I agree that it is now the time for blind faith. Of course, continued practicing and performing could make an incrementally better audition, but 90% of the pie is baked at this point.
The whole family traveled to S’ auditions, including the upright bass family member, Mr. Emanuel Wilfer. We liked longer stays whenever possible so that classes could be sat in, rehearsals watched and so forth. In the case of jazz, or maybe in some cases of jazz, and maybe in other cases, too, it is quite easy to get involved if you (“you” hereafter meaning the student) hang around. You might have an audition moved up early to help ease the workload on the actual audition day, you might get to play with other current students, play longer with the professor, sneak in an audition for a secondary instrument to show you might be able to support in another area of need, accompany during another student’s audition, etc. Yes, all those happened. SO, even if you don’t go there, you get to take away an experience and understand something about their flavor.
S also toned down his high-school workload in the second semester to make audition recovery easier. He had one regular study hall, another study hall in which he was a teacher’s aid, and a pass-fail class. It was very nice.
So true @GoForth Trying to go with the blind faith part now. Deep cleansing breaths and lots of yoga I think. D is with her voice teacher regularly getting ready for live auditions and has three gigs with professional musicians lined up for December so lots of great opportunity to perform and practice. This process for me is like watching football games with our team. I’m trying to enjoy the game, the excitement and the anticipation but the stress is so much (insert today’s MSU Northwestern game) that I want to close my eyes and have it be over. I almost feel the same with this process. But when we win, I go back and watch the game afterwards on TiVo without the stress. I guess I can’t do that with this! Lol!!
Most schools to which my son applied admitted him well ahead of auditions. The one exception was Northwestern where the professor said he would like him to join the studio (after the live audition) but the university had the final say and that was a longer wait. I suspect the prof looked at his stats and knew he had a decent chance of admission but could not guarantee anything until NU announced. It seemed like a good-sized group was invited to audition but not so many were offered admission. Of course, this could be the department as much as the school. So, maybe if it’s a very competitive university as well as music department, there’s greater risk in assuming anything. Still, if it’s on the short list of top choices, of course you go!
Most of our packages were the whole offer at once. After auditions and a processing delay. Frost and Michigan I am sure were like that. UNT gives rolling academic admission. I ‘think’ SUNY Purchase and W.P. might have been all at once, but I can’t be sure now.
Yes @GoForth that’s how I expect our process to go based on reading through the prescreen and acceptance threads from last/this year. D already got academic admission to Western Mich but her audition is Jan 20 so I don’t know when she will hear after that but that process is different from the rest. She applied for EA at Loyola and audition is complete so we know she will hear mid December on both academic and music school admission alone with any possible financial offers. The rest I think wil happen like you mentioned. Admission/offers/decisions will come likely in March and all together. @Midwestmama17 believe me we will go to any auditions D is invited to!
My D2 finished one pre-screen video Sunday. Her throat didn’t feel right so she stopped at that. Today, flu shot. Now that I have had time to really study the audition calendar, I am relieved she is staying on the west coast.
That happened to my D as well @BearHouse. Right before we left for New Orleans and the Loyola audition. She was trying to record YoungArts videos and started to feel sick. Scratchy throat and cough so stopped after recording one. Next day she woke up sick as a dog and couldn’t audition when we were visiting Loyola so had to send in recordings. Took a solid 2 weeks to recover and major shuffling of jazz combo and studio schedules to get her prescreens done. Advice given to me by @diglass was to head to Whole Foods and start pounding elderberry syrup, throat coat tea and I think another type of herbal remedy that is supposed to shorten duration. Best of luck and hope she nips it in the bud!! Miserable time to be sick.
@SpartanDrew Horrible timing! Thanks for the advice. Fortunately, no signs of sickness today. But she slept most of yesterday. Let’s all hope for good health this winter and spring!
It was made abundantly clear by the few academically-oriented schools my kid applied to that candidates need to be accepted by both music admissions and academic admissions independently. But I am confident that anyone they choose to audition has a solid chance. At one audition, my kid was asked about whether his test scores were strong enough that academic admission was likely (they seemingly didn’t have scores in front of them?)–which I imagine suggests the music department would go to bat for a candidate they really wanted? I do know someone for whom a stellar audition DID get a far-reach (academically) school to overlook both grades and test scores. I also know of many very talented kids who auditioned for that same program and were not accepted–I can’t imagine any of them bombed their auditions, I just think some of these programs are ridiculously selective.
My son had a demanding load throughout his senior year and didn’t want to risk time away from classes or from his capstone engineering project, and we weren’t in a financial position to travel extensively anyway. He applied to four audition-required programs; he did one local regional audition (that happened to coincide with a school break), traveled to another audition, booked a third regional in that area during the same trip (we were away 5 days total; 3 school days—and I agree with the others that it was a really fun and memorable trip/time in our lives!), and sent the last school a video audition to avoid the cross-country travel expense entirely.
Of the four (all private schools), one offer came seemingly randomly (though along with others on this board, so probably not so much random as no specific date advertised in advance?), and the other three were released on each school’s announced decision day toward the end of March (all included merit/FA package at the same time–well, one emailed a scholarship award several days before the acceptance, which was slightly anti-climatic, LOL).
I look at these posts and SO remember the angst of last fall’s application/essay/prescreen/arts supplement requirements–no two were remotely alike!
Here’s to calmed nerves for the parents and no more sickies for their talented young hopefuls!
Thanks so much. That’s really great and helpful information! D is fine for all schools except for one and even then fine on GPA, just a bit on the low range for the SAT. But I have heard of others with the same score getting in so I’m hopeful. It is nerve-wracking, no doubt about it!
I think test scores are the least important factor in the decision (and she sounds pretty much in range even if they DID matter more!)…no way will that hold your girl back with her experience and talent!
We have a slightly different problem. S18 has high test scores and grades and would likely get admitted academically to all or almost all of the schools to which he is applying. We just don’t know if the music schools will want him for his voice, need his type that particular year, etc… As his parents of course we think he is awesome. His voice teacher loves him. We just do not have a clue as to which of the music schools will love him. But we will find out, soon enough.
Thanks @YertleTurtle I sure hope you’re right! I guess it depends on the competition out there as well for these few spots at each of the schools. I’ve had plenty of people tell me that she will land exactly where she is meant to be so I hold onto that as my current mantra. @vistajay I think that same mantra holds true for your S as well. I’m sure he will end up right where he should be. How are the prescreens and apps coming along? D has been with her vocal coach regularly working on her final prescreen for NEC as well as new music for live auditions. She opted out of an opportunity for an All-State jazz choir because she doesn’t want it to derail her efforts preparing for auditions. I think she is really coming into her own now and taking charge of her time and priorities which is fantastic.
D2 has average GPA and average test scores. Vocal coach is enthusiastic about her prospects but it really is hard to know how it will all sort out. She did not like her first prescreen video so she will try again this weekend. This is a much more stressful process than my academically oriented kid. So many more variables to consider.
My music kid was my firstborn. I feel like I’ve learned nothing at all of value in this college process for his two siblings! I suppose that’s why I’m here–hoping our experience can at least help someone else!
I’ve had a lot of people tell me D has great prospects from a talent perspective so I’m sure hoping they are right. Her GPA is good but she really chokes on the long standardized exams. Honestly over half of the schools she’s applying to don’t even want the SAT so hopefully the ones that do won’t weight it too heavily. And @YertleTurtle my fist born is a junior mechanical engineering student at the UNiversity where my hubby is on faculty. Yes, this is like night and day between the two as far as the process goes. I’ve been on this site since my son applied for college and once I found this section for music majors it has been a godsend to us. I truly do not think D would be where she is had we not had this resource. I recall last year reading about the prescreen process and thinking there was no way she could get through all of that but here she is, finishing up her last one with her vocal coach and working on a bunch of new music for live auditions. IT’s quite a process.
ALong that line I took the advice on this thread from Mezzo’sMama and emailed the guidance counselor regarding likely missed school during Jan Feb and March. Her response was fantastic and not to worry about anything, they will handle it. D is pretty much the only kid in her entire school doing anything like this so that was a relief.
We got one good and one decent prescreen video in last night. Today S18 had all four wisdom teeth removed, so he is laid up for a few days. He has a HS play coming up in less than two weeks as well, so not much time to improve the prescreens. He has been hearing back with December audition dates for the schools to which he applied without prescreen requirements. So that’s some progress at least.
WOW @vistajay!! Ouch for poor S! D still has her wisdom teeth and I just spoke with our dentist about that. I think we will wait until late spring or early summer to get that done. Don’t want to mess with audition season. D has her final musical coming up in 2 weeks and I for one cannot wait until it’s behind us. I wish she had never done it (as does she) but live and learn. She is laser focused now on getting time in with her voice teacher to finish her final NEC prescreen and work on her new music for auditions.
We haven’t heard a peep from anyone regarding the prescreens. Eeep. I’m trying not to read anything into it. I know at Frost anyway the bass prof sounded like he was pretty quick on communication but I imagine there are so many vocalists out there it’s difficult to go through all of those prescreens and get back with anyone super fast. Hoping people post on this thread and also PM MezzosMama when they hear something.
Which places is he auditioning in December? I wish we had a few then versus all seemingly in February should she be invited everywhere.
@SpartanDrew , our plan was to have the teeth out at Christmas break but at least one tooth was erupting and he started to get an infection so we had to do it asap. Luckily it should not affect him other than missing a few days of school. He applied to Miami too but classical vocalists do not need prescreens. Still waiting for dates to be confirmed for some but so far he has Furman and SMU in Dec, Loyola-NO in Jan, ASU and FSU in Feb.
My D had her wisdom teeth out this summer. Had tooth pain last spring but it quieted down. However, she was adamant she wanted them removed before audition season because she could not sing when they flared up. So, this summer it was.
She now has two pre-screen videos completed. One more to go.
