Music school bound coming from a weak HS music program??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As others have said his audition will matter most. Make sure he has an excellent private teacher on his main instrument. Start looking at audition repertoire requirements at schools where he might like to apply to see what level he needs to be at.

+1 this matters more than being one of many in a group that went to some competition.

[Anonymous]

My musician has never gone to a school with a music program (small public middle school/ high school). Just private lessons/ youth orchestra/ summer programs. Start looking now for opportunities for this summer and next school year.

[Anonymous]

OP,

A little tough love here.

There is no music program in regular private or public high schools that is in any way, shape or form, suitable to preparing kids for music programs in college or conservatories. The fact you'd believe this is concerning, because this is basic knowledge, and if your family belonged to a rigorous private studio, the teacher would have explained this to you, and given your son multiple opportunities to audition for private youth orchestras, enter competitions, participate in various ensembles, be selected for All-State, etc. This is what the competitive kids do, intensively.

Music departments in college vary in their quality. They are all, already, pretty low-level compared to the music conservatories, and they usually don't guide students to the same sort of jobs. If he attends Juilliard, he could find stable employment in the brass section of a reputable Philharmonic, or Pops orchestra. 200K+ a year if it's with the New York Phil, significantly less elsewhere. If he attends a regular college's music program, he can become a music teacher in school, and after decades of seniority, maybe push $120K a year, with a Master's degree (but half that if he only gets a Bachelor's). One pays more than the other, but both are stable.

If he decides to major in Music Business, not Performance, he can have access to all the jobs that surround musicians. The industry is a tough one. He would need to be driven and quick-witted to reach a higher level of responsibility and associated income.

You might want to encourage him to branch out and see if other career options interest him. He can always have a band and do gigs outside of his regular job. I have a friend who has a job at Amtrak and plays double bass in a band on the weekends and certain week nights. He enjoys it, and it brings in some extra money.

[Anonymous]

22:40. The point of doing all the competitions, recitals, band/orchestra as a kid is that you build the technical skills to present the most rigorous repertoire for the college auditions; and when you're accepted, you're already comfortable in all kinds of music situations.

College audition repertoires go like this: scales; 2-5 contrasting pieces in your instrument that showcase your technical ability as well as your musicality. Your private teacher should tell you what level of rigor is expected at the audition, ie, what level of difficulty should the pieces be. Obviously you're supposed to present the most difficult pieces that you can play WELL.

[Anonymous]

OP: have your DC apply for and try to attend one of the many summer programs there are for young musicians. Some are summer-only festivals, while others are college/university based and will give them insight into what it really is like to study music in college. Attending those programs will help them improve as a musician, understand better where they stand vis-a-vis all the other incredibly talented young musicians there are out there, and, most importantly, educate them as to whether they really want to engage in music so intensely. Many of the big programs offer both merit and need-based scholarships if that is required to attend. Head over to college confidential's music major forum for insights into particular programs

[Anonymous]

Look at the audition pre screen requirements for the schools he is interested in, and start working with the private coach to master those audition pieces now.

Have a repertoire prepared, so he can perform different pieces when asked. For example, my kid auditioned vocal music. They prepared pieces in Italian, German, English (an old song, not contemporary) and French, plus had a selection of musical theater songs prepared. They mostly auditioned with the two best classical songs (according to the vocal coach and choir director) but at several of the conservatories, the committee looked at their repertoire and picked two on the spot.

I assume your school does not teach AP Music Theory?

You can purchase those textbooks online, and try to learn the material self taught or through a tutor.

Work on sight reading. This is part of every audition.

They won't care what his school band sounds like. They care what he sounds like and if he can sight read.

For those saying don't waste time auditioning for music, my kid kid and several others got into multiple top 10-20 schools through their musical talents. After the underrepresented minority/1st gen kids and the ROTC kids, the top music kids at our high school consistently have the best college admissions outcomes.

The colleges also let them double major, or switch majors after 1st semester. Auditioning for music is a win/win if tge kid has the talent to make it into the top programs.

[Anonymous]

No music majors are challenged by what their high school offers. High school music is for the masses.
Private lessons and youth orchestras by audition are what you are looking for.

[Anonymous]

Some local music school offers a self study for AP music theory (Levine, I think?). I would do that as prep and sit the test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP,

A little tough love here.

There is no music program in regular private or public high schools that is in any way, shape or form, suitable to preparing kids for music programs in college or conservatories. The fact you'd believe this is concerning, because this is basic knowledge, and if your family belonged to a rigorous private studio, the teacher would have explained this to you, and given your son multiple opportunities to audition for private youth orchestras, enter competitions, participate in various ensembles, be selected for All-State, etc. This is what the competitive kids do, intensively.

Music departments in college vary in their quality. They are all, already, pretty low-level compared to the music conservatories, and they usually don't guide students to the same sort of jobs. If he attends Juilliard, he could find stable employment in the brass section of a reputable Philharmonic, or Pops orchestra. 200K+ a year if it's with the New York Phil, significantly less elsewhere. If he attends a regular college's music program, he can become a music teacher in school, and after decades of seniority, maybe push $120K a year, with a Master's degree (but half that if he only gets a Bachelor's). One pays more than the other, but both are stable.

If he decides to major in Music Business, not Performance, he can have access to all the jobs that surround musicians. The industry is a tough one. He would need to be driven and quick-witted to reach a higher level of responsibility and associated income.

You might want to encourage him to branch out and see if other career options interest him. He can always have a band and do gigs outside of his regular job. I have a friend who has a job at Amtrak and plays double bass in a band on the weekends and certain week nights. He enjoys it, and it brings in some extra money.

This. Tough love is needed here. High school music doesn't matter, at all, unless it's a specialized program that's selective like at Ellington, or a professional children's program or a high school partnership with a conservatory. He should maybe even drop the school course to have more practice time.

Playing multiple instruments isn't a plus. He should drop down to a maximum of two (ideally one of them being piano) to focus on being really excellent at just those instruments.

[Anonymous]

OP, how do you know he has "great technical skills"?

It sounds like your son has basically no high-level ensemble experience. That's a technical and artistic skill set he must develop. Speak with his teachers about how to get it. He needs kids at his level or above his level, not a band of whatever friends he has.

Honestly you would not believe the level of some kids these days. I was stunned by it myself as a young adult, and I was pretty decent-- I was 1st chair woodwind in the statewide orchestra in a small state, so I was pretty good but didn't get into even one ensemble in college. Not even the Pops orchestra or the musical theater pits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

This. Tough love is needed here. High school music doesn't matter, at all, unless it's a specialized program that's selective like at Ellington, or a professional children's program or a high school partnership with a conservatory. He should maybe even drop the school course to have more practice time.

Playing multiple instruments isn't a plus. He should drop down to a maximum of two (ideally one of them being piano) to focus on being really excellent at just those instruments.

Food for thought on dropping the high school class, students that audition for regional and state festivals in our area (run by the music educators association) must be registered with or sponsored by their school. My daughter's private teacher has begged the festival to sponsor his independent students, but the organization is effectively run through the school system and won't allow it. If your child is interested in auditioning, I would definitely check on requirements. One student found a workaround as a member of the school jazz ensemble (required an audition), where the teacher will sponsor them for music festivals, since that ensemble operates like a club and doesn't have traditional class time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

This. Tough love is needed here. High school music doesn't matter, at all, unless it's a specialized program that's selective like at Ellington, or a professional children's program or a high school partnership with a conservatory. He should maybe even drop the school course to have more practice time.

Playing multiple instruments isn't a plus. He should drop down to a maximum of two (ideally one of them being piano) to focus on being really excellent at just those instruments.

Food for thought on dropping the high school class, students that audition for regional and state festivals in our area (run by the music educators association) must be registered with or sponsored by their school. My daughter's private teacher has begged the festival to sponsor his independent students, but the organization is effectively run through the school system and won't allow it. If your child is interested in auditioning, I would definitely check on requirements. One student found a workaround as a member of the school jazz ensemble (required an audition), where the teacher will sponsor them for music festivals, since that ensemble operates like a club and doesn't have traditional class time.

Yes, good point

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP,

A little tough love here.

There is no music program in regular private or public high schools that is in any way, shape or form, suitable to preparing kids for music programs in college or conservatories. The fact you'd believe this is concerning, because this is basic knowledge, and if your family belonged to a rigorous private studio, the teacher would have explained this to you, and given your son multiple opportunities to audition for private youth orchestras, enter competitions, participate in various ensembles, be selected for All-State, etc. This is what the competitive kids do, intensively.

Music departments in college vary in their quality. They are all, already, pretty low-level compared to the music conservatories, and they usually don't guide students to the same sort of jobs. If he attends Juilliard, he could find stable employment in the brass section of a reputable Philharmonic, or Pops orchestra. 200K+ a year if it's with the New York Phil, significantly less elsewhere. If he attends a regular college's music program, he can become a music teacher in school, and after decades of seniority, maybe push $120K a year, with a Master's degree (but half that if he only gets a Bachelor's). One pays more than the other, but both are stable.

If he decides to major in Music Business, not Performance, he can have access to all the jobs that surround musicians. The industry is a tough one. He would need to be driven and quick-witted to reach a higher level of responsibility and associated income.

You might want to encourage him to branch out and see if other career options interest him. He can always have a band and do gigs outside of his regular job. I have a friend who has a job at Amtrak and plays double bass in a band on the weekends and certain week nights. He enjoys it, and it brings in some extra money.

This. Tough love is needed here. High school music doesn't matter, at all, unless it's a specialized program that's selective like at Ellington, or a professional children's program or a high school partnership with a conservatory. He should maybe even drop the school course to have more practice time.

Playing multiple instruments isn't a plus. He should drop down to a maximum of two (ideally one of them being piano) to focus on being really excellent at just those instruments.

I disagree.

The WSHS music program regularly has 2-3 kids accepted into high level music programs every year.

Some recent acceptances over the past 4 or 5 years include Eastman, Bienen, Jacobs, Carnegie Mellon, Michigan, Tisch, etc.

Some of those kids do regional musical groups, but many just do their school choir or orchestra, with a weekly private lesson, or not.

I think you will find that many FCPS high schools have strong enough music programs that extra regional music groups are simply unnecessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP,

A little tough love here.

There is no music program in regular private or public high schools that is in any way, shape or form, suitable to preparing kids for music programs in college or conservatories. The fact you'd believe this is concerning, because this is basic knowledge, and if your family belonged to a rigorous private studio, the teacher would have explained this to you, and given your son multiple opportunities to audition for private youth orchestras, enter competitions, participate in various ensembles, be selected for All-State, etc. This is what the competitive kids do, intensively.

Music departments in college vary in their quality. They are all, already, pretty low-level compared to the music conservatories, and they usually don't guide students to the same sort of jobs. If he attends Juilliard, he could find stable employment in the brass section of a reputable Philharmonic, or Pops orchestra. 200K+ a year if it's with the New York Phil, significantly less elsewhere. If he attends a regular college's music program, he can become a music teacher in school, and after decades of seniority, maybe push $120K a year, with a Master's degree (but half that if he only gets a Bachelor's). One pays more than the other, but both are stable.

If he decides to major in Music Business, not Performance, he can have access to all the jobs that surround musicians. The industry is a tough one. He would need to be driven and quick-witted to reach a higher level of responsibility and associated income.

You might want to encourage him to branch out and see if other career options interest him. He can always have a band and do gigs outside of his regular job. I have a friend who has a job at Amtrak and plays double bass in a band on the weekends and certain week nights. He enjoys it, and it brings in some extra money.

This. Tough love is needed here. High school music doesn't matter, at all, unless it's a specialized program that's selective like at Ellington, or a professional children's program or a high school partnership with a conservatory. He should maybe even drop the school course to have more practice time.

Playing multiple instruments isn't a plus. He should drop down to a maximum of two (ideally one of them being piano) to focus on being really excellent at just those instruments.

I disagree.

The WSHS music program regularly has 2-3 kids accepted into high level music programs every year.

Some recent acceptances over the past 4 or 5 years include Eastman, Bienen, Jacobs, Carnegie Mellon, Michigan, Tisch, etc.

Some of those kids do regional musical groups, but many just do their school choir or orchestra, with a weekly private lesson, or not.

I think you will find that many FCPS high schools have strong enough music programs that extra regional music groups are simply unnecessary.

That being said, I think based on OPs description of her kid's high school music program, looking at a regional youth ensemble would be an important step, even if it is only a summer program.