<p>My kid will be there with my wife and me waiting in the hallway. We're staying at the Hyatt.</p>
<p>Dittos. I saw on another thread that someone got an audition time. Did your kid get an audition time? On the schedule, it says they hand out the audition times at 10:30. Maybe the other poster meant to say audition day (feb 20).</p>
<p>Looking forward to hearing how it goes for you two at Eastman this Friday. DS is up on Feb 6! DS's email also said that you didn't get a slot until the day of the auditions.</p>
<p>They just gave her a time to report so we're not sure when she'll actually be singing. We're hanging around on Friday night and plan to attend the symphony concert that evening. It orchestra is made up of 3rd- and 4th-year undergrads and grad students so expect those kids will have some game.</p>
<p>I'm auditioning then. Looking forward to it, auctually.</p>
<p>S is auditioning on th 13th. We did not get a time, just a time to report. Flying in the day before, staying at the Inn on Broadway so we can walk.</p>
<p>Mea Culpa, I goofed! I was questioning my D as she was running out the door and for some reason, I honestly believed that Eastman had changed their system and was giving out audition times in advance....not so! If I confused anyone, I apologize.
For those coming to Rochester, if you have any questions, feel free to contact me and I'll be happy to help you out with info about the area, restaurants,hotels, etc.
For those staying at the Hyatt or any of the hotels on the river, I don't recommend walking. It is COLD here and we just received another foot of snow. When the weatherman says, "snow squalls" or "lake effect", that means 6-10 inches of snow or more and the wind blowing down Main Street can cut to the bone.
Voice and piano students have to be available until 10PM, so DO NOT walk downtown at that time. While Rochester looks small and calm to those that are used to big cities, we have quite a high crime rate in downtown and in certain areas within the city.Some neighborhoods are lovely and well cared for, but veturing any further down Main Street past the Eastman Theatre puts you in a vert "iffy" area. Don't chance it. There is a parking garage next to the Eastman Theatre, hide your belongings and lock your car. If you park on the street, be sure to check the signs as we have a diligent parking enforecement crew!
The Inn on Broadway is lovely and a shorter walk up East Avenue to Gibbs St, where the school is- not too bad because the area stays well lit since there are a few restaurants around there and the Little Theatre is down the street(an independent cinema complex), just be watchful when you cut around the Epsicopal Church on the corner-it's dark there!I'm not nuts about the coffee joint next to the school, but if you must, head to the lower level. A better bet is "The Spot", down East Avenue. Don't expect inexspensive eats in the Eastman area as the places in the immediate vicinity are pricy. Again,a better bet is The Spot or the Little Cafe located in the back of the Little Theatre complex. There is a dim sum place right near the school, but their prices are high also. One if the moms on the board swears by the Dinosaur BBQ, which is right on the Genesee River near the library. It is unique, the portions are HUGE and the atmosphere noisy- if you go for their hot sauce, beware!!<br>
If anyone needs any advice, directions or information, just let me know and I'll do what I can to assist. It is supposed to be "warmer" this weekend, which means about 34 (! )with a big storm coming in early next week. Enjoy!</p>
<p>Good luck to all those Eastman auditionees this year. We were there last year. I'll be back visiting S2 on one of the audition days. He said I could visit then because with auditions, it will be hard for him to practice, so I won't be disrupting his schedule. I keep telling him that I'd be happy just to sit in a practice room with him. Be aware that the practice rooms on the outside walls of the building are cold.</p>
<p>Eating around Eastman:
- +1 on Dinosaur BBQ. It will have at least a 1 hour wait for a table during dinner. If you're not in a hurry, it's well worth the wait (or do a late lunch or early dinner when it's not as busy). It is 1 block from the Hyatt but not walking distance from Eastman in winter. Parking is available in a nearby ramp garage. Ribs, brisket, slow smoked chicken wings, and the side dishes are all outstanding.
- Stromboli Express has good thin crust pizza for $2/slice (not nearly Rochester's best but OK). About 1/2 block from Eastman on East Ave. There's better wood-oven pizza further down East Ave @ Veneto (near the Inner Loop and Alexander).
- For a nice dinner, 2 Vine is a short distance off East Ave near the Little Theater. Make a reservation. Sharing an order of mussels (with fries) plus a salad is a great light dinner.</p>
<p>I heartily recommend the Dinosaur Bar-B-Q as well. Terrific food, good diverse menu and
fun atmosphere. No need to dress up; in fact dress down especially if you are going to have ribs. Not all the food is hot. I am hoping we go when we are there the following week.</p>
<p>I actually rather like the coffee place and sandwich place right by the school; I spent some nice time there with my computer on the wireless. I suspect that it will be sort of jammed with parents on an audition day though!</p>
<p>The used bookstore near the school (over by the church) has a lot of very cool things and it is hard to leave there without a purchase. </p>
<p>If you have a car, think about visiting the art museum which is a mile or two from the school. Very lovely place.</p>
<p>How did everyone's auditions go? </p>
<p>What about that theory test?</p>
<p>vasavaxa - My D said that she thinks the audition went well, but the room is a tad dead from the stage so she only heard echos on her higher notes (she's a Mezzo and "Oh, Rest in the Lord" spends a lot of time in the lower part of her range) so she was just hoping she filled the room. She described it as "singing into a pillow".</p>
<p>Re: the theory test, she wishes she'd crammed a bit more. She took AP Theory as a sophomore and came out wishing she'd waited a year.</p>
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but the room is a tad dead from the stage
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<p>Son had same comment. Accompanist said: Yes, but it sounds awesome in the audience.</p>
<p>The theory test will not affect admission, only placement into classes in the fall.</p>
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The theory test will not affect admission, only placement into classes in the fall.
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<p>I wondered about that, but they give a separate placement test in the fall. Inside the packet was info on taking on-line theory course in preparation for the fall testing.</p>
<p>I'm guessing they would think twice about admitting someone who is totally green on theory.</p>
<p>My daughter said that this test was to direct kids who are accepted to subjects they should cram on before they arrive in the Fall.</p>
<p>OperaDad, I wondered about that. Somewhere when I was digging last year, it seemed that this was a different standardized test, although more complex than the music readiness test some non-conservatories give. The audition-day theory test can't affect acceptance too strongly, because kids who do regional auditions don't take it. But I always assumed that if someone really bombed it, they might think twice about accepting them. Theory is usually the killer course.</p>
<p>The placement test given during orientation is a different test, and I think it is geared completely toward Eastman's theory program and proper placement of students.</p>
<p>Our son will be auditioning at Eastman for percussion. Has anyone done this & how did it go?</p>
<p>Has anyone auditioned for strings? Wondering if the day is similar to that of voice. The info you all have posted is very helpful, thanks.</p>
<p>I don't know how well I did on the theory test to be honest. If I bombed it oh well. </p>
<p>I'm a mezzo and I thought the space was auctually really nice and ringy, then again most of my songs were relatively high. I thought that aural skills test was a little funky and I have no idea how well I did on that.</p>