Picking a school

[Ansarum]

Hello all,

I'm a senior in high school going into music performance and I have recently received the verdicts from all of my schools. I auditioned at The Eastman School of Music, The Jacobs School of Music at IU, and the Ithaca College School of Music. I was admitted at all three schools, and I'm looking for some insight on Eastman. I originally had my heart set on going to IU because I love the campus and teacher, and I was almost sure that I would not get into Eastman due to the fact that I chose to do a regional audition.

However, after finding out that I was admitted, nearly everyone I have talked to has urged me to go to Eastman. I am tossing around the notion of going to both schools, but I don't know nearly as much about Eastman. I am very well acquainted with Indiana as I did their Summer College Audition Prep program. I am very well aware of the reputation that Eastman has as one of the finest conservatories in the country, but I am not at all informed about Don Harry, the size of the studio, the ensembles, etc.

Can anyone on the board offer any type of insight as to the "experience" that I would have at Eastman versus Indiana, I do not want to end up making a choice and then regretting it when I go to school in the Fall.


Thanks in advance!

[Ken Herrick]

Just an opinion, from far away, with limited direct info but, I think EITHER IU or Eastman would be very good.
Why not contact BOTH of the teachers direct with your questions, try to visit Eastman, then do a list of pros and cons on each. Consider tuition and other financial aspects as well. THEN make your decision.

THE BIG ???????? IS PERORMANCE?
It is a path that leads to possibly limited prospects at its end!

Many would envy you having this choice to make - both are high class. Study them directly then decide which fits you better.

Good luck!

[eupher61]

Ditto. Either Eastman or Indiana should excite you. They are both among the top university music programs in the world, with top quality professors and students. Reputations may not count for much, but neither has a better rep than the other. You may have plenty of performing opportunities if you can get into one of the orchestras and/or higher bands...lots of competition at both, since they have lots of tuba students at all levels.

But don't write off Ithaca either. I'm not sure of the size of Aaron Tindall's studio, but he is a teacher who is on the rise (meaning nothing other than he is one of the younger generation of teachers, hasn't moved to the level of the other 2 as yet). As a performer, he's there already. Find his Vaughan Williams recordings on YouTube. You may have more opportunity to perform there, as far as orchestra and better quality band.

Contact Aaron and Don and Dan, all three, have a talk with them, and get a lesson with all of them if you can. See if they will do a Skype lesson even. You have a golden opportunity, and at the surface you can't go wrong. You need to have as much information about the culture of each school as you can...what are the playing opportunities for a freshman? How much personalized attention from THE teacher, as opposed to a grad assistant? What about your other music classes...where do you rate as far as theory and history knowledge, and what sort of support as far as tutoring might be available?

Best of luck, and please keep us informed!

[hbcrandy]

I recommend the Eastman School. I have personally known Don Harry for many years. He has been Principal Tubist in the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra since the early 1970's and has much experience playing with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Prior to Eastman, Don taught at the Juilliard School in New York City. He has a great amount of insight into playing the tuba and is a great teacher.

[PMeuph]

Can anyone on the board offer any type of insight as to the "experience" that I would have at Eastman versus Indiana, I do not want to end up making a choice and then regretting it when I go to school in the Fall.

If you decide to go to Eastman, I doubt if you would feel obligated to buy a Harrytucci Tuba...

Paraphrased from a post by bloke that is 8 years old:
viewtopic.php?t=407&p=1979" target="_blank

______
In all seriousness, though, some people here might offer some advice, you could just contact the professors and ask them directly about the experience, or ask if any of the current students are willing to volunteer some of their time to do this. Many universities try to get current students involved in recruiting.

[KevinMadden]

If Ithaca comes back into the conversation at all feel free to contact me, I'm a fairly recent grad (09, though still before Tindall's arrival) And I went the B.M. performance route as well. I should be able to answer any questions about the campus life/ living in Upstate NY

Good Luck and congrats on your 'problem' it's one many of us wish we had!

[T. J. Ricer]

I can confirm that all Eastman tuba majors do study with Don; I actually think Eastman has the smallest tuba studio of the three.

As others have said, there isn't a wrong choice in those three schools. Figure out what experience is best for you and go with your gut. I went to much smaller schools for my undergrad and master's degrees because they were cheap/free and had quality teachers and ensembles (actually turned down the grad assist at Eastman for my MM because of the money situation), then went into debt going to the "name" school for my doctorate. Don is an amazing (and unique) teacher and player and the Eastman name has opened some doors. That said, how you play, how you carry yourself, and how dependable you are mean a lot more than your degree or where you obtained it... Ithaca and Indiana do have much nicer campuses!

Don't know if that's helpful, but it is one Eastman alum's experience. Feel free to PM if you'd like to ask any specific questions.

T. J.

[Ansarum]

First of all,

I'd like to thank everyone for the input they have given, it really has helped.

One major thing that is important to me, which I did not originally state, was the opportunity to "double major". This is one of the reasons that I am leaning towards going to IU, because they have their BSOF program. I would most likely do a BSOF in music performance and either business or computer sciences. I have been told by several students that Dan Perantoni urges his incoming freshman to do something similar to this or go into music ed instead. When I spoke with him, he thought that it was a great idea.

Do the other two schools offer something similar to the BSOF program?

[apayton93]

*

[eupher61]

The decision ultimately is yours. If you do your due diligence, and not doo doo around your decision, you'll do fine and get your due.

Don't let money, potential crime-laden neighborhoods, unknowns about teachers, or potential employment opportunities change your mind...UNTIL you take care of as much business
as you can. At this point, I'd bet you have little more than a month to make these decisions. The fairest to you, your family (likely paying for much of it, right?) and the schools is for you to get your tuba and your two butt cheeks to each and every one of those schools, talk to everyone you can, find out what they offer to you, and evaluate them against each other. That's hard to do from a distance, and even harder to do via asking people you don't know on a weird Internet site.

You have an amazing set of options. Take the time NOW, while you can, to get the information you need. It will likely mean taking a few days off of your school right now, but the jocks do it, so you are more than entitled.

Now, get that horn out, practice, and make phone calls as soon as you can. Get your car tuned up and hit the road.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

More important info: Don't let ANY professor pressure you into making a choice before you are ready. A new "trend" in recruiting is to tell students that they need to commit to a school before they can be made an offer because "if a student decides not to take an offer and enroll then I can't use that scholarship money for anyone else. It's lost."

Out of professional courtesy, I won't mention the name of the professor or school that is making this claim. I don't imagine it's the only one. It's a deplorable tactic, though.

[royjohn]

Do be aware that at many private schools, the best students can be on scholarships and attending free or almost free. The school may also offer admission to other students who aren't funded and have to pay full freight. These students may not have the talent to get great performance jobs, but the school is not telling them that, instead using them to pay expenses. You can be a very good tuba player and still unlikely to make the cut for the few tuba positions available in full time performance. Also, it is one thing to be playing full time in the San Francisco Orchestra (assuming they settle their current strike without destroying the salary base) for $165K and quite another to be playing in the Knoxville Symphony or the Peoria analog. Their pay rates are quite a bit lower and it isn't a full time gig.

I am not saying this is the case, just that it can happen because most schools do not have the funds to fund all candidates and can take kids who are unlikely to be successful finishing school or getting on the elite career path they desire. Just getting in gives you a ticket to a free for all for a job. It does not say your school really has confidence you are going to get one. Law schools are well known for taking in students who pay tuition, but get cut after a year or two. You really need to ask what the employment rates are for alumni and find out what tends to happen to them.

I sang in the local Opera Chorus last year with a high school kid. I am 5'7" and this kid was at least two inches shorter than I am. He sang well (a baritone) but I barely heard him. He got into the Chicago College of Performing Arts and went merrily off to what he hopes is an Opera career. Now your voice is your voice. It grows some as you mature, but I don't see how this kid, who had little volume, is going to be competitive as an elite classical singer. The singing teachers there are very good, but they have to know that this kid is not going to end up in an opera house. Yet they accept such students. Now tuba players are less easy to categorize early, I guess, but still there are indications of what the odds are on your particular crap shoot before you ante up the money to play. I am just saying that perhaps no one will tell you this at the schools you are considering. They are recruiting to stay alive, not to make sure that everyone who graduates gets the performing job of their dreams. Caveat emptor! Do take that second major.

[PMeuph]

I would most likely do a BSOF in music performance and either business or computer sciences.

I don't know what a BSOF is, but if you're talking double-major or major/minor...

Bachelor of Science in Music and an Outside Field

http://www.indiana.edu/~bulletin/iub/mu ... side.shtml" target="_blank

[sloan]

UofRochester and IU both have decent CompSci programs, I think, but talk to the advisors at the schools you're considering to make sure you can (1) get into the program and (2) get a realistic idea of how tough it would be do a double major or major/minor combo with CS, Business or whatever else as one of the two.

Good advice.

I know a little about the CS program at UofR, and a little bit about the set up there. I think it would be an extraordinary feat to combine an Eastman performance degree with a UofR CS degree. They are both high intensity programs that require full dedication.

Now...one of the strengths of Eastman/UofR is that you can go to one and dabble in the other.
But, that's not the same as doing a full major on each campus. And, make no mistake, the campuses are distinctly separate. You can go back and forth easily enough, but it's not a casual walk across the quad.

You need to make choices. Do you want to be a conservatory trained performer who knows a little bit about computers...or do you want to be a CS geek who can play a little.

Note that UofR *also* has a Music department (not at Eastman) that teaches academic music (not conservatory fare). I don't think they offer a BA in Music Performance

The CS program at UofR and the Eastman conservatory experience are both at or near the top in their respective fields - either one alone is a great choice. Adding a little bit of the other would be nice. Getting the full experience at both, at the same time...impossible.