 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: pguy
Date: 2004-10-03 20:48
I'm getting really, really serious about music and playing clarinet. My high school has a fair to good music program, but has to cater to a wide range of abilities and attitudes. I supplement the high school school band and orchestra with private instruction from an excellent musician, solo and ensemble/other competitions, summer music camp, and playing in two regional youth orchestras.
That said, I am starting to consider going to an arts academy or prep school with a very strong music program for my last two years of high school. My research has only turned up the Interlochen Arts Academy and the Walnut Hill School in the former category, and Milton and Exeter in the latter.
I think I have the grades and musicianship to get in, but would like to hear from grads/others about..... what other schools are out there, are they worth the expense, will my music improve greatly over what I'm doing now, are the academics really good (my parents are really concerned about this), do they really help if you want to go to a conservatory/top university music school, and do they hurt you if you decide to go for a non-music major at a very highly selective university? Your comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2004-10-04 00:45
I'd recommend staying put. You're already doing a significant amount above and beyond on the clarinet for high school. Unless you are really itching to get away from home or from your current school, you should be fine. While I'm sure such academies produce excellent musicians, as do music-specific conservatories, I find there is something to be said for being around non-musicians. Balance and a well-rounded lifestyle and so forth... helps maintain perspective about the world (these are the people you'd hope to have in your audience, too!).
I might even suggest that the relatively low popularity of "classical" music is in some small way related to musicians who shelter themselves from the rest of the non-music world.
(this coming from a composition major at a large university with an excellent music program, who stopped taking honors courses halfway through high school and never looked back)
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2004-10-04 00:56
pguy wrote:
> I think I have the grades and musicianship to get in, but would
> like to hear from grads/others about..... what other schools
> are out there
Don't know - will only speak to Interlochen - my son spent 3 years there.
> are they worth the expense
Possibly, since you'll not only get exposure to some great music but also start networking with other musicians at your level.
> will my music
> improve greatly over what I'm doing now
Probably - though I don't know your level. Most music majors end Interlochen at or near the level of an upperclassman music major at a university.
> are the academics
> really good (my parents are really concerned about this)
Yes, without a doubt.
> do
> they really help if you want to go to a conservatory/top
> university music school
Generally yes; my son's graduating clarinet class were accepted at just about every scool they applied to.
> and do they hurt you if you decide to
> go for a non-music major at a very highly selective university?
In fact, University of Michigan gives Interlochen grads a couple of points extra in their overall scoring system (or used to - there's been some legal manuvering recently so things might have changed) since the academics are so rigorous.
The one real drawback is it's EXPENSIVE and there's little if any scholarship money.
The comment just previous to this one doesn't quite hold true for IAA; you'll be with not just music majors but singers, dancers, math whizzes, and poets on a beautiful campus ... except for November thru April when you're snowed under ...
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Author: LeWhite
Date: 2004-10-05 00:25
I went to one of these here in Australia - we don't call them academies over here. The Sydney Conservatorium has a high school and so does the Victorian College of the Arts - the one I went to.
We did the usual classes to pass high school, which was the minimum a secondary school can get away with. And then we had all our music subjects, ensemble, orchestra, and private lessons.
For me it was a good alternative to being in a normal high school as now I was among like-minded people.
I came out of there a MUUUUCH better musician than when I went in, and MUUUCH better than if I never went at all. It not only prepared me for a course of tertiary study; it made the transition seamless. It was just like moving up another year in high school but now I didn't have to do any 'boring' subjects like English of Math!
Another aspects is that since it's so serious, you will find out if a music career really is for you. Some people dropped out and went back to their 'normal' school after the first 2 weeks, while other stick it out, enjoyed it, but knew that at the end they would probably never play their instrument again and worked very hard academically to get good marks to get into science degrees and the like. For me, it just made me realise that this is what I wanted to do. You'll hit a million walls in your time, and the earlier you learn to overcome certain obstacles the better; for me this meant that I could get more out of my tertiary education.
Hope that kinda helps, feel free to ask more Q's!
__________________
Don't hate me because I play Leblanc! ![[down]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smiley23.gif) Buffet
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Author: Kevin
Date: 2004-10-05 00:44
Pretty much all music conservatories have, in addition to their normal college division for degree students, a precollege or prep division for grade school students. Prehaps this might be a better option than attending a full time academy, since you'll be receiving high level training in all areas of music and getting plenty of performance oppurtunities while still staying in your regular school.
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Author: Bradley
Date: 2004-10-05 01:10
Having made the change to a high school conservatory type setup after freshman year, I am positive it was the best decision I've ever made for my future career in music. I am lucky enough to be going totally for free- if you get accepted you don't have to pay for anyting like tuition, so I don't even have to pay for lessons with the best teacher for hundreds of miles down here (Miami). I also get theory from the professors at the college, and get to perform literature any other school in the state could only dream of. I get great chamber music opportunities, access to a music library, and academics that are in the top five in the state. Something is also to be said for the atmosphere at an academy, so I totally disagree with Alex's comments. I have practise rooms always at my disposal, a section always there to offer me competition, and a chance to talk about music with people on/above my level at any given time during the school day. Today in a few of my academic classes I was asking string players to play K. 581 with me and discussing the Françaix woodwind quintet with my quintet buddies. At my old high school I would have never had that chance. You can always choose to lead a simple life outside of school, but I've always thought the American school system didn't focus on learning enough. I was partially wrong, since I now know schools like mine exist. If you 're serious about your art, why not focus on it and stay away from as much of the regular high school crap as you can. I've learned so much about other things too- and going to a diverse mix of people expands your scope so much more than the people in your neighbourhood ever could. If this is for you, the choice won't be hard as long as you know about the wonderful things schools like this have to offer.
Bradley
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Author: Brandon
Date: 2004-10-05 01:57
I graduated from a performing arts high school, albeit not a boarding type school like Interlochen. Musically, I do feel as if the experience was worth it. Academically, it was a joke. You could walk in to a class and tell a teacher you were going to go practice and nothing was said. I know several folks who have gone to Interlochen, and as Mark said, most went to a great school. Is it possible to make it to a great school without an Interlochen? Sure. Find a good teacher and practice correctly.
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Author: pguy
Date: 2004-10-05 02:10
Bradley,
Thanks to you and all others for your replys for you input.
I didn't quite follow whether you go to an Interlochen-like academy in Florida, or to a regular high school during the day and after school program at a conservatory? If the former, what's its name?
For a conservatory program I presume you have to be lucky enough to live in New York, Boston, etc... to be able to take advantage of it.
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Author: Bradley
Date: 2004-10-06 02:53
It's neither really. New World School of the Arts is the name of a collaboration between Miami Dade Public Schools, The University of Florida and Miami Dade College. It's just like going to a regular school in Miami except the academic day is shorter- 7:30-1:00, followed by the Arts "block" from 1:10-3:45. We're on Miami Dade College's downtown campus, so we're in a 9 story building for academics and the music building is 2 blocks away. We're also 2 or 3 blocks away from the ocean, which is pretty cool on early release days. We get regular high school academic courses, but all of our music classes are college courses and so we get college credits(not that I'll use them if I go to a conservatory of my choice, but It's good for the experience).
There's many sacrifices we have to make- like the fact that I leave my house at 6 and get home no earlier than 5:30, and recently 7:30 is the norm. It involves an hour commute, by bus, train and people mover each way. We have way more as far as workload than a regular student. But getting all of this just for being accepted with no cost attached, it's well worth it.
Bradley
You can check it out if you want to - www.mdc.edu/nwsa
Post Edited (2004-10-06 02:53)
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Author: Bradley Wong
Date: 2004-10-06 03:01
I spent most of my formative musical years at Interlochen, starting with the two week All-State program in 8th and 9th grade, and the eight week summer program in 10th. At that point, I knew I wanted to pursue music as a career, and I had very few musical opportunities in my home town. I attended the Arts Academy for my junior and senior years (back in the 70's, when Fred Ormand taught there). I am convinced that I would not be working in music today if I had not had the chance to study at Interlochen. In addition to the excellent music instruction, the academics were first rate. Small classes, terrific faculty. After graduation, I attended the University of Michigan, my first choice, and felt extremely well prepared for college - musically, academically, and socially.
It was not easy attending a boarding school, especially in such a competitive environment. I know I didn't like it there all of the time, but I also knew that it was the right school for me. I do mention the program to my talented high school students who are interested in careers in music. Feel free to contact me directly if you would like to discuss Interlochen further. Good luck with your decision.
Brad Wong
Western Michigan University
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