Are some instruments more competitive for colleges/conservatories?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:rare yet needed instrument is good

What sorts of instruments are needed?

Don't think like that, because you can never predict what colleges will need for their orchestra or band on any given year. There is no constant shortage in one particular instrument. It's just that maybe their Principal violist graduated, and they're looking for a brilliant violist the year your viola-playing kid applies. I hope you understand this is a total lottery situation.

If your kid want to make it all the way to 12th grade with their instrument, he or she really needs to think about what they like about this instrument (ask teachers and students about all the nitty gritty - for example, French horn has that spit problem, oboe you're always fiddling with reeds, etc). Otherwise they will abandon it before it helps for college applications!

That's true. I guess I'm just wondering because many of the school bands/orchestras I known (including the one at Oberlin) have none of the instruments my kid is interested in, and I worry that applying with them would be a total non-starter.

What instrument(s) is your kid interested in?

- Taiko drums
- Contrabass clarinet
- Pennywhistle
- Vuvuzela
- Tenor horn

How old is your child?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:rare yet needed instrument is good

What sorts of instruments are needed?

Don't think like that, because you can never predict what colleges will need for their orchestra or band on any given year. There is no constant shortage in one particular instrument. It's just that maybe their Principal violist graduated, and they're looking for a brilliant violist the year your viola-playing kid applies. I hope you understand this is a total lottery situation.

If your kid want to make it all the way to 12th grade with their instrument, he or she really needs to think about what they like about this instrument (ask teachers and students about all the nitty gritty - for example, French horn has that spit problem, oboe you're always fiddling with reeds, etc). Otherwise they will abandon it before it helps for college applications!

That's true. I guess I'm just wondering because many of the school bands/orchestras I known (including the one at Oberlin) have none of the instruments my kid is interested in, and I worry that applying with them would be a total non-starter.

What instrument(s) is your kid interested in?

- Taiko drums
- Contrabass clarinet
- Pennywhistle
- Vuvuzela
- Tenor horn

How old is your child?

4th grade but musically passionate beyond his years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:rare yet needed instrument is good

What sorts of instruments are needed?

Don't think like that, because you can never predict what colleges will need for their orchestra or band on any given year. There is no constant shortage in one particular instrument. It's just that maybe their Principal violist graduated, and they're looking for a brilliant violist the year your viola-playing kid applies. I hope you understand this is a total lottery situation.

If your kid want to make it all the way to 12th grade with their instrument, he or she really needs to think about what they like about this instrument (ask teachers and students about all the nitty gritty - for example, French horn has that spit problem, oboe you're always fiddling with reeds, etc). Otherwise they will abandon it before it helps for college applications!

That's true. I guess I'm just wondering because many of the school bands/orchestras I known (including the one at Oberlin) have none of the instruments my kid is interested in, and I worry that applying with them would be a total non-starter.

What instrument(s) is your kid interested in?

- Taiko drums
- Contrabass clarinet
- Pennywhistle
- Vuvuzela
- Tenor horn

How old is your child?

4th grade but musically passionate beyond his years.

He's a bit young for wind/brass instruments. Maybe you can get him started on percussion, and see how he likes it (not Taiko drums), and when he's older, he can decide if he wants to go down that path, or choose a different instrument.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:rare yet needed instrument is good

What sorts of instruments are needed?

Don't think like that, because you can never predict what colleges will need for their orchestra or band on any given year. There is no constant shortage in one particular instrument. It's just that maybe their Principal violist graduated, and they're looking for a brilliant violist the year your viola-playing kid applies. I hope you understand this is a total lottery situation.

If your kid want to make it all the way to 12th grade with their instrument, he or she really needs to think about what they like about this instrument (ask teachers and students about all the nitty gritty - for example, French horn has that spit problem, oboe you're always fiddling with reeds, etc). Otherwise they will abandon it before it helps for college applications!

That's true. I guess I'm just wondering because many of the school bands/orchestras I known (including the one at Oberlin) have none of the instruments my kid is interested in, and I worry that applying with them would be a total non-starter.

What instrument(s) is your kid interested in?

- Taiko drums
- Contrabass clarinet
- Pennywhistle
- Vuvuzela
- Tenor horn

How old is your child?

4th grade but musically passionate beyond his years.

He's a bit young for wind/brass instruments. Maybe you can get him started on percussion, and see how he likes it (not Taiko drums), and when he's older, he can decide if he wants to go down that path, or choose a different instrument.

All that tracks to me. I'll see about starting percussion/unspecialized brass lessons in school and looking into extracurriculars for the future with specific focuses, like taiko or vuvuzela.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:rare yet needed instrument is good

What sorts of instruments are needed?

Viola

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:rare yet needed instrument is good

What sorts of instruments are needed?

Don't think like that, because you can never predict what colleges will need for their orchestra or band on any given year. There is no constant shortage in one particular instrument. It's just that maybe their Principal violist graduated, and they're looking for a brilliant violist the year your viola-playing kid applies. I hope you understand this is a total lottery situation.

If your kid want to make it all the way to 12th grade with their instrument, he or she really needs to think about what they like about this instrument (ask teachers and students about all the nitty gritty - for example, French horn has that spit problem, oboe you're always fiddling with reeds, etc). Otherwise they will abandon it before it helps for college applications!

That's true. I guess I'm just wondering because many of the school bands/orchestras I known (including the one at Oberlin) have none of the instruments my kid is interested in, and I worry that applying with them would be a total non-starter.

What instrument(s) is your kid interested in?

- Taiko drums
- Contrabass clarinet
- Pennywhistle
- Vuvuzela
- Tenor horn

How old is your child?

4th grade but musically passionate beyond his years.

He's a bit young for wind/brass instruments. Maybe you can get him started on percussion, and see how he likes it (not Taiko drums), and when he's older, he can decide if he wants to go down that path, or choose a different instrument.

Mine started with trumpet, then shifted to French horn, then tuba in ms. Decided she wasn't really passionate about it and didn't pursue to a level of including for colleges. My other played violin, and yes, so much competition there. She loved it from 2 years old. I tried to talk her out of it, but relented eventually. She studied seriously throughout Es, Ms and Hs and did submit a supplement for college apps. But, it was a major commitment.

Your obscure instruments sound fun, and if kid is passionate about them, let him sample. But, he can always sample later. If he wants to play an instrument well enough to include a supplement with college admissions, he will need to invest in private lessons, masterclasses, etc. Let him see what inspires him and what he might be willing to invest in.

[Anonymous]

I spent fifteen years taking lessons and practicing violin at the age of three because my Asian mother thought it was a classy instrument. When I got to college, I got no date and hated my mother. My cousin also attended the same university as I did, took up guitar at the age of ten and he got tons of women in college with his guitar skill. Have your kid learn guitar, it will help him with his dating life in college. You ask any young woman to choose either Shawn Mendes or some famous violinist and the answer is quite obvious.

[Anonymous]

My DS plays the trumpet and plays in a college orchestra. He always says he wishes he'd done the french horn because it's needed and not many people play it. Oboe and Bassoon are two others that are relatively hard to find good players for.

[Anonymous]

I don't even know which parts of this thread are real and which are not.

Don't most sax players either come from clarinet OR tack on additional instruments once they've mastered sax, or both? That's how it is in our district.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:rare yet needed instrument is good

What sorts of instruments are needed?

Low brass if he is good.

+1 My DD got a nice additional music scholarship as a non-major at her LAC to play euphonium/baritone.

[Anonymous]

Electric kazoo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:rare yet needed instrument is good

What sorts of instruments are needed?

Don't think like that, because you can never predict what colleges will need for their orchestra or band on any given year. There is no constant shortage in one particular instrument. It's just that maybe their Principal violist graduated, and they're looking for a brilliant violist the year your viola-playing kid applies. I hope you understand this is a total lottery situation.

If your kid want to make it all the way to 12th grade with their instrument, he or she really needs to think about what they like about this instrument (ask teachers and students about all the nitty gritty - for example, French horn has that spit problem, oboe you're always fiddling with reeds, etc). Otherwise they will abandon it before it helps for college applications!

That's true. I guess I'm just wondering because many of the school bands/orchestras I known (including the one at Oberlin) have none of the instruments my kid is interested in, and I worry that applying with them would be a total non-starter.

What instrument(s) is your kid interested in?

- Taiko drums
- Contrabass clarinet
- Pennywhistle
- Vuvuzela
- Tenor horn

How old is your child?

4th grade but musically passionate beyond his years.

He's a bit young for wind/brass instruments. Maybe you can get him started on percussion, and see how he likes it (not Taiko drums), and when he's older, he can decide if he wants to go down that path, or choose a different instrument.

My kids' elementary school band program offers euphonium for 4-5th graders. One of my kids started on that and then later shifted to tuba but then dropped out of band in HS. The other continued euphonium into HS and will play in college. 4th grade is not too early.

[Anonymous]

The original question was kind of ridiculous — let your kid choose the instrument they want to play!— but I agree with another poster that low brass appears to be in demand at our MCPS HS. They especially need trombones, as they are needed for jazz, marching, and concert bands. Also, there are tons of,percussionists. They have their own band, and then each of the other bands has like 5-6 percussionists.
My observation after the recent spring concert is that the HS pipeline was definitely disrupted by Covid. I hope the middle school is rebuilding and about to send us a bumper crop of musicians!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:rare yet needed instrument is good

What sorts of instruments are needed?

Low brass if he is good.

Younger kid is just picking out options now. I will recommend low brass. Right now, his top picks include:
- Taiko drums
- Gamelan
- Contrabass clarinet
- Pennywhistle
- Vuvuzela
- Tenor horn

Where on earth did he come up with this list? None of these are traditional symphonic instruments, so obviously they won't be in any demand for college orchestras!

I know! I was more wondering about music groups in general -- I know liberal arts students who joined their school's Taiko/Gamelan classes and wonder if prior knowledge might indicate worldliness. As for the gamelan, thanks for the tip! I'd have to check with kid to see what, if any, specific gamelan instruments he had in mind.

Wordli...

?

I can't even.

OK, here's how this will go, OP. This is will be entirely irrelevant for any college that's a reach for this kid, because they'll see right through your ploy. But, for targets and safeties, a college admissions officer might go: "OK folks, it's down to the wire here. We have a couple more spots to fill. Let's take a second look at this pile: oh, it's the kid with the gamelan ensemble - apparently he's learned to play all the instruments, and he performed at Carnegie with the X Ensemble. He has a YouTube channel, anyone have time to look? No? Looks like an original, let's take him anyway."

And off he goes to a mid-tier college costing you 60K a year. Big whoop.

Lol

[Anonymous]

People actually pick their middle school child’s instrument for them based on possible college conservatory acceptances? I’m speechless…