 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Nikki
Date: 2000-10-26 00:24
Hey everyone..i am going to be visiting a school for the second time and whenever i try to come up with questions..i just can't think of the things i really need to look at until later afterwards....i was wondering if anyone can help me with some really good questions to ask...i am looking at double majoring in performance and education or just majoing in education...... me and my parents are new at this and need some advice and what things to really look at besides the basics. Thanks for your help! sincerely, nikki
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Author: mark weinstein
Date: 2000-10-26 01:15
Great, this should be like going to the Doctor .... write down the questions you wish to ask, IN ADVANCE.
Now. let the experts answer your question!
good luck,
mw
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Author: cwisbeena
Date: 2000-10-26 02:35
nikki ---
hey!! i'm pretty well into my freshman year as a clarinet performance major, and just happened to stumble upon your posting...ah, i couldn't help but be reminded of myself when i was in your situation.....i just wanted to put in my two cents and say that if you're seriously considering a double major, which is really ambitious and wonderful, really be sure to talk to some people who are taking part in the program themselves - to get a feel for the workload and all...i know that with a lot of our double majors here, they say practicing is the first thing to go...but you really will just have to assess your priorities for yourself - and anyway, shoot, you can always try it and see how it goes, change at semester, or even later for that matter!!! i would also think about all the things you would be interested in being involved in - like does the school typically put freshmen or even sophomores in the orchestral rotation might be an important question, depending on what you're after, and how the school is set up - also if you're interested in things like exchange programs, non-music classes, student organizations, chamber groups, does the professor require different things of the ed majors, etc??? as mark wisely put it, just make up a list of all of these things before you go...that was a big mistake i made that i sort of regret, although i AM very happy where i ended up just the same...i sort of unknowingly gambled with something i shouldn't have!!! anyway, i wish you the best of luck both with settling on schools, and of COURSE auditions!!! hope SOMEthing in here helped - christina
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Author: jb
Date: 2000-10-26 03:36
I'm also a freshman in college for music ed. I had to revisit some schools because after seeing more, I came up with more questions to compare the schools. I would see what the music program focuses on. A lot of music schools have mostly performance students and so their program is more focused in that direction. I ended up at a school that has a bigger music education program than anything else in the music school which is good because they really concentrate on making everyone good teachers in the classes and its not as competitve so a lot of underclassmen are in wind ensemble and orchestra. But if your double majoring, that shouldn't make a huge difference. Also see how much time you would have to take outside classes because all music can burn you out, unless that's what you really want. Also, I was really surprised by some of the things here when I finally got to college, so I would try to talk to a student there because professors, recruiters, and brocheres won't tell you A LOT of stuff. If your doing education, make sure they have a good program that has stuff to help you find a job too. Most schools do, but I'd doublecheck. You might want to ask a student there if the music school is really competitive or if everyone pretty much knows each other and are friends, to see what atmosphere you like. Maybe you'd also like to find out about access to practice rooms, I think most schools you can get in whenever, but I'd check that out. That's all I can think of. Good luck with auditions and picking a school.
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Author: saraP
Date: 2000-10-26 03:48
Nikki,
I am also a freshman clarinet performance major this year. Only a few people I know are double majoring in both performance and education. At my school, students who major in both of these fields go to school for five years, so their work load is smaller each quarter, giving them more time to practice.
There are a few things that helped me a lot in choosing a college and a major. First of all, I took a couple of lessons at my top two schools long before my actual auditions. I found that the professors are very accessible and enjoy meeting prospective students. Getting to know the professors and letting them see how I play without a lot of pressure definitely gave me an (unfair?) advantage. I asked the professors if they honestly believed that I had a shot of "making it" as a professional musician. Also, find out if you will be taught by a professor or a grad student while you are a freshman. That's really important. As a performance major, the teacher should be the only deciding factor in choosing a school. Find someone who you work well with.
Make sure that you actually want to do music education, and you're not just doing it as something to "fall back" on. My high school band director "fell back" onto education when he was in college, and it was obvious that he hated teaching. Make sure not to do something that will make you miserable.
Good luck!!!
-saraP
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Author: Lori
Date: 2000-10-27 19:12
Nikki,
I saw a book at Barnes and Noble in the Fine Arts/Music section. It was a book that reviewed different colleges and the programs offered. It also had a very helpful index that listed different school in respect to the area of study that you might want to pursue. It had a very obvious title in respect to the contents. Sorry I don't have more information.
After attending two different colleges and graduating with a degree in clarinet performance, the most important piece of advise I could give you is to find out if the atmosphere agrees with you.
If you want to be in the orchestra, go to an orchestra rehersal. If you want to be in the marching band, go to a marching band rehersal. Make sure that you like what you are seeing and HEARING. Ask yourself if the level of performance that you are hearing is high enough for you to enjoy, if the general atmosphere of the rehersal is something that you will enjoy for at least 4 years, and if the people are people that you would like to associate with.
Also, ASK STUDENTS QUESTIONS like - Do you feel like you are learing a lot? Do you feel like you are gaining proficiency in your selected major because of the program of study and the expertise of the teaching staff? Are the professors easy to approach and ask for help? Are the performing organizations good, in your opinion? Are there any professors that are difficult to work with? ARE THE EDUCATION MAJORS FROM THIS SCHOOL GETTING JOBS AFTER THEY GRADUATE? ARE THEY RESPECTED IN THE COMMUNITY AS A GRADUATE OF THIS SCHOOL AND THIS PROGRAM?
It is a tough decision to make, but remember one thing. The school recruiters are trying to get you to choose their institution so they can get your tuition, but the students are shelling out the money every semester to stay in the program. Whose opinion would you value most?
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