<p>Bigdjp- see you at Ithaca tomorrow! </p>
<p>Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using CC</p>
<p>I wonder how many faculty will be able to make it to the Berklee campus to hear the few musicians who actually make it to the auditions. I see Boston Conservatory has cancelled auditions for tomorrow. Wow, the things our musicians have to go through to get into college!</p>
<p>I know of a few families that drove from the Midwest to Rochester & Boston yesterday. They called the schools periodically during the day to see if auditions were still on (and they were). Most families were just outside of Boston when emails came out around 5PM stating that auditions were cancelled and will not be rescheduled…just send a video. AFAIK Eastman is on. I really feel for them. It’s a long way to go for a lobster roll. The process is difficult enough for the students and families without this. I hope this eases up in the coming weekends for all!</p>
<p>How disappointing for the Boston bound musicians! It is always a challenge in the winter. But there will forever thereafter be “war” stories about efforts made to get to auditions and how difficult it can be. Musicians’ parents dine out on those for years! </p>
<p>For those who wonder why they insist on doing auditions at that time of year, there really is no choice, besides that fact that this is when schools are geared up to accept and process applications for all subject majors. Some much can happen between fall of the senior year and early the next year for developing musicians. It is a real disadvantage not to have that extra time. When my S & D were doing auditions, we declined any fall auditions for that reason.</p>
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<p>How upsetting and frustrating for those families. And yet, what could Boston College do? It’s a difficult situation.</p>
<p>Lorelei, I agree that the extra few months makes a difference in the development of the young musicians-- and my daughter also did not apply for any fall auditions for this reason. Yet, if all colleges were to move auditions to the fall-- or, to mid-to-late March, after most of the snow season has ended-- then the advantage/disadvantage of the snow season audition would disappear. The playing field, to use a groaner of a pun, would be level.</p>
<p>But some kids don’t make their decision about whether to do music or another area until after the audition season, glassharmonica, and they have to be in the same mix with their applications as the others. There is no other solution on this one. Bad weather, illness, family crisis, etc…all of these things affect which auditions are possible. When we was doing these audition seasons with our kids, we battled blizzards, a broken leg, a dog, a van that would not fit in reserved downtown parking garage, an injured playing hand, conflicts in timing of auditions, etc. It is always going to be something, so it might as well be the weather.</p>
<p>Alexmariejp, </p>
<p>Say “Hi” if you see me. It would be neat to meet someone from this board who goes through what our family does for the music. I wear a black winter jacket with a grey stripe under the arms. I’ll have a black winter hat with a NY Jets logo. My name is Jim and my son is a percussionist. </p>
<p>My wife and I got to meet some people from Buffalo last week at Eastman. Our sons know each other and it was cool to talk about the different things we all go through for the music. </p>
<p>Safe travels.
Jim</p>
<p>Patientpoppa’s comment on traveling to Boston for an audition only to find it was cancelled was the line of the week, “It’s a long way to go for a lobster roll.”</p>
<p>Travel safe to the auditioning families! </p>
<p>My D in Boston said the T is closed and cars will get fines if they try to drive on the roads now. Hope all the Boston travelers are in their hotels by now.</p>
<p>Last weekend it was 7 hours to go 4 during snow/ice storm to Indiana. This weekend we got lucky as my son’s flight to Florida State (via North Carolina) beat the weather (although we worried all day). Safe travels to all this weekend!! I still say Auditions could take place in the fall. If all the schools did them at that time it would be a level playing field. I can’t imagine that much can change in 3 months. Lets face it–its just much easier for the schools to do it during/after the school application season…</p>
<p>AlexMariejp and Bigdjp,
Regarding IC and weather-
I live in Ithaca. Despite the fact our schools closed early it is not doing much of anything here snowwise now and the roads are clear at this time. Good luck tomorrow to both your kids. My s goes to IC and is very happy there.</p>
<p>Thanks for the Ithaca weather update. Leaving early if we have to. Not expecting much trouble.</p>
<p>I had my MM Clarinet audition at Rutgers this morning. I was scheduled to fly out tomorrow afternoon back to Cleveland, but after the third panicked call from my mom, I decided to see if I could move my flight to today. Thankfully I found the LAST flight out of Newark before they closed the airport! I’m really glad I did because the flight I was planning on taking tomorrow has already been canceled!</p>
<p>Rutgers sent out an email stating that while the weather was bad, auditions would still go on as scheduled, but they understood if you needed to reschedule. The weather was already getting pretty awful on the way out, be safe east coasters!</p>
<p>I will look foe you tomorrow Jim. My daughter is a bassist with long hair that is blue and green ombre at the ends. </p>
<p>We drove from Rochester to Ithaca. It took nearly six hours. We drive slowly and watched many cars that passed UA go off into the ditch. The snow in Ithaca has gotten worse since the post earlier but it looks like it should stop tomorrow. At least we will be home by tomorrow night!</p>
<p>Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using CC</p>
<p>For those who are in Boston for Auditions I just got an email saying all NEC Auditions will happen tomorrow but some will be late. No audition will happen before 10am.</p>
<p>Careful as I know there are still parking restrictions in Boston and Cambridge</p>
<p>Hi - sorry to post an late update! Didn’t have access to internet while traveling. We were lucky, thankfully and made it to both Oberlin and then NYC - just behind all the storms on Friday and then Saturday. D liked both schools too.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the postings and updates on this topic! We are off to Illinois Wesleyan and Boston Conservatory later this week.</p>
<p>Good luck all!</p>