Music and getting into competitive MS, HS
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Anonymous
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DS8 plays violin and in 4th grade brings school orchestra. He already plays in an outside orchestra.
I think it makes sense to try a different instrument for school orchestra, since violin would be too easy and would be violin overload. Assuming he doesn’t have a preference, what orchestral instrument would be best secondary to violin in terms of admissions to competitive middle and high school programs? Or best to get into advanced music programs? I am not a strong player but I know many overlap violin and viola. He has expressed interest in viola, cello, non string instruments… basically he can’t really choose but knows he doesn’t want to pick violin but learn something new. |
Anonymous
| Sorry I meant to say they will start school orchestra in 4th grade. He already plays violin in an outside orchestra. |
Anonymous
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What does this have to do with AAP? It’s Advanced ACADEMICS, not advanced strings.
Post in the FCPS forum. |
Anonymous
The endgame is to get into a competitive middle/high school. |
Anonymous
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There are no advanced music programs in public schools, at least not "real" ones. The best you can do is be part of a excellent private studio, do MCYO or AYPO and competitions. You are correct that pursuing violin is EXTREMELY cutthroat. Unless your kid is incredibly intelligent and uniquely dedicated to his violin, he will not get concertmaster positions at the high school level for the best youth orchestras and he won't win first place in competitions. It's wise to transition to a less competitive instrument.
Viola is a very good choice. That's just my two cents because I have a high school violinist in a top youth orchestra and I've seen how hard it is to differentiate oneself with that instrument. |
Anonymous
I am unaware of any "advanced" middle/high school that considers music instrument as an admission criteria. This forum is for Advanced Academic Program in Fairfax County, Virginia. |
Anonymous
| Definitely Viola! |
Anonymous
| Let him choose, Mom. |
Anonymous
Then post in the private & independent schools forum. Or do you mean TJ/Academics of Loudoun? |
Anonymous
Cello is almost as cutthroat as violin. Viola and Bass are much easier to get into high level orchestras and eventually be the section principal. |
Anonymous
+1 If he wants to try another instrument, let him. If he wants to play violin in 4th grade with his friends, he will probably be more advanced than most other kids but there may be a handful of others who have also been taking lessons already. There are even a very few kids who play both band and string instruments and take both electives (it's very uncommon). As far as getting into a competitive MS or HS, I only know of one music HS in the area (Duke Ellington). Otherwise, school orchestra (or band) is not competitive but can be a good social group. Youth orchestra is competitive but doesn't have anything to do with school, although school participation in music class is required by youth orchestras. |
Anonymous
| DC started violin private lesson at 5 yo, made it to highest orchestra group at a very competitive MS center, and still just one of the top 10 players, so definitely no violin, it’s a lot of pressure. Viola would be much more easier and 1-2 classmates did the switching at MS. |
Anonymous
“He has expressed interest in viola, cello, non string instruments… basically he can’t really choose” |
Anonymous
As the parent of both a violinist and a violist...it's like all the viola jokes are true! 
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Anonymous
| Upright Bass, that was what helped my barely mediocre musician get into the higher level orchestras. In MS and HS. They even made the district orchestra one year. If they possessed any real musical ability and dedication, they would have gone farther. |