So out of our likely final 4 options (and 2 are floating to the top), only one of them doesn’t seem clear with studio assignment. And this is a bit of a bottle neck for my kid. She’d love to have another 1-2 short sample lessons with selected teachers there. I hope we can make a quick run there in April, or possibly via zoom. She did have a sample lesson and it was fine, but it felt more like a chat than a lesson and she wasn’t sure and was early. There were a couple other teachers in particular that were engaging during auditions she has her eye on.
Is there any way to approach that contacting music addmisions to ask without sounding high maintenance? This kid did many years of music lessons and started voice early tagging along on a sibling’s lesson and dual enrolls, so maybe is just a bit more around the block on teacher preferences than average. I do think there may be at least one teacher that could be a deal breaker.
Or is this a case of you get what you get and you don’t have a fit and trust them to find a good fit to you? Thoughts from the experts? Direct messages are great too.
One of my kid’s top choices absolutely refused to tell him whose studio he would be in. They also NEVER answered his inquiries about an accepted student visit. After several attempts, my kid ditched the school. This was a top conservatory, BTW.
@thumper1 I’m sorry your student had that experience! Disappointing.
This is an undergrad focused program.
There is an online form to sign up to visit and have a lesson but it is a yes/no. So it doesn’t feel particularly open to inquiry and we’re struggling with approach. I’m sure we’re overthinking!
I guess response to a reasonably polite inquiry could be telling anyway.
Call and ask, however, my kid is at a conservatory and they did not find out who their teacher was until after the 1st week. This was after they all had to sing in front of the teachers again.
ETA: I should have said first: I think your daughter should probably choose how to handle this and do any of the calling.
I agree with others that a phone call would be good. I know what you mean about the website box, but we are all olds If they are against a phone call, that’s unusual, I think.
I would not give up on a great program simply for that reason. I get what you mean about not wanting her to be a pain. That’s important. But if there’s an overall feeling that they don’t care about her concerns, that’s important.
I was just thinking about how there are a few schools that have really seemed to care about my questions and give me a warm welcome, even if they had no good answers for me. I’m more inclined to feel like my kid would be listened to at those schools.
A few comments (that will go around in circles…lol). My final point is really to work methodically and slowly through this, collecting data…until the answer is more clear.
1.) Talk with her private teacher about this. She should be a great resource.
2.) Talk with the music school about it. What is their policy? And, why? If it has worked for years…could it possibly work for your kid?
Some schools do this…no teacher assigned…and they are still in business turning out great musicians! However they should have a clear philosophy and process. Also…I think that they should have a robust faculty. And, then you need to decide: does this work for my kid’s personality or not.
3.) Talk with the head of the voice dept, if possible. Why would they place your D with one teacher or another? What if it doesn’t work. Most schools allow changes and really do try to help students.
My D UG teacher was particularly good with certain voice types (mozart-type voices). I would have had no idea about this. We may have picked a different teacher not understanding this. A good faculty may have more insight on your kid’s future (than you can glean from website searches).
4.) I understand that particularly for instrumentalist the teacher is often “everything”. My comment is only “opinion” but for young vocalist (only really coming into their voice in the last year or so) it is harder to know what you need. However I do understand that your D has had some very good instruction with a U faculty teacher so…she may be more advanced in understanding her needs. But my D put herself more in the hands of an interested teacher…at a well-known program with a big faculty. Her focus was a music school with flexibility. The teacher was important but not more important than some of her goals. So what does that mean for you? I don’t know. I just want to say…if my D made her “whole” decision on a teacher…and did not look at other elements of the program…she may have been “unhappy” and not grown.
5.) I would start from a position of “curiousity” as opposed to “judgment” on that process, if possible (and I’m not saying that you are judging!). But I get that is can feel “negative” and “scary”. If that persists, then it may not be the right school. Something more certain could defintiely be a better fit.
I hope this helps in some way.
Edit: All communications with teachers should go through the kid. With “administration”, I have a more mixed feelings…thinking it’s OK for a parent to ask some basic questions…like what’s the process of teachers at your fine school. Idk, I’m sure you’ll figure that out!
Thank you @bridgenail this is great. And we’re definitely approaching from a curiousity end and not a my way or the highway at all. Kid will definitely be doing communication. She has very warm fuzzies about this and one other program the way things rolled out with admissions/awards. Both these programs probably ticked under where flagship U would land for us which was a bit unexpected. I am definitely encouraging an open mind until we get through the next month.
I’m sorry for being intentionally vague. If anyone is curious, definitely PM me, I will share details ad nauseum via PM as some of you may be aware.
I would love details on your situation. My kiddo has been offered admission to a school that gave no studio assignment- the only school so far to omit this.
The difficulty is that the teacher she initially requested may not be the one she now wants… wondering how to state this and curious as to why she wasn’t assigned in the first place.
If they are against a phone call, that’s unusual, I think.
