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In a nutshell:
-I am looking for 1 tubist (high school graduate or B.M. graduate) to join Bard College Conservatory this Fall '14
-GREAT scholarship (free tuition and $13k a year)
-opportunity to audition for me while you're at ITEC!!
-cozy, quiet campus with stellar faculty; just 2 hours from New York City
-rigorous, rewarding study with a heavy emphasis on orchestral music/military band music to get you a job
-if you do an APS degree, you don't have to enroll in classes, you can just PRACTICE!

High school graduates...college graduates...were you disappointed to find out that you didn't get into your dream college? Didn't get the funding you needed? Wish you could attend a world class conservatory? Missed the application deadlines?

FEAR NOT!!! Bard College Conservatory is still accepting applications for Fall 2014! Apply in the next few weeks and we can set up to have your audition at ITEC 2014 at Indiana University!! Attend a great conference AND audition for college at the same time...it's a win-win!

Here is everything you ever wanted to know:

If you are a high school Senior, you'll be applying for our Undergraduate program.
If you are a college graduate, you'll be applying for our APS program (Advanced Performance Studies).

Scholarship-
-We are recruiting 1 tubist for next year, and that selected player will receive the American Symphony Orchestra scholarship (ASO for short). The ASO is the visiting orchestra for Bard College, due to the president of the College, Leon Botstein, also being the conductor for the Conservatory Orchestra and the ASO. The ASO scholarship covers ALL of your tuition, and in addition you'll also receive $13,000 a year ($6500 a semester) for living expenses. Needless to say this is GREAT scholarship!
-What are the duties of your scholarship?...

Undergraduate: Other than attending classes and getting your undergraduate degrees, Bard will tell you you'll be required to spend no more than 15 hours a week helping out the Conservatory, which may include office work, stage work, recording work, stuff like that...not terribly hard just mildly time consuming.

APS: Not too bad, considering you don't have to take any classes!! This is unique for the APS program, it's a strictly performance degree. Bard will tell you you'll be required to spend no more than 15 hours a week helping out the Conservatory, which may include office work, stage work, recording work, stuff like that...not terribly hard just mildly time consuming. While there is no class commitment, you'll still have the opportunity to enroll in any class with the College as an audit, so if you have a particular discipline you'd like to learn more about, you can still take classes at your leisure, without the academic pressure! How could it get any better?!?!?

What is the APS program?-
-The Advanced Performers' Study degree is the same as an "AD" or "PC" (performer's certificate) you may have seen at other schools. I like to think of it as a "bridge" between your undergrad and masters. Winning a job is sometimes just a matter of time, and ideally remaining in school (especially for free) is vital if you want to stay hungry and competitive. By doing an APS like at Bard, you'll be adding 2 more years to your college study on top of getting a Master's degree, giving you 4 years to find that dream job instead of 2. Add in a DMA and you'll have up to 7 years of college study to land that dream job!
-with the minimal academics, you'll be able to practice to your heart's desire! Beside the scholarship, I think this is the 2nd best thing about the degree, you have the TIME to hone your instrument.

Playing opportunities at Bard-
-Bard Conservatory is unique in that we only enroll enough musicians to fill out our Conservatory Orchestra. Bard does not have a wind band or marching band, only an orchestra. That means you would be the sole tubist there! I am working on getting a 2nd tubist for next year, and I have an ultimate goal of having 2 tubists within a couple years, but for next year you would be the only member of my studio.
-a quick note about the orchestra, it's really GREAT! Not only will you be working with Leon Botstein, Bard's Orchestra tours internationally on a regular basis. This summer they are going on a 2 week tour or Europe, with stops in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Budapest, Berlin, Warsaw, Vienna, Bratislava, and Prague! Highlights of this season's Bard Orchestra include Strauss Till Eulenspiegel, Shostakovich Symphony No. 15, Wagner's Götterdämmerung: Siegfried's Death & Funeral Music, and Copland Symphony No. 3
-other playing opportunities include orchestral training classes including an all new Brass Class, which combines all the brass students to work through major orchestral works, while being coached by Bard's great faculty
-low brass class, which is run by myself, where we rehearse through major orchestral pieces that are commonly asked in auditions (as well going over strategies for when orchestral auditions call for low brass section playing)
-chamber music opportunities, including a great brass quintet that I coach as well
-amazing facilities, including a brand new conservatory building and concert hall designed by Frank Gehry (who designed Walt Disney Hall in L.A.)

Living in New York-
-Red Hook (on google Maps you'd search for Annandale-on-Hudson) is GORGEOUS, nestled next to the Catskill Mountains, so the view is amazing year-round. Bard's campus is surprisingly quiet for its size, due to its strict enrollment, so you'll find it quaint and peaceful as you walk around campus. This is a great campus to really think about life, contemplate the American dream, etc.
-There is some really great dining in the area, and the cost of living is manageable if you have a roommate ($13k will cover your living expenses pretty well). Most students share houses, but if you search hard you may be able to live on your own as well.
-only 2 hours from New York City by car or train, 3 hours from Boston, 3 hours from Philadelphia, and 80 minutes from New Jersey

If you have further questions, please send me a private message. If you would like to apply please email Frank Corliss (Dir. of Admissions): corliss@bard.edu" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

As you can see this is an INCREDIBLE opportunity...I look forward to hearing from you soon.


Helpful links:
http://www.bard.edu/conservatory/" target="_blank
http://www.bard.edu/conservatory/news/" target="_blank
http://www.bard.edu/conservatory/faculty/" target="_blank
http://www.bard.edu/conservatory/undergraduate/" target="_blank
http://www.bard.edu/conservatory/aps/" target="_blank
This is the GORGEOUS hall you will be performing in as Bard student:
http://fishercenter.bard.edu/" target="_blank

Snapshots of Bard's campus:

I was a student at Bard from 2007-2012, studied with Mr. Alan Baer who left Bard when I graduated. I am currently a MM student at the University of Michigan, studying with Prof. Fritz Kaenzig. Being the first and only tuba player ever graduated from Bard College Conservatory of Music at this point, I think it's fair to say that there's no other tuba player knows the program better than I do. Derek has shared info on all the incredible features of the program, which I've took great advantages when I was student there. Although I graduated before Derek took over, I've heard from many of my friends about the great works he's doing there. The current APS tuba student is the winner of 2013 NERTEC Solo Competition. Whoever ends up going to Bard, I'm sure you'll be in good hands.

On top of what Derek has shared, there's a few other things people should know about and think about before applying to Bard. I'm trying to keep this post not too lengthy, but would be happy to explain more if there's any questions. I will also be at ITEC in May, so if you'd like to, you can audition/play for Derek, and also find me to ask more details about the school/program during that week.

1) Dual-Degree Program (undergrad only)
This is the most important and unique thing about Bard College Conservatory of Music. As stated on the Conservatory website, we believe that "The greatest musicians not only have the technical mastery to communicate effectively, but also are deeply curious and equally adept at analytical and emotional modes of thought." Every undergrads is enrolled in this dual-degree program. It means that you'll graduate with both a B.M. degree in Music Performance, and a B.A. degree in an academic major of your choice. I was a history major.

If you have a strong interest in any academic fields, able to handle stress, have good time management skills, you'd be a perfect fit for this program. I chose Bard because of Alan and the full scholarship + room & board, but I also had strong interest in history since middle school. Bard College has strong faculty members throughout all academic areas. Most of the professors I've encountered were not only intelligent, but also supportive and great to work with. If you don't have any specific preference, Bard is also a great place for you to explore and develop. (Interesting fact: some of my friends actually turned to academic paths after graduated from Bard Conservatory: Harvard Law, UC Berkeley, NYU Business School... All doing great, and I know they still play their instruments sometimes.)

On the other hand, if you'd prefer to practice a hell lot everyday and focus on music alone, or you struggle with academic works: this is not the right program for you. Yes, it offers great scholarship and incredible faculty. But, you have to realize what it takes to be a double-major at a liberal arts college. The fact is, I spent more time reading and writing for my academic courses than practicing tuba. If that does not sound like the something you really want, perhaps you should reconsider about applying to Bard.

2) Only You
You will be by yourself, alone, with no other tuba players around you besides Derek, for five years. I'm glad to see that Derek is pushing the school to have 2 tuba players instead of just one. But, before the administration changes mind, you'll be by yourself for quite a while.

This could be a GREAT thing: you get to play every orchestra concerts, brass quintet, brass repertoire class... everything the school offers.
It could also be a bad thing: you HAVE TO be in everything because there's no one else. This could be a HUGE problem during the senior year when you have:
Senior Project (a one-year-long research thesis project for your BA degree) + Senior Recital + other academic requirements + regular orchestra and chamber group rehearsals/concerts + grad school applications + all other things you have to get done in order to graduate...

We did have 2 tuba players during my 5th year, long story. It saved my life. Besides pianists, the school recruits just enough instrumentalists for a full orchestra, that's why they could give every student so much money and attention. Unfortunately, it means that having 2 tuba players all-time is not so efficient. Regardless, if Derek could talk them into having 2 tuba players, that would be a HUGE improvement.

3) Location
Located on Hudson River, Bard has a gorgeous campus. I grew up in an urban city with 2.3 million population, but I fell in love with Bard's natural environment. However, it is in the middle of woods, with lots of wild lives and bugs. If you strongly prefer city life & civilizations, you might not like it here. Night life is mostly just people drinking in dorms since there's nowhere else to go. I actually knew a few friends who left Bard just because how remote it is. Good thing is, since there's not much going on in the area, you'd spend more time studying and practicing.

Life could be difficult without a car, especially if you live off campus and don't eat at student dinning hall. That being said, I do know a few people live well off campus without a car, including the current APS tuba student. Yes, it is not too far from NYC/Boston/Philadelphia, IF YOU HAVE A CAR. If you don't, simply dealing with AMTREK/MTA with all the time and money would either stop you from traveling too often, or make you buy a car.

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In my opinion, it is a great school and I'm glad I chose to go there. However, because it's such an unique program, it requires some extra considerations, thoughts, and realizations if you're a prospective student. The above are the things I could think of at the moment. Please feel free to ask questions below or PM me, I'll do my best to answer.

Yi-Ching Chen
BM & BA, Bard College '12
MM, University of Michigan '14