My apologies for posting this over a week later, but I have been busy catching up on many things that have been put aside these past few weeks. My D auditioned at BU on 2/13 for VP-UG. We stayed at the Residence Inn by Fenway Park. It was nice and the location was relatively convenient to the music building on campus. Lucky for us there was a Marshall’s across the street as she ended up with a run in both pairs of stockings she brought. I navigated my way around the snow mountains and was able to park in the garage for the athletic center. I dropped my daughter off in front of the Fine Arts building since we had below zero wind chills and the sidewalks had not been shoveled from the snow the night before. I had a very chilly, slippery two block walk. No refreshments provided at this one but several groups were having a bake sale. After checking in we went on the hunt for an empty practice room. Although they have many, all were very busy with students and auditioners but she finally found one (very nice, new, great technology in them). There was a student panel going on but it conflicted with her audition time. Nice lounge/waiting areas on several floors of the building. She got to speak with the accompanist before she sang. The audition was in a master class room. She chose her first piece and they chose the second. Lunch choices were right across the street-the classic college favorites Panera Bread or Chipotle. After lunch we sat in on a session with admissions from both the university and school of music. We could have watched an opera rehearsal but D had a headache so we opted to just drive to our next destination so she could take a nap. I think all the stress and traveling is taking its toll.
Her next audition was at Hartt (University of Hartford) the next day 2/14. We stayed at a Hampton Inn in East Hartford. Very nice except for the horrendous rush hour traffic around the city. We had dinner at a Tapas restaurant in West Hartford and then attended the Collage Concert at Hartt in the evening. It was a great way to see the quality of students in many areas of the school from vocal to instrumental to dance and musical theater. It was very enjoyable. Her audition was not until afternoon but we wanted to attend some of the info sessions so we arrived early. Refreshments were provided and there were many students around to answer questions and point us in the right direction. We had been to an open house in the fall so we had already heard most of what was said by the admissions person. There was a student panel which was informative. We opted not to take a tour since we had done that before. Warm up room was assigned prior to your audition time and wasin the same hallway as the audition room. They were running late so the waiting was a little stressful. Audition was in a master class room. In her audition she sang her first choice and they asked for the second. She had to do some sight singing and then go across the hall for an interview, which went very well. Then it was on to the music theory test. By then it was snowing and we were starving, so we headed on our way home. We stopped for lunch at a burger/shake place called MooYah. The drive home was rough through Connecticut but once we crossed into NY the roads were just wet. I am thankful that although the weather has not been great this winter it has barely impacted our audition traveling.
This past weekend she auditioned at Eastman and Ithaca College. I did not get to go on that trip. My DH got to experience the lake effect snow at 11 pm on the NY Thruway. They stayed at the Hyatt in Rochester. Much better than the Radisson which I did not like when we visited last fall. All in all they said it went well but unfortunately I don’t have the level of detail I normally do. No refreshments at Eastman but Java coffee shop was right there. There was an info session in the beginning and a short recital. They ate lunch in the cafeteria and said it was pretty good. Her audition was in the new recital hall and she said it was very nice to sing in. The sight singing was separate from the audition this time, which she said she liked better. There was a group interview but she was in with only one other singer. She came away feeling that it was a really good day.
They traveled to Ithaca (country highway through the fingerlakes region) and stayed at the Courtyard by Marriot. Overall I was surprised at the high hotel prices in Ithaca compared to other cities we have visited. They attended the info session and a recital in the beginning, then theory test, then audition. I did not get much feedback about that one other than it went well. We had never visited, but she came away with a good feeling about the campus, facilities and faculty here too. My poor DH had to drive home through another snowstorm. He really hit the jackpot with this trip.
Just one more to go, this time close to home at Rutgers-Mason Gross School of the Arts next weekend.
I think I will actually miss taking those roadtrips and having some good one-on-one time with my D.
Last weekend was Roosevelt / Chicago College of Performing Arts for my daughter’s VP audition. We got in the day before and attended the undergraduate opera showcase in Granz Hall, which gave us a great opportunity to see the quality of their students. The audition day included a musicianship assessment (site singing, theory), followed by the audition a few hours later in front of about 12 faculty members. They had a few campus tours during the day, which includes the new dorm tower built in 2012. The view out over the city from the dorms is dramatic, and each floor contains a study lounge looking over Millennium Park and Lake Michigan.
We stayed a few blocks away at the Kimpton Hotel Allegro. There are some closer hotel options, and given how cold it was we took taxis for the 10 block ride. In warmer weather it would be a nice stroll from pretty much any downtown hotel. There are lots of food options within a block or so of the campus. We hit up Corner Bakery for lunch. Roosevelt is in the midst of a number of colleges in The Loop, including Art Institute of Chicago, DePaul, a law school and the Chicago branch of Joffrey Ballet, which is located in the adjacent building. It is a very energizing environment. We thoroughly enjoyed our time on campus.
This coming weekend it’s off to NYC for Mannes - final stop on the Great Audition Tour of 2015!
@intune, gotta love that drive from Rochester to Ithaca! I grew up in western New York and went to Cornell, so I’ve driven that road in plenty of blizzards! You are correct to note that the hotel prices in Ithaca can be quite high. There aren’t that many options in town and whenever there is a major event at either Cornell or IC they fill up pretty quickly. There are a few B&B options but it’s not unheard of for people to have to stay as far away as Elmira and drive in once Ithaca sells out.
Java’s next door to Eastman is an institution not to be missed. If you are back in Rochester again I’d recommend the Doubletree Strathallen instead of the Hyatt. It’s a few blocks east in a very nice part of town.
I too attended Cornell (a very LONG time ago) and have to laugh at the description of hotel prices in Ithaca. Despite the increased number of hotel rooms in Ithaca over the last 20 years, the prices are still high, even in the “off” season! They are higher than many expensive large cities!
For anyone visiting Eastman, take a look at the inn on Broadway. It’s the closest place to the school- about a 5 minute walk, and you have to pass Java Joe’s(!)- and it’s a very safe neighborhood, keeping you off of Main Street from downtown.
Whenever you are making reservations for anything concerning college trips, be sure to call the hotels’ direct numbers rather than the 800# centralized system, and be sure to mention the name of the school- there are usually special rates!
for Eastman, I stayed at the Rochester Plaza, which is also very nice, and while it’s maybe a 10 min walk not sure, they will drive you over to the school and pick you up again, for free, if you ask.
I recommend the Hyatt Regency for Eastman. They had a block of basement offices available as practice rooms, with a bowl of fruit and a note wishing the students luck. The complimentary breakfast was delicious, and they also provided a free shuttle to campus. It was only a 10 minute walk, but when S auditioned, the sidewalks were full of snow and we were glad for a ride.
I can second @FriscoFred’s note on the Strathallan. It’s right on East Street and they also have a shuttle that will take you anywhere in town; you call for a pickup. They don’t have free breakfast, although when we were there in December (for NYSSMA concerts, not auditions this year), the room we booked wasn’t available and they offered us free breakfasts for all three days we were staying. Their breakfasts are really good and would have been worth paying for, for those who like a hearty start.
Thanks, @listenmissy . We’ve stayed at both the Hyatt and the Strathallan and I’d opt for the East street area any time. Particularly in nice weather, it’s a delightful 10-15 minute walk. The Hyatt is closer, but that part of downtown Rochester is pretty run down.
Texas Tech: The campus is very nice, and the music building is directly connected with the student union. This makes it very convenient for getting meals and for just relaxing while your student is in classes or auditions. The staff there was very helpful in setting up classes for my D to observe the day before the audition. She also contacted two of the faculty for trial lessons. We finished that part of the day feeling pretty good about her experience.
That evening there was a performance of many of the school’s music groups. I found it odd that they did not allow for applause between the groups. The idea was to transition from one to the next quickly so they could have the performance run only around 70 min. The various groups were set up on the stage, in the balcony, and at the back of the performance hall. That seemed like a good idea, but because there was no applause time, the groups leaving/setting up in the various areas had to actually leave or set up during another performance. I thought it showed a lack of respect for their fellow musicians. I know it wasn’t there fault - that it was set up that way, but it just became particularly awkward at a few times and I felt very bad for the person or group performing. Because a couple of the groups were in the back or in the dark, I couldn’t enjoy their performance as much. I actually like to see singers when they perform. I would have gladly sat for an additional 10-15 minutes for the applause time which could have doubled as transition time.
The audition day was fairly relaxed. There was a general meeting and then students were dismissed to their various department areas. I thought at the time that just the students were going to these meetings, but found out later that the parents were allowed to sit in on the department introduction and information session. I would have liked to have gone, but stayed behind because no one made that clear. This was probably my daughter’s “worst” audition so far. She came out looking like things hadn’t gone well and it took me a while to get her to explain what had happened. The issues were more on a personal level, which I won’t discuss here, but also she couldn’t get her tempos right with the accompanist and had breath control issues because of it.
Baldwin Wallace: My d was sick the whole time and had to cancel her appointments for the day before the audition. On the day of the audition, she pressed forward and did her audition in the morning. The morning meeting with the students was brief and then they were escorted away by current BW students by intended major. The parents remained for a student panel and then a FA/scholarship session.
After her audition time, I thought I would find her in tears, but she was surprisingly in good spirits. Lunch (a very nice hot buffet with some of the faculty in attendance) was provided for all of the students and parents. After lunch, my daughter had her theory and piano placement meetings. The theory test was just about 8 minutes of oral questions/answers. For the piano placement, the students are asked to bring a short piece to play. My d played a few measures of her piece and did some other things at the piano and was told which class piano levels she had placed out of. We then attended a session with the voice faculty chair and three current students. There was some confusion about their gen. ed. requirements, which could have been cleared up if I had had a degree plan in hand. They were trying to say that outside of their music courses and foreign language that they only had to take 1 math and 1 eng. course. I’m wondering now if they just meant during their current year (freshman), because the degree plan clearly has other gen. ed. course requirements listed. We didn’t really have the opportunity to tour the campus or even the music building. We did a drive through tour of our own on the way out.
I am sad (yet glad) to say that this is my final audition report. My D auditioned this weekend at Rutgers-Mason Gross School of the Arts. As a former Rutgers/Douglass College alum, I was impressed with how the arts program and facilities have grown since I was on campus. My daughter’s current teacher is a graduate of the program, and encouraged her to apply there. They had the prospective students divided into morning and afternoon groups with a luncheon/faculty meet and greet in the middle. She was in the afternoon group, so we checked in right before lunch. Auditions were on a first-come basis, so she had no preset time. That was nice because we could take the time to enjoy the lunch and talk to faculty and students without feeling rushed. When she was ready, she warmed up in a practice room and then proceeded to her audition room. She sang her first choice, the faculty chose the second and then had her sing part of a third. Ear test was in another room, which consisted of singing back pitches and repeating rythmns (no dreaded sight-singing). An info session and tour of the music facilities were also offered. As a budget-friendly option I was pleasantly surprised but I am not convinced that my daughter was. She wants to venture further away from home and Rutgers is just too close. Oh well.
I must say that although the audition process was time consuming and caused a number of stress-meltdowns along the way, it wasn’t as bad as I was anticipating. I am glad we got lucky with the weather and germs cooperating. Best of luck to the rest who are not yet finished.
The Great Audition Tour of 2015 has come to an end for our family as well. My daughter did her final VP audition at Mannes in New York last night. We celebrated with sushi at Ichiumi and skating at Rockefeller Center as the stress of the last two months flowed away.
Mannes is a beehive of activity this week with auditions running through next weekend, stretching until almost 10 o’clock at night. On Sunday afternoon they kicked off with a reception for applicants at the 85th street facility (which will be vacated this summer). We flew up Friday night in order to catch La Donna del Lago at the Met on Saturday, which had to added benefit of avoiding heavy snow and ice that cancelled a lot of flights over the weekend! Six inches of snow in Manhattan on Sunday made for lots of fun getting around.
On Monday, they hosted a “tour” and info session on their new facility in Arnholdt Hall at 13th and 5th Avenue. I say “tour” because the new facility is a construction zone, but they had a really cool Prezi with interactive graphics that they walked us through in a small conference room. In fact, a lot of people showed up and it was standing room only! The move downtown and consolidation with the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, as well as access to the drama program and Parsons School of Design will facilitate significant changes and new collaborations at Mannes starting this Fall. The Parsons students worked on set design and costuming for a production of Il Postino last year and this was seen as a model for future joint efforts. The vibe downtown is very different from West 85th Street, giving Mannes much more of an urban university campus feel. We had lunch in the cafeteria in the new University Center, and I must say it was the best campus food I have ever experienced! That building is also home to the 800-seat Tishman Hall, which is the new primary performance space for the school (although they also perform at many other venues around the city, including Avery Fisher Hall and Symphony Space).
Then it was back to the #1 subway for a ride back uptown for the afternoon audition. I went to an info session with the Dean while my daughter warmed up in a practice room. Again, the session was standing room only as he answered questions about the future direction of the school and the impact of the move downtown. The student volunteers ushered the applicants to the 2nd floor audition room. Mannes did not do a theory test or other exercises beyond the vocal audition, so it was fairly quick once it was her turn. My D bumped into a friend from Dallas who was auditioning on oboe, so that was a pretty cool way to end the day.
So that’s it … 11 applications, 7 auditions, 2 acceptances so far, and a month now to wait for the rest of the decisions to come in.
Sounds like you made it fun, FriscoFred! We had a very similar journey, finishing up at the The New School yesterday. We took our tour back in the fall and somehow missed the part about consolidation with Mannes. Can you fill me in on what you’ve learned? Thanks and best wishes to your daughter as she awaits!
I was at Mannes Sunday too, during the snowstorm. They were so kind and accomodating. My experience was similar to Frisco’s. I LOVED the new Mannes location- what a great part of town to be in!
@FriscoFred @paintbrush22 how did you feel about the auditions at Mannes? The room had great acoustics and the pianist was fabulous, but just wondering what the rest of you thought?
@drummergirl . The presentation was not entirely clear on the extent of consolidation between Mannes and The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. They are definitely consolidating into the same building. But at one point I could have sworn that I heard the head of admissions state that they were “combining the schools.” That may have been a misstatement or I could have heard it wrong. She may have simply meant that they are combining into one facility, but maintaining separate faculties and administrative structures. Dean Kessler talked about increasing collaboration between the programs, for instance a jazz trumpeter being able to work with a classical ensemble or other such opportunities. So, in short, I’m not really clear about it. What is clear is that it will all be one campus and it will be far easier for classical and contemporary musicians to work together starting next Fall.
Thanks, @FriscoFred, this is interesting news. Right now, Jazz and Contemporary Music has 2 floors in that building - narrow hallways and kind of claustrophobic and not really any gathering spots. Students I spoke to complained about a lack of practice rooms, and I witnessed lots of kids getting shuffled around. It’s a nice location, though.
Mannes currently has an additional location called the Mannes Practice Center, located on 65th Street next to Shun Lee. Some auditions were held there this week as well. Mannes students can use that space when there isn’t room at the 85th Street location, or downtown. It is clear that Mannes tries to downplay that distance between the facilities but make no mistake, running around NYC to find a practice room is a reality for Mannes. Starting in the fall, one can only imagine how much worse the situation will be, once the 85th St location is closed.
The construction that is happening at the New School campus is now scheduled to be completed the 2nd week in August. In the fall of 2014 we had asked about touring the new facilities, and were told it would be done in February 2015. That didn’t happen, then we were told it would be done in the spring 2015. Looks like it’s delayed again. Incoming freshman are supposed to arrive the 3rd week in August; you can only wonder if the construction will be done before the fall semester begins.
It sounds like the move downtown is about saving money, and it’s a consolidation effort. Space will now be shared between Mannes and the jazz department, including practice rooms. If current students are now complaining about the lack of practice rooms, sounds like it’s going to get worse.
My mother and I just got back from my Juilliard VP audition.
We got in Wednesday afternoon and had an early-ish dinner at the Times Square Diner and Grill. Make sure to try the matzah ball soup if you go there!
I had a rehearsal scheduled with my accompanist at 7 which was very beneficial. It definitely helped my nerves.
We made our way over to the Met afterwards to check out the shop and that night performance of Carmen was being streamed onto the monitors in the lobby. It was a big plus!
My audition wasn’t until 2 pm on Thursday, but we got to the school around 11:30 am for the 11:45 residence hall tour. The rooms on one side of the building have views of the Hudson and views of Central Park on the other!
The tour ended around 12:15 and we chose to eat in the dining hall instead of trying to venture through the slush and snow blowing in our faces.
It only took me a few minutes to find a practice room even though the 4th floor is like a maze. There were a few rooms designated for voice warm ups, but they were all full. When I warmed up again later I was able to get one, and it had a tuned Steinway and fantastic acoustics.
The audition room had great acoustics; I think it was a ballet studio. I chose my first piece and they chose the second and they chose to hear my third piece as well. They were all very friendly and put me at ease.
I got a callback and returned later that evening. It was about 20 minutes and it was a very casual working session; no pressure.
We returned to the hotel afterwards instead of going out; the weather was still pretty icky, but it was a good choice because I was exhausted.
It was a wonderful day- only one more to go!