My kid submitted an early app a couple weeks back and marked that they would include an arts portfolio. He plays piano and is pretty good, but stopped taking lessons years ago and now plays for fun. We were going to include some videos of him playing piano (some classical music, popular music, and a self-composed). He is not intending to study music as a major or a minor.
This weekend, we went to finish the videos and, upon reading the school site in closer detail, we realize they don’t recommend including a portfolio submission if the person isn’t studying music. We are concerned that submitting to the portfolio would make it look like we ignored the school advice around not submitting if it’s not an area of study.
Should we: 1 ) just submit the videos, 2) contact the school and say we don’t want to submit the videos, 3) contact the school and ask if he should still submit?, 4) do something else?
I am not sure of the meaning of what you cited in your message. A student does not have to plan on majoring or minoring in music, or even to participate in lessons and EC’s, in order to submit a portfolio.
Is your son good enough to warrant submitting? I think that advice is to prevent people who are not at the level expected for a portfolio.
Maybe you could share the actual content of the text you cited on the admissions page.
I’d reach out to his former teacher. If “pretty good” means “better than someone with no musical training” I’d skip the supplement. It won’t help, and I wouldn’t bother updating the adcom about a missing video which wouldn’t help. If “pretty good” means that he could have been conservatory quality if he’d stuck with it another year, it could help, just to show a high degree of musical talent, despite not pursuing it academically. I’d submit in that case. If “pretty good” means he’s going to entertain your friends on New Year’s Eve but only after everyone has had something to drink- I’d just skip it and not bother updating his application at all.