as supplemental lessons, and to never ever speak poorly about anyone in the music world.</p>
<p>"never ever speak poorly about anyone in the music world."</p>
<p>Oh, thank you for reminding everyone of this! </p>
<p>Last summer, H and I were sitting in the audience before a concert at the "major festival" we attend. Behind us was sitting one of the country's well-known violin teachers, also involved in this festival. This teacher was "chatting" with personal friends and suddenly we over heard derogatory comments - by name - of another well known violin instructor. Not only were the comments innapropriate and unfaltering, but I know them to be inaccurate - teacher had the facts in the situation confused. We couldn't believe what we were hearing, H had to restrain me from turning around and introducing myself and explaining my relationship to teacher's victim! </p>
<p>I debated an anonymous letter to the teacher with warnings as to trash talking in public, but was convinced to drop the idea.... In any case my opinion of teacher (quite frankly, not that high before the incident!), is at rock bottom!</p>
<p>Two waitlists today - Tanglewood and Schlesswig-Holstein.</p>
<p>Binx-
Well, a waitlist has potential! Hope that an opening materializes from someone declining. We've seen it happen before....</p>
<p>Son is anxiously awaiting his Tanglewood verdict. He thought his audition in NYC went well but these programs are so competitive he knows it's a long shot. Wonder if decisions are mailed out by instrument?</p>
<p>Waitlist for MAW. I'm actually kind of pleased about it because I'm only 18! </p>
<p>I hope there's someone who doesn't want to go...</p>
<p>wtg cosmos - i hope you get in!</p>
<p>No word here yet...makes me nuts.</p>
<p>The waiting does seem interminable. To me it's worse than the labor and delivery, but then I wasn't the one stretched out on the gurney.</p>
<p>Congrats, Cosmos! My kid was waitlisted for MAW last year, and was called a week later for an open spot. So there's hope! I don't know how S2 feels about the waitlists, but I'm really glad his MAW invite came first. He's only waiting on one more.</p>
<p>I don't know where I am on the wait-list though... Is it not ok to ask them?</p>
<p>Well, if you need to get a deposit in to another camp or something, then it seems like it would be fine to ask them how likely you are to get called. Otherwise, I'm not sure they'd tell you exactly where you are, unless you are first up or something. If they say you're tenth on the list, and they eventually end up calling you, then they have given out the info that atleast 10 people turned them down! That might be something they don't want to share. (I'm just wildly speculating here.)</p>
<p>I wonder how many people are waitlisted at the various camps, and in various instruments. It seems that saying "waitlisted" might be easier than delivering an outright rejection. But I do know that MAW also gives flat-out rejections. May vary by instrument.</p>
<p>My S was technically called an alternate at Tanglewood. I don't know if there is a difference between alternate and waitlist, and I also wonder how far down on the various lists he is. But I know he is not likely to ask!</p>
<p>You might try to find out if you are on a waitlist for a particular teacher, or any teacher on your instrument can chose someone from the waitlist, and whether they do so in some kind of order.</p>
<p>MAW has just one bass teacher who takes 6 people each summer. Hopefully some lucky person will have gotten into MAW and some other super awesome program like Tanglewood and will turn down MAW so I can go! I know a kid who got in for bass who's a grad student, so I feel kind of lucky just being on the alternate list as a wee freshman physics major from UChicago!</p>
<p>binx - My son was an alternate last year for Tanglewood and was accepted in early March. He had a great experience there and was invited back for this summer. However, he decided he wanted to do something different. It was a hard decision, though. He still has to audition next week for that program.</p>
<p>This summer my D is a senior in high school who plays flute. She was looking for an orchestral experience this summer so she applied/auditioned to New York State Summer School for the Arts (NYSSSA) Brevard and Eastern Music Festival. We haven't heard from any of them yet. Last year she was an alternate for NYSSSA and we got the letter in early March. Unfortunately everyone else wanted to go, so the alternate position didn't pan out.</p>
<p>She did have a GREAT experience at ARIA though. She's a flutist and got to work with 4 phenomenal flute professors - 1 each week for a total of four weeks. They also had chamber groups and masterclasses there. This year ARIA will be in the New England area which is closer to us. We put in an application again this year in case none of the orchestral programs come through.</p>
<p>I was just checking this thread and I must ask.....the Tanglewood you are referring to is not the YOUNG ARTIST program, is it? I was told letters would go out the end of March or the beginning of April for young artists. ;)</p>
<p>D heard yesterday from Aspen - accepted with fellowship (Yay!) and has also received official word of her acceptance to Tanglewood (Yay again!). I can breathe again until next summer!</p>
<p>I believe we're all talking about Tanglewood for college students (the fellowship program), not BUTI for HS students.</p>
<p>Congrats, rcmama - What's she going to pick?</p>
<p>Shennie - my S also doesn't like to do the same thing over and over (with the exception of the horn camp he's done 3 times.) I think he may be tempted to skip MAW if he gets off the waitlist elsewhere - but I really don't know. He really enjoyed MAW last year, and would be perfectly content to return there.</p>
<p>Binx-
Thanks for clearing that up! Once I read more of the thread I thought it was the college level!!</p>