Good schools for masters programs

[Tubaclem11]

Hello all! I am Clément. I'm a student at University of North Florida working in my undergrad. I'm working to do something in the line of orchestra work and studio work. My professor has advised me to start looking up schools that has successful students do that after they've graduated. Since that's a bit difficult I figured it would be easier to ask the world here if any suggestions. Please let me know, Thanks everyone!

[MackBrass]

Its not the school you should worry about but more the teacher whom you will be studying with. You want to study with a pro who has already made it in the area you seek. Unless you are ready to dedicate yourself to at least 4 or 5 hours a day for the next few years even the right teacher wont be able to help you. To make it as a pro it will take more hard work on your part than anything else.

[THE TUBA]

A couple of thoughts:

1. Don't pay for a masters degree out of pocket. There are enough universities that offer assistantships for grad students that you're doing yourself a disservice if you take out (even more) student loans to pay for tuition. Furthermore, you're going to want the experience that an assistantship entails on your resume (teaching lessons, being a TA, teaching a class, etc). Even just a partial assistantship is better than nothing. Be sure to ask questions about acquiring in-state tuition for grad students and what assistantship/scholarship opportunities are out there.

2. Find the place that is the right fit for you. It doesn't matter if you get accepted into the biggest and best tuba studio if you don't gel with the tuba professor. A college is more than just the coursework, it is where you'll be living for the next couple of years (if you hate living in the middle of nowhere, maybe don't pick a school in the middle of nowhere).

3. Find a place with musical opportunities outside of school. Most employers don't really give a rat's *** if you were first chair in your college band. Pick a school where there are chances to sub with local orchestras, where there is a market to gig with a quintet, where there are HS students interested in taking lessons.

4. Go somewhere that'll let you play with the best musicians you can. Grad school is about more than just taking lessons and sitting in a practice room for several hours a day. Seek out musicians that are better than you to play with and force yourself up to their level. If you're the "big fish in a little pond," you better be sure there are opportunities to play alongside professionals.

5. To see the results of studios, check out the "News" section of ITEA (either online or in print) and look to see where the "New Hires" went to school. Google the bios of orchestral players and college teachers. Look at the Semi-finals list for Falcone and see which schools they attended.

6. In your neck of the woods, you should really check out: USF, FSU, Miami, UGA, Columbus State, USC (South Carolina), Alabama, and Samford, to name a few that aren't too far away. It is pretty expensive (and exhausting) to fly all over the country to audition for grad schools. If you have the cash and the time for a nationwide search, then have at it, but there are several quality programs nearby to look at first.

[qcbctuba]

evening there,

i am not a professional, but as a fellow young conservatory/university goer who will be looking at masters schools soon, i guess ill offer this advice given to me by seth cook...

"your undergrad should be about the experience, and your graduate degree should be about you and your teacher."

schoolwise, im not saying you should follow the advise given to you by a bunch of people behind a computer screen, but... university of southern california maybe? only school that pops into mind at the moment. im sure mr. pearson and mr. self are wonders, as is blake cooper.

best of luck!

[royjohn]

Perhaps, as an old retired guy who is not a professional musician, I am butting in where I shouldn't, but I have counseled lots of students and if I were the student in question I would want to know something about how to determine if a professional career in music was right for me. I know that because there is only one tuba in each orchestra and usually zero to one tuba in any band, there are very few jobs for professional tuba players...but I don't know how an undergraduate in love with music (as I was) determines whether it is worth the risk to spend time getting a Masters degree in performance and then perhaps a doctorate only to find decent orchestral jobs out of reach. This, of course, also leads to the discussion of whether to have a fall back position, whether that is a Music Ed. degree or a separate career as an IT professional or recording engineer, etc. I just thought the question of what are some good schools should also be accompanied by "Should I apply to them?" Your tuba professor is one person to consult, but your entrance into a graduate program looks good on his resume and he probably likes the people he's worked with, so he's somewhat biased. When I considered a career as a singer, my teacher bluntly told me I could starve doing it. I have a nice voice (and still sing to pick up a little money here and there) but so do a LOT of other people. My teacher mentioned students of his who I considered wonderful singers and told me they were starving trying to make it in NYC and asked, "do you want to do that." I didn't, so I didn't.

Not to discourage Clement, but just to add to the discussion. Perhaps he can already play the Flight of the Bumblebee at MM=120...Best of Luck whatever you decide, Clement. The advice so far has been great [not necessarily including mine].
royjohn

[KevinMadden]

A couple of thoughts:

1. Don't pay for a masters degree out of pocket. There are enough universities that offer assistantships for grad students that you're doing yourself a disservice if you take out (even more) student loans to pay for tuition. Furthermore, you're going to want the experience that an assistantship entails on your resume (teaching lessons, being a TA, teaching a class, etc). Even just a partial assistantship is better than nothing. Be sure to ask questions about acquiring in-state tuition for grad students and what assistantship/scholarship opportunities are out there.

THIS
Another benefit is that often T.A.s find their way to being the professor's go to sub (if they are in an orchestra with that much flexibility)
I've had a wonderful time at Nebraska as a T.A. The ensembles and facilities may leave a fair bit to be desired, but Craig Fuller is fantastic, I play in a quintet with the top players in the other brass studios, I teach brass skills class, teach some minor lessons in Euphonium and Tuba, and get to sub in the Omaha Symphony a few times a year. Prof. Fuller was also a great conduit to getting in with the local contractors in Lincoln and Omaha so I've had somewhat regular church gigs, private students, and such. If the tubist in the Lincoln Symphony ever actually missed a service I would probably be in line to get that call as well. All that while getting a masters on a tuition waiver and stipend (and now a DMA with a Fellowship added in)? Can't beat it.

Try to find a place with enough high level students (in other studios, not just your own) and a good enough teacher to take you where you want to go, but try to find a place where you'll be the number 2 or 3 guy (behind your professor) so you can catch every opportunity in the area.

[royjohn]

KevinMadden wrote:

Try to find a place with enough high level students (in other studios, not just your own) and a good enough teacher to take you where you want to go, but try to find a place where you'll be the number 2 or 3 guy (behind your professor) so you can catch every opportunity in the area.

This is great advice and it sounds like you have had an ideal graduate school experience. My question would be, how do you make sure this happens to you in a studio with more than one student per year level?
I love your signature...I've never seen anybody credit themselves with a future degree they hadn't earned yet...but this is a forum and not a resume and we all know what you mean...I admire your confidence. Now just keep on playing and don't have a bicycle accident and fall on your face. Sounds like that's the only thing that can stop you!
royjohn