Hi!
I have some questions about Michigan 
- How many cello undergraduates?
- Why aren't there any prescreens?
I’m not expecting to get in because I’m so bad compared to other cellists but just curious!
We can’t tell you how many cello undergrads there are, but you can call the school and ask. As for the pre-screens. Michigan has changed their policy this year and dropped quite a number of their pre-screen requirements; that doesn’t mean that it will be the same next year, so it is always necessary to check.
Each cello professor at UM has approximately 20 students in their studios combined undergrad and grad students.
About 15-16 undergrads with some fluctuation from year to year. I thought when I looked recently that they do require a prescreen, I’ll have to look again and see if I missed something.
@cellomom2 @Mezzo’sMama thank you i’m a senior and i really want to apply, but i don’t think the odds are in my favor. there is no prescreen anymore. they just ask for a mvt of a concert, 2 contrasting bach suites, and an etude
Sorry, you’re right about the prescreen, I was looking at requirements for a masters degree. Odds are not in anyones favor when auditioning for music performance programs, but the only way to know for sure is to apply and audition. Is it possible for you to travel there for a visit and try to take a lesson with one or both of the professors before you would audition? That can be very helpful in terms of getting feedback about your competitiveness for the program. If not is there someone knowledgeable in your area that you could have a lesson/ evaluation with? What about your private teacher?
@cellomom2 I am planning on playing the first mvt of Boccherini b flat, gigue from the Bach suite 2, and prelude from the same suite, along with a popper etude. My teacher said I’m barely at the conservatory level so I think she doesn’t have complete faith in me haha
Just FYI. Back in 2007 when D took a sample lesson (not cello, yet a very popular instrument) from a professor at UMich, the professor told her that his full load is 18 lessons a week. Of course if a professor also teaches other classes, he/she does not need to have 18 students. D eventually did get double performance degrees from UMich.
@mylifeisgone195:
While the opinion of a music teacher is important, it is only one opinion, and you never know what will happen on an audition. For one thing, some music teachers think it is inappropriate to ever tell a student they are doing well, figuring it motivates them to work harder if you tell them they are lousy. For another, though usually it works the other way (ie too optimistic), a teacher may not know what the reality of auditions are. If you are unsure, then as someone else suggested, you could either go to U Mich and get an assessment from one of the teachers, or if that is impractical, if there is a decent school of music or a teacher that is known for getting kids into top level music programs nearby, get an assessment from them.
The other thing with auditions is you never know, the teacher might see something in you, they may decide there is a challenge in teaching you. My S got into the studio of his dream teacher, who generally accepts very few freshman and the studio is full of heavy hitters well above my son’s league in terms of playing, yet he got into it, you never know, and unless auditioning would be a big burden, why not try?
A bit off topic but since this is a cello thread, it might be a good place to ask the question. Last night I was listening to Jean-Louis Duport’s 4th and 5th Cello Concertos. They sounded like they required a rather excellent technique on the part of the cellist. Are Duport’s cello concertos or etudes used as cello audition pieces as a matter of course? Thanks.