<p>Hello everyone, I'm a HS junior looking to different schools to study music. I'm not really into performance, and am leaning towards composition, specifically choral composition or maybe even film scoring. The problem is this: I have no portfolio. Composing has always been an interest of mine, and I've been writing some music for roughly 5 years, mainly in the vein of choral, but have never written a complete comprehensive piece of any kind (aside from a song I wrote for a friend, which was typical 3-minute, basic chord progression) As I've been looking at schools recently, I've of course witnessed the ubiquitousness of the necessary varied portfolio. This is an issue for me; I've never composed anything formally or created full score, nor have I ever taken any composition lessons. Truth is, neither me or my parents were aware these were things that would be expected of me as a potential student, though I suppose that can go into Lessons Learned. </p>
<p>What I do have going for me includes strong piano skills (not sure of the total number of years as it was on and off for the first year or so) as well as strong theory skills. My composition is usually done on the piano, and I've actually been in the process of arranging a song for my school's SATB choir. At this point, I'm not sure what to do. I considered trying my very hardest to put together a small portfolio of just enough pieces to showcase to schools come application season, focusing as much as possible on quality given my short time frame, but I'm not sure how long it will take me to complete and score them all, not to mention the fact that most schools want varying instrumentations, and I don't play any instruments other than piano, so I don't know what instrumentations I could use besides piano and choral (now that I think of it, I'm getting ideas for some other instrumentations, so this may not be an issue). If it happens that my portfolio is not of a caliber high enough to get me accepted to at least some schools, I'm not sure what I will do. I planned on psychology/therapy as an alternative path, and it's another great fit for me, but I would love more than anything to stay immersed in music. What course of action should I be looking at here?</p>
<p>You are lucky that you became aware of the requirements now instead of in the fall. You still have time, including the whole summer, to work with a coach and put together your portfolio. First order of business is to find a private teacher right now.</p>
<p>You are very wise for checking into these things now and you still have time to do what you need to do.</p>
<p>My son has friends who didn’t even realize that they had to take the SAT or ACT until after the deadlines to apply at most colleges. Others who want to be a music major or minor or at least play music in college never scheduled auditions - they claim they didn’t know that you had to. We can’t understand why they didn’t know that, it’s not like it isn’t announced on the school intercom virtually every day. Some people are completely in the dark.</p>
<p>You seem to have given it enough thought that you obviously know what you need to do. Now just do it.</p>
<p>If you happen to live in New Jersey, I know of a Choral Composition Contest specifically for high school students that may interest you. First prize is $1000, a live performance of your piece by a very good chorus and a professionally-recorded CD of the performance that can be part of your portfolio. All entrants receive feedback on their work from professional composers and musicians. Past winners include several composition majors, a couple of whom have built careers as composers. See [Harmonium</a> Choral Society](<a href=“http://www.harmonium.org/contest.shtml]Harmonium”>http://www.harmonium.org/contest.shtml) for details.</p>
<p>If not in New Jersey, you may wish to do an online search for similar contests near you.</p>
<p>These are all lessons learned from the parent of a comp. student who did not decide on comp. until his SENIOR year and really found himself behind the 8-ball.</p>
<p>You are not in a bad place at all! You have plenty of time to put together a portfolio. Most comp. programs ask for two or three pieces of varying styles. You should get some software to do your composing on the computer so you can write some for other instruments that you do not play, but also if you can compose on piano that is great. Many colleges expect students to compose on piano, so you already have a leg up there. Reading up on orchestration is also a good idea, as is trying to find a local college comp. professor who can at least give you some feedback on your work if not give you actual comp. lessons. There are numerous online forums for young composers that you should take a look at for tips and ideas.</p>
<p>There are also summer programs that you may still be able to get into. Check the “music links” thread above and start surfing. </p>
<p>Most comp. programs do not require you to submit your portfolio in advance when you apply; you bring it to your audition. So you have plenty of time to put yours together over this summer and fall, and perhaps even over the Christmas break. A few of the top conservatories require recordings, but many colleges do not - they only require scores, and recordings are optional. Some also require a music resume, so if you have had any of your compositions peformed, no matter how simple, that is definitely a plus.</p>
<p>Focusing on choral or classical orchestral composition will enable you to greatly expand your list of potential colleges. Most schools of music have traditional comp. programs. But there are very few that offer film scoring as either a major or concentration within their comp. programs, or even have courses in it. My S also wants to be a film scorer so we did a lot of research on this. Those I know of are USC, UCLA, Michigan, NYU, Berklee, and Belmont. All are very competitive (including academics, except for Berklee) and expensive. You will have to audition on an instrument at all of them. </p>
<p>Do stick with your piano, and get a private teacher. My S does not play piano and we are pretty sure this was the sole reason he did not get into one of the comp. programs he applied for. Two other schools we looked at but did not apply for specifically told us you must play piano, and one even required piano audition on it for all comp. majors.</p>
<p>Wow, thanks so much for all the ideas. This is great information, and I’m determined to make this work. I’ve also considered aiming to reach eventually the grad program in musical thetre composition at NYU, but for now I’ll have to find a coach and stuff ASAP just to worry about undergrad; this preparation is definitely not going to be easy. Thanks again everyonw!</p>