<p>This is my first post here; sorry for any foolishness or ignorance ;)
I am the mother of a soon to be freshman girl who is determined to apply to BS for 10th grade. She is a fantastic writer- and it's not just me saying that, she's been frequently recognized- and also is extremely strong in science. She has straight A's, though she isn't athletic. She's not against sports, she simply prefers academics and isn't that into them. She's also played the electric guitar for 2 years and absolutely loves it. She practices about 3 hours a day and has gotten very good. However, it doesn't seem like boarding schools would be very interested in this, or that they would be able to support it. Is it just me stereotyping, or are BS far more interested in more classical type instruments?Are there any particular schools that would be very good or very bad for my daughter based on this? She wants to attend a challenging school, but is determined to pursue electric guitar, and I worry that this won't be possible. (BTW, we live in New England, and would only be considering schools in around that area.)</p>
<p>Choate has some kind of electric guitar in their jazz band, I’m sure the other big schools do too. It doesn’t hurt to call and ask!</p>
<p>Does she want to continue to practice for 2-3 hours a day, or would it be okay to take lessons, play in some kind of band or ensemble, and fit practicing in when she can? I think most kids find that academics at prep school take up a surprising amount of time, and schools may discourage kids from playing instruments in the dorm. My son doesn’t play as much as he used to, partly because he’s busier and partly because of logistics–finding time before dorm check-in and an empty practice room. All things to ask about…</p>
<p>I sometimes think that the old established prep schools that were once boys schools are. at heart, still a more comfortable fit for student-athletes, rather than student-actors or student-musicians, etc. It’s not that they don’t value those things–it just seems that the day is basically structured around the classroom and the playing field. However, I have an athletic kid–I suppose the artsier kids find time to practice their instruments when he’s off at athletic competitions. Still, I’d check on each school’s athletic requirements; some schools require students to be on sports teams; others have more flexible physical education requirements, requiring less time and commitment</p>
<p>SPS supports a very wide range of individual instructions via the use of outside instructors. You can even take the bagpipes if you want. I know that their list includes guitar.</p>
<p>[Welcome</a> to the St. Paul’s School Music Program](<a href=“http://music.sps.edu/]Welcome”>http://music.sps.edu/)</p>
<p>She is not going to have 2-3 hours a day to play the guitar. Simply not enough time in the day. Having said that, all these schools have invested millions into their Arts and Musical facilities and want then used. Having a musical gift, they may ask that she pick up an additional musical instrument. My guy also plays the electric guitar and viola, except he picked up the guitar his freshman year having already been playing string instruments. Sports is a major part of most of the curriculums. She doesn’t have to be a field hockey fanatic, she just has to play sports. She just might end up enjoying some athletics.</p>
<p>It is possible to avoid sports altogether if you are creative with alternatives like yoga, dance, arts exemptions and the arts concentration program. I know several who did LOL. I wouldn’t recommend it, because team bonding is an important part of prep school life (even if it is just a thirds team) but it can be done. Be sure to ask for specifics at all of your interviews.</p>
<p>New2this12, I think you’re right, the electric guitar does not seem to fit in the established expectations of music faculty. There are schools which concentrate on the arts. Walnut Hill, Interlochen, and Idyllwilde are three pre-professional arts schools. Looking at their websites, though, I don’t see instructors listed for the electric guitar. </p>
<p>It might be worth your while to send a quick email to each boarding school, asking if they can offer instruction in the electric guitar. I agree with the other posters, the boarding school schedule does not offer three hour blocks of free time. </p>
<p>Have you considered day schools? She could take challenging classes, and practice at home. Schools and colleges do offer summer boarding experiences, so she would not necessarily give up the opportunity to experience boarding.</p>
<p>I think that she should ask about her passion during her interviews. If a school wouldn’t be able to support her passion, she probably wouldn’t want to attend. It is up to her (and you) whether she would be willing to sacrifice the electric guitar to attend a challenging school. In music, I know one must practice to reach the next level. Cutting back on practice time radically would affect her playing.</p>
<p>Choate offers lessons in the electric guitar-I can tell you that for sure. However, I don’t think your kid can practice 2-3 hours a day. That doesn’t seem plausible. Maybe if she did Arts Concentration at Choate. However, there are other schools with great musical facilities. I believe that if electric guitar instructors aren’t offered at the school, then you could request one? I’m sure some would accomodate your request. Additionally, at the larger prep schools, they offer intramural activities, like yoga or rock climbing. You might want to look into schools that offer the intramural option. Best of luck!</p>
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<p>I found this to be very true. My mom contacted my interviewer at SPS and she told me that he said that I did, "too much music."I got the sense that he felt that I (I’m a guy) wasn’t manly enough, or something because I did a lot of music. OP, I would keep that in mind if I were you.</p>
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Yes, this is the impression I’ve gotten. I’m more of a “classical type” person, so this is good for me. This could be a bit of a problem for your daughter.</p>
<p>I don’t think your daughter will be able to practice 2-3 hours a day at a top prep school. If she’s interested, she could look at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. There, she’s expected to practice 2-3 hours a day. Good luck!</p>
<p>I agree with iFax about Interlochen.</p>
<p>Also - the idea that most schools are “sports” driven is based on the relative amount of publicity sports receives. Most BS have a wide variety of students, many (if not most) of whom don’t play sports - or do but don’t play at the varsity level.</p>
<p>Don’t start your search with stereotypes in mind. It will hurt, not enhance your chances. Focus, instead, on what your daughter’s gifts and interests are. If it’s in the cards for her - the right school will choose the right student.</p>
<p>These days you don’t have to be a superstar - just well qualified and interesting enough to stand out in a pile of other super achievers.</p>
<p>Just for the sake of discussion…I could be convinced otherwise…suppose I said that many of the older boarding schools are, if not sports-driven–sports infused. That is, the kind of kid who mixes sports and academics well tends to thrive because the mindset of the student-athlete is the mindset that the school intrinsically values. Physical endurance, mental discipline, good concentration, team work skills, quick assessment and response skills, the willingness to sweat and hurt, and a competitive drive are among the attributes that make kids good at sports, and, maybe, good at the unique academcs and life of boarding school. What do you think?</p>
<p>Sports infused is a good term. </p>
<p>I think, the OP may be thinking that lack of sports is a deal breaker. It probably isn’t if her daughter excels at something else. She would, however, be required to take a sport as part of PE though. But with so many options, I think many people forget sports can be “dance,” “golf,” “bowling,” and a host of other things not normally considered when we use the term. </p>
<p>I hope she keeps an open mind. I hated sports when I was a kid, but loved art and music. Then I got to Exeter and discovered crew and it was love at first oar. BS is about expansion of opportunities and taking new experiences for a test drive. Those who suffer most with the transition are those who try to recreate the same conditions they had at home.</p>
<p>At Andover, electric guitar lessons are available. This clip from Andover gave me a flashback to my high school days:</p>
<p>[YouTube</a> - Free Bird: live cover, Bass Pro Shops, Phillips Academy Andover Battle of the Bands 2010](<a href=“Free Bird: live cover, Bass Pro Shops, Phillips Academy Andover Battle of the Bands 2010 - YouTube”>Free Bird: live cover, Bass Pro Shops, Phillips Academy Andover Battle of the Bands 2010 - YouTube)</p>
<p>I imagine that anywhere there are high school kids, there will be electric guitar players covering Lynyrd Skynyrd.</p>
<p>St. Mark’s offers private music lessons for electric guitar. If students receive permission they are allowed to take lessons as an independent study project or in lieu of the sports requirement. The school seems very flexible in the sense that it helps to accomodate the many different passions of its students.</p>