@GoForth, my sense is that it’s the collective impact of all of those things, the scheduling of which take priority over cafeteria hours. If my son finds a “good” practice room (he definitely likes some more than others) at 5pm, it’s possible that he practices through dinner and goes straight to a session at 8pm. He may have intended to go to the cafeteria in between for dinner but it often doesn’t happen. Session winds down at 10pm and he’s grabbing pizza or fried chicken at the late-night joint afterwards. Or maybe they get an ensemble room or studio at midnight… so he’s sleeping through breakfast.
Most if not all vocal jazz programs that I have seen so far want 3 songs to audition with. Frost, The New School, Western Michigan jazz, Thornton all want 3 different kinds. Ballad, uptempo and usually a latin type piece. Berklee seems to be an outlier with the one song rule. Maybe other types of vocal auditions are different at other schools but so far the ones that are on our list for vocal jazz all want 3 songs for the live audition with 1-3 different songs for the prescreen.
So D has said that pretty much every time she has gone to the caf outside of the normal meal hours there is no food out despite it being listed as “continental bfast or continental lunch”. @diglass met with food services and did find out that “to go” containers are available if you ask for them but they are not out in plain sight and D didn’t know she could get one. I guess you pay $5 for it then return it for another one or money back. And possibly she has to ask someone for food if they don’t have it out in between meals? Not sure but also not obvious to those looking to eat outside of the breakfast lunch and dinner hours. This is new to us and for sure we will consider this when she decides where she will attend school with regard to buying a meal plan. “Unlimited” meals means different things in different places. At our University here (admittedly a HUGE University so not the same as a small music conservatory at all…) there are literally options everywhere to get food on the meal plan from 7am until 1am for late night. That includes the University convenience stores which allow a meal swipe for a to go sandwich drink and fruit/chips combo or even the food trucks on campus. Just so you know what we are used to which is why this is so surprising to us. But this sounds like the norm for many of her top choices for school so we will want to purchase a lower meal plan if that’s an option.
Just to clarify. Every school had an audition list that was more than one song. Some have 5 or 6 that the applicant needs to be prepared to play. Just that, in the actual audition, only one or two songs were called.
Across the board there is a big difference between what a student is asked to prepare for auditions, and what they ask on the audition. For example, for instrumental musicians they routinely ask for scales and etudes, but with my son through all the auditions he has done, friends of his have done, none of them were ever asked to play those during an audition (could someone be? occassionally someone on here has said it happens). You are preparing several hours worth of music, but you have at most 15 minutes (lot of auditions are 10 minutes or less). One of the tricks of auditioning is trying to figure out the things they likely will ask, for example a violinist auditioning on some concerto may be likely to be asked particularly challenging sections, if you are a bassoonist it is likely one of the required excerpts will be the opening of “Rite of Spring” and it is pretty sure you will be asked to play it from what I hear. If on violin and doing one of the solo sonata/partita suites, there are certain sections that they will be likely to ask…but on the other hand everything has to be prepared, because you don’t know. Some audition panels will ask a bit of everything, others will focus on a couple of things only, and if the faculty is big enough, might change with who is on the panel. Good teachers IME will know the likely sections of the audition rep the student is looking on and may focus on them, but they also need to work on the whole piece, too, for obvious reasons.
I can’t remember but had the general impression that the Berklee audition is in some way “special” for the group investing time in the 5 week camp…and if not selected, they can re-audition later? Could that be the reason for one song…meaning they are going to skim the cream of the crop. I do believe a panel could be looking for some strong “yeses” … and leave the maybes for when they can hear more and think over their needs. If they are just looking for the strong “yeses”, at this age, one song would probably suffice. Just a thought…
Dear friends, as we look forward to college move in (a mere matter of weeks for some of us), I’d like to wish you all the best! I know sharing articles is tricky on this site, but psychologytodaydotcom (use the .), has a great article entitled “Dear parents, it’s time to let go”. Another parent shared it on the Oberlin Parents Facebook page, and I thought I would share it here for all of you! I wonder if this coming transition may be more difficult for us performing arts parents, since we’ve had to be SO involved in all the details of our kiddos college search and adventure, etc… I don’t know, but definitely “going through some things” here in our home…
@dramasopranomom boy that hit home. I’m sure it will be me very very soon. Common App opened today and it’s starting to get real. I just sent D’s vocal coach a list of songs we need to record for pre-screens. Hoping to have everything wrapped up by end of September. She had recorded everything for Young Arts prior to leaving for Boston and we can use most if not all of those for some of the prescreen requirements as well.
@bridgenail apologies for not answering sooner. I didn’t see the responses for some reason. D just auditioned on Sunday for scholarship. And yes you are correct, the 5 week students have the rare opportunity for 2 shots on target. The audition during the 5 week program as well as a chance to go back and audition again in the fall.
We found out last Friday there would be no accompaniment for anyone auditioning leaving us scrambling to get the instrumental recording from one of her previous auditions as a backing track. Yikes! Now the 10 million dollar question is did they tell the kids this in the audition workshop and D and her roomie missed it? Entirely possible but she swears it was the first they both had heard it and they both took copious notes so who knows. If that’s the case it’s more in the file of disorganization for the program. She has her song nailed and felt the audition went “very well”. She felt great about the improv and did well with sight reading with one minor “blip” that she said she recovered from quickly. She is very self critical so I’m sure she would tell me if she didn’t feel great about the audition. She then went into an interview which she also said went well. This entire process from what I understand is exactly the same as a regular Berklee college audition. One song, I’m unsure if they provide an accompanist for a live audition in the fall but would love to hear from other Berklee parents on that, sight read, some improv and an interview.
Anyway, regardless of the outcome it was a great experience. Her First real college audition is in the books. She is in her 4th of 5 weeks of this program right now. It’s definitely improved from the first week but has truly been a bumpy ride. The upside to this is she is finding that as great as Berklee is as a music school (no one denies it’s a top program) it may not be the right fit for her. She certainly hasn’t eliminated it as a college choice but she has a good feel for what college there would be like. The summer program has been somewhat disorganized and I’ve heard from another Grammy Camp parent that their kid has felt the same. Perhaps none of this would be the case with regular fall admission and it’s a function of the summer program. No way of knowing really.
I’m posting our experiences here so that people can have a balanced approach as to what they might expect for the 5 week program. Other kids have gotten the ensembles they wanted, great private instructors etc and have had an incredible experience. I just want to share pluses and minuses. Ultimately D did get into much higher level ensembles and with a great fit for a vocal teacher but not before a week’s worth of stress and anxiety.
I’m off to Boston next week and scholarships are announced on Wednesday. I have zero expectation that D will get one despite her feeling that her audition went well. I’m learning so much about the subjectivity of this process. That being said, we are onto the next big thing which is getting prescreens together then sitting back and waiting (and hoping) for invitations for live auditions. I’d be interested in hearing from all of you regarding the timeframe your kids were notified of invitations for live auditions. I’ll be biting my nails all fall…
I’d also love to hear from other Berklee parents if their kids auditioned during the 5 week, did or didn’t get scholarship and perhaps went back and auditioned again in the fall. I’d love to hear some outcomes of that. I’m feeling as though if she’s not offered anything after this audition we may not even apply and try again. She felt she did as well as she could in this audition with the exception of a tiny blip in sight reading…not sure it would be worth the travel expense to go back and try again.
@SpartanDrew I can only offer that, in our experience, there WILL be surprises; programs and teachers you thought would be a perfect fit will turn out to be less than perfect during the visit/audition. Programs you thought of as pretty sure thing safeties will no longer be so safe! And serious reaches (musically, financially and academically) will suddenly become possible and even doable! Then there is the elusive "fit "… throughout the audition and visit process you will find that your D grows and changes, and learns more and more about what she does and doesn’t want. Now that we are on the other side of it I can see that the past year has been one of enormous stress and uncertainty, but also of extraordinary growth for my D, and I am sure that is the same for many others here! I would suggest that in the end, the experience isn’t just a means to an end, but an important journey of growth in its own right…
such helpful info @dramasopranomom. It makes me reconsider giving Thornton a try. That’s in the list of “And serious reaches (musically, financially and academically) will suddenly become possible and even doable!” LOL
Thank you @dramasopranomom - best wishes for you, too. I feel you on the “going through some things.”
I’ve been handling it well all summer, but I’m really starting to feel the departure creeping up on us. S doesn’t leave till Sept. 3 for a pre-orientation backpacking trip, and then I meet him to move into his dorm on Sept 11. So I’ve got a bit more time than a lot of you. But now instead of just thinking about how exciting college will be, we are getting into the reality of details (what does he need to buy, bank accounts, work-study jobs) and it is getting very real.
I’m so beyond excited for him and so sad at the same time. Ugh.
@spartandrew:
One thing I would be careful of is assuming that an experience at a school is reflected in any one event or thing. Not defending Berklee or any school, but most schools have their own quirks, things that are really great,things to test the patience of Job. There are some ‘great schools of music’ whose admissions departments are gems, but their faculty are an uncoordinated mess,others where the admissions department seems to be from another planet, and may not reflect the entire experience. And yep, every school is going to be different for every student, and just because a school is supposed to be ‘great’ doesn’t mean it will be for your kid or anyone else.
@dramasopranomom hit the nail on the head, this is a journey where the good, the bad and the ugly kind of end up making a kid what they are:)
Totally agree @musicprnt Not judging Berklee at all but more of the overall feel that D has had there. Not quite what she expected. That being said I feel certain she could still thrive there if accepted and she decided that’s where she wants to go. She just goes in with eyes wide open.
Lots of great comments above. A few more:
@SpartanDrew - we didn’t take a school off her “final” summer list, even though we were starting to question a few. There will be surprises and a lot of emotions in this. I decided not to “react” too much and just let the schools move up and down the list based on interest. Schools will come off your list at some point due to 1) no invitation to audition or 2) the money and/or time needed to continue no longer makes sense. You’ll know it when it happens. It you are still questioning it, just leave it on for now…bc at some point you may look back and fear you prematurely or wrongly cut a school…usually when you are waiting for that first acceptance.
And, there was an article in the new york times a day or so ago (probs in the education section now) about a mother’s weird connection to Bed, Bath and Beyond (Finding Solace in a Big Box Store)…which happened to me too…if anyone is looking for extra reading about college departures.
@BassTheatreMom: I sent you a PM.
If anyone on here is familiar with the Berklee 5 week scholarship audition process and has any comments or thoughts I’d be grateful to hear. D gave me a blow by blow account of the audition process and it sounded exactly the same as the regular fall admission audition.
spartandrew,
Congrats on your daughter’s completion of the 5 week. Regarding 5 week auditions, one thing you need to keep in mind is that the pool of competitors and of funds for scholarships for the 5 week is completely different than for regular college admissions. The talent of those attending the 5 week can be overwhelming. But remember not everyone who goes to the 5 week will apply or choose to attend Berklee. Every year the amount of full rides they give out varies as well. My son received a scholarship after the 5 week which was nice but was not as generous as he had hoped. A talented friend of his whose older brother had gotten a full ride years earlier did not offered as much as he had hoped. They were told there was just less money in the pool that year. Our son reauditioned that following winter when applying to college and received additional scholarship money. When debating where to go he was able to negotiate some more money from Berklee, but in the end chose to attend NEC instead as he felt it was a better fit. Your child is still growing and changing. College politics and scholarship funds are changing. I would not read to much into what amount your daughter does or does not get.
Enjoy the final concert. Remember there are students from all over the world attending the 5 week. Many are older. It is quite competitive. be proud of your daughter and know that she will continue to grow and develop as a musician as long as she is committed to working hard.
@StacJip thank you so much! That’s really useful information for me! I honestly hadn’t thought of any of it in those terms but what you are saying makes complete sense. It has been quite a learning journey for her this summer so all in all a very good experience. I’m excited and anxious for her experiences that will come over the next 6 months with more auditions, tours and trying to find the right fit. I’m sure it will happen but am grateful that she’s had a decent taste of what Berklee life might be like this summer.
So I’m in Boston and just back to our VRBO apartment after seeing my D’s ensemble performances today and the blowout concert tonight with the scholarships announced. First let me say a few things, I was invited to attend a parent forum yesterday and the overwhelming feeling from parents was frustration in communication and organization. So at least we weren’t the only ones LOL. That being said, I’m glad my D stuck it out for the summer. She had a great learning experience and learned so much theory which will help her a lot as we navigate the college audition process. She did feel she didn’t get a lot of vocal instruction and was disappointed in that regard but overall I’m glad she was here for the experience.
The level of talent in the ensembles that I saw this week absolutely blew me away. Truly blew me away. Yes there were some kids that were coasting on others talent but overall these kids, MANY international, were exceptional. I am so happy my D had that experience. She really prepared for her scholarship audition and afterwards called and gave me a blow by blow of the entire process from her audition song to the improv, the sight reading and her interview. I’m really happy to say she was one of a handful of vocalists announced tonight as a scholarship winner. I’m really shocked since I truly didn’t feel that they saw and appreciated her talent but thankfully they did. That being said, she knows without any doubt that Berklee isn’t the right fit for her. BUT, there is no denying this school has some of the best and brightest talent worldwide here.
So onward and upward with the journey! Grateful for the experience and so very appreciative to all of you who have commented and PM’d advice for us. I would be lost without this site truly. We head home on Friday and she finishes up her prescreen auditions and starts the process. The scholarship offered here (especially given our seriously rough start) has given me a lot of excitement and positive thoughts as she moves into her auditions this fall.
Congrats to @SpartanDrew and D! It sounds like she made the best of her situation and I’m sure that scholarship was a big confidence boost even if Berklee has dropped down (or off?) her list.