Here’s hoping @dramasopranomom! I read the email to @oboemom65 differently. It says “please respond AFTER receiving the offer” so I don’t think she needs to respond just yet.
Ah! Well, you might be right @SpartanDrew ! IF my D were in this situation, only AFTER receiving some other firm offers, I still might have D communicate to CU what those offers are, and how she feels about them, so they know what they are up against… always being completely honest and forthright, of course! For instance, if CU is your first choice, absolutely say that! If not, but it’s in the top few, and money is a huge factor, communicate that; “CU is one of my top choices, but I have received offers of admission from (x, y, z) with substantial scholarships (be fairly exact with either scholarship amounts or COA amounts). Finances are a serious consideration for our family (or, finances are a part of the decision for our family).”
I’ve been following the thread with interest but have not commented until now. I too have a S who has applied as music major. For him it is a passion and he can see himself doing nothing else. I’m good with that.
I realize it’s a luxury to be an creative arts student in college. But, It is his dream and beyond studying, he is singularly focused on finding sustainable work from the minute he sets foot on campus. I’m very supportive and am glad that he is attempting to pay the rent while doing something that makes him very happy. If down the road he decides it’s not for him, there’s always grad school.
I don’t want him to live a life of regret about what he could’ve, should’ve done that would have made him happier…down the road. If he winds up in a 9-5, ok…at least he took a swing at the ball and can be at peace with that. In any event, his music experience will enrich his life immeasurably.
Finally, @NYsaxmom, from what I hear, networking is a very big deal. Connections you make in college can lead to jobs. Having well-placed alumni can give you a leg up. To that end, if your D wants to play for a major symphony, perhaps she should consider the schools that have placed instrumentalists in major symphony orchestras. Start with the end objective and back into the college. Sorry for the long post.
Welcome @winjammer and I can agree with your sentiment wholeheartedly!! Best of luck to your S and please keep us posted. Where has he applied?
Thanks @SpartanDrew! He is waiting on USC, UCLA, NYU and Occidental. He too applied as a composition major.
Good luck to your D as well!
@Beto884, as far as I know, Berklee, NYU and the San Francisco Conservatory have film scoring programs at the undergraduate level. There may be others (CalArts maybe?) but I know of those 3. As @compmom mentioned, USC has a graduate program in film scoring and if you graduate from Thornton as an undergraduate comp major you are guaranteed acceptance into the films scoring program.
ONLY 2 more weeks!! Lol…had to write that because:
Everything is a matter of perspective. Too me, March is racing by with lots of interesting reading on this thread. Here are some thoughts:
1.) Music students are going to school for a Bachelors…and to “discover themselves”. And they may discover that they made a mistake or like something different or want to change schools. Yes, it will be “temporarily” painful for you as a parent. But it will take them to a better place. And everything they have done will inform on their future…none of it is a waste.
2.) Deep dark secret…I kept half hoping my kid would change her major. Look at @uskoolfish’s situation. Doesn’t sound bad to me. You get an undergrad degree…find your true self along the way…get a job in the end…then enter grad school. What the heck is wrong with that!!!
3.) You are in an “intense” situation in Junior/Senior/Freshman year…somewhere in Sophomore year, your “skin in the game” starts to fade away. For grad school auditions, I really thought, I’m not getting that involved bc if she doesn’t get accepted what’s the worst that could happen…she’d get a job…maybe with benefits…yippeeee! I couldn’t tell if I wanted her to succeed or not…in the end I did. I am a supportive mother…but I always think if she “fails” that just means a job with a salary and benefits! She’s got a bachelor’s degree, works incredibly hard, has a nice work history…she’s not going to end up living under a bridge.
4.) @uskoolfish Her D was ready to go in a different direction. The college journey is about finding your place in the world NOT ending up in music no matter what! Her D did that. Congrats! My D’s perspective is different…probably colored by her desire to still hang in there. She makes the following comments about non-music friends:
They all hate their jobs and are bored (I have had several discussions with parents that confirm these feelings…and they are all in their 20s and feel under-utilized and unappreciated…remember those days).
Most of her friends aren’t paid that well. Many have had several jobs and are still unhappy.
They are having a hard time adjusting to 9 to 5 with no summer vacation and two weeks vacation. Some have quit and taken a month off just to travel a bit before taking another job.
A few have decent jobs but are planning their next move. Getting new jobs does not seem to be a problem in this age group. There is a constant movement…meaning my D could slip in there if she wants!
So my D feels comfortable with being a poor, working artists…as her non-music friends lifestyles don’t seem that different. And she hangs with a lot of performance artists…so many are scrappy and she enjoys their company. She goes to a lot of free shows and has a boyfriend whose a chef so they get free food at swanky restaurants. Her life looks kind of fun…but she is pretty poor (she just doesn’t know it). Most of her friends are scrapping by to a degree.
Maybe some day, the lifestyle will finally sink her music boat (at least I kind of hope so…lol). But she has gained so much over the years. At this point, she has a degree and work history and interesting story. When she is ready to get a traditional job…she will…and then she can complain about that job…with benefits and a 401(k) attached! You can’t stop me from dreaming.
Berklee https://www.berklee.edu/film-scoring
USC Master’s https://music.usc.edu/departments/scoring/
NYU https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/music/composition/scoring
Cal Arts https://music.calarts.edu/ and https://filmvideo.calarts.edu/facilities
Great post @bridgenail except for one part… “ONLY TWO MORE WEEKS”??? Every day of these two weeks seems like an eternity at the moment. LOL
San Francisco Conservatory https://sfcm.edu/departments/technology-and-applied-composition
They are a conservatory so they wouldn’t dare call it a “film scoring” program. They call it “Technology and Applied composition”…Good Grief
Another possible scenario–this program is expensive, and the money drain is taking a toll. Maybe it’s not worth it? Or maybe I knew full well I only had enough saved up for so-many quarters/semesters/years, and I was willing to invest that much but it’s now dwindled, and I have to face reality. My son has seen one (non-music) kid leave midway through the first year as financial realities started setting in and feeling scary overwhelming. And for arts kids who are continually hearing the “starving artist” cliche, financial burdens can surely weigh extra heavily.
I like to think many of these question-my-path/potentially-drop-out scenarios could be avoided (or at least minimized) with a program that clearly focuses on real-world applications–establishing industry connections; exposing students to and preparing them for the many employable (and lucrative) positions and career paths beyond “being a star;” offering solid study-abroad, intern and job placement services; supporting and promoting alumni well beyond graduation; etc. One indicator might be faculty maintaining active industry careers outside of teaching–the very kinds of careers to which your particular musician aspires.
Hmmm, that carrot-dangling “good sized scholarship” email would drive me mad! It’s absolutely and completely good news, of course…but “good sized” is way too subjective for my comfort level, the casual pre-announce makes the offer itself anticlimactic, and now the wait is even more excruciating as your minds spin about what it actually IS! (For what it’s worth, I would hold other offers close to the vest until everything is known–you don’t want to say So-and-so offered X if X is actually far lower than this “good sized” one!)
@dramasopranomom and @oboemom65 we got a very similar letter from the prof at Peabody and I agree that I think they can’t release yet but they don’t want our kids to commit anywhere else until we see it
So along those lines…a question for you brilliant new friends I have made… daughter got that full tuition offer from Denver and the email from Peabody basically telling her to wait and see their offer. Should she tell Peabody about the other offer now but say she is not accepting until she hears from them? or is that tacky and off-putting? This is so hard!! I thought I was an adult but sometimes I feel like I have no clue what to do in these situations!
She also got an email from Belmont who had admitted her with money asking what she was thinking. I told her to say she was waiting for all her results before deciding, but I wondered if I should have her tell him about the giant scholarship or not. I know they want to free up money that’s not being accepted but I think we really need our decision before we can go turning down decent offers
@dramasopranomom I just saw your post after writing mine. So you think that the numbers from the other schools should be mentioned before the firm offer comes in? I was leaning that way too but do not want to put off the peabody prof (who she loves)
How much Institution A’s scholarship offer influences Institution B depends very much on whether Institution B considers Institution A a peer. Not sure how that applies to these particular names, just throwing that out there.
You don’t have to decide before 5/1. You certainly don’t have to decide before you have all the information.
@NYsaxmom your response was fine for now bc it’s true. Just re-read @dramasopranomom 's post #1141. When the time comes, be straight-forward with all.
One other scenario…there are too many to track all…BUT at IU they decided to expand their mental health services to be closer to students as an experiment. Being a large university with a hospital, they have a lot of basic medical services on campus. The announcement said something like…in researching usage, the IU medical community has decide to place their first outreach for mental health services at … a Jacobs school of music building. Hmmm. My D knew multiple kids being treated for anxiety, depression, OCD and eating disorders (in males too - my D had two male friends being treated). Plus a lot of her friends came out in college … which created a time of stress in their lives…some passed through it easily…others needed support. The percentage of students seeking support in college is around 25%…I think I have heard. Based on my D’s experiences and IU decisions, I would guess it “may” be higher in music. And in many of these cases, I don’t think you can blame the school, the parents, all the usually suspects. I think you need to look at the developing brain…and help people get support. And if that’s dropping out for “personal reasons” for a time being, so be it. It’s not a race. Just be sure to point out the mental health support services at your kid’s school bc even if they won’t need it…I can guarantee you, they will know someone who will. And there’s no shame in that. Being a supportive, non-judgmental friend is a good thing.
thanks for your reply! My son became interested on composition thru jazz saxophone! it wasn’t until the summer of his sophomore year that he told us he would want to study composition , rather than saxophone performance. At that time we started him on piano lessons, with some composition lessons as well. I highly recommend a summer composition camp . He attended Boston conservatory at Berklee composition camp and loved it. He was able to come out of there with several compositions , which he used for his portafolio. Your daughter will need at least 3-4 compositions w recordings when she applies, so I highly recommend you start that process( it is long…).
She seems very talented, and I am sure she will achieve her dreams!
Today stinks. This week stinks. Time to pour some wine. That’s all.
All mailboxes are empty here today, too, @SpartanDrew .
Well I spoke too soon. D got her admission letter via email for CCPA and a decent scholarship. So we are sitting at 4 acceptances with scholarship (about 34% COA for CCPA) and 4 still waiting. No rejections (yet…) so I guess we are still OK. OK, NOW I’m pouring the wine!
Today was a day of “no” for my daughter. Did not get into SFCM nor UCLA. She is not disappointed or surprised with these results. She admits she had a bad audition at SFCM and UCLA was an academic reach and a competitive admit. Although, she felt very good about her singing at UCLA so no regrets. However, she would not have chosen them above UC Irvine even if admitted, which just cracks me up. But hey…two more to go. We are all nearing the end…