Technological innovations have been shaking the music industry for a decade, and it’s inevitable that many of the innovations first dreamed up for professional artists have trickled down to become available to music students. However, not all technological innovations are created equal, and music majors at traditional colleges or taking online college courses should pick and choose with care how they spend their money. Plenty of software applications and recording devices are essential to the music major — from good sound editing software to MIDI links — but you shouldn’t invest in technology just because it’s purported to be the latest and greatest. To help you sift the diamonds from the dross, below is a list of five of the most overrated or unnecessary musical technologies available today and why they just don’t live up to the hype. [Read more...]
The Big Fat Scary Mean College Audition… (I’m Kidding!)
Ok so you’re all dressed up, pacing the floors, sweating in places you’ve never sweat before, and you’re mind is racing at a mile a minute. One word – Breathe.
Just breathe.
Here’s the most important piece of advice I was ever told about college auditions. Professors WANT you to do well. Professors WANT to see you succeed. Remember they WANT to recruit you. Professors don’t want to go about teaching their freshman the basics, they want to get down and dirty to the hardcore musicianship. If you show in an audition, not necessarily perfection, but raw material, that a professor can easily work with, then you are on the track to acceptance.
Don’t freak out. Just remember these smiling faces are actually excited to meet you! They need freshman and you are potentially one of those freshman!
Think before you play. You’ve probably heard this statement billions of times from your private teacher before. I’m telling you, you’ll probably forget so I’m reminding you once more. Think before you play. Breathe. Relax. Professors understand the stress and want you to play your absolute best. So make sure you make the most out of those 10 minutes and show them confidently that you can play.
Also, be yourself. Don’t choke. They want to see your personality too! Have fun with them.
Smile.. Always remember to smile and walk in with confidence in your music. Let the professors enjoy your song for that short moment you have with them.
I’ll tell you a short story from personal experience. I, myself, have never been a performer. I love playing, but solo performances have never sat right with me. And I’m a bundle of nerves going in to play for people. But trust me when I say that auditions are only as scary as you make them out to be. Go to your happy place. Do any pre-performance rituals you normally do. Wear your lucky shoes or listen to your piece on your iPod on repeat for three hours before hand. And most importantly, stay calm and breathe. Make the most out of the time you have. And enjoy it!
Applications Applications…
Now it’s time for the “fun” stuff. Actually spending the time, filling out every single detail of your life from your dog’s name to your social security number and everything in between.
Suggestion #1: Fill out your applications and have a rough draft of your essays BEFORE school begins.
Accomplishing all of this early will save you hours and hours of headaches when stressed at the beginning of the year with IB and AP classes, marching band seasons (if you’re a band participant) and every other rehearsal that may take up your time. It may be difficult to get that work ethic going before school is in session, but just take the week before and fill out everything you need to. Also, see how many schools of yours accept the CommonApp Application. This saves you a lot of time as well, but don’t get too excited- there are always supplements!
Suggestion #2: Know your limits.
Please know that for simply applying to schools, there is a fee. To send SAT scores there is a fee, which must be paid for each school you wish to send them too. To send ACT scores there is also a fee, which must be paid for each school you wish to send them too. Applying can get pricey so make sure that whoever is laying out the money for applications is okay with the amount of schools you are applying to.
Suggestion #3: Uniqueness- It’s Essay Time
This part you can actually have fun with. You can write about almost anything for the CommonApp, and a lot of the time individual schools with their own applications have fun with the essay portion, and give you a very out-of-the-box topic. Be creative. Think of a completely random experience that you can look back on as if it was a movie scene, and you know you’ll never forget it. Or think of the time that you realized who you truly were. I can’t tell you which experience or person or place to talk about as I have not lived your life. But think of something that no one else can say “Oh, that happened to me too!” Be unique. Be original. And if you have fun writing it, the schools will have fun reading it.
Suggestion #4: Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
The minute school begins, knock on your English teacher’s door and say “Can you read this?!?” Ask for as many opinions as you can find – guidance counselor, teachers, parents and all. Do not be afraid to ask for opinions and don’t be afraid of a little constructive criticism. The school officials and family members are only there to help you. No worries!
The added stress of college applications is not what anyone wants, especially when beginning your senior year of high school. But, it will be much less painful if you get the dirty work done in the summertime. Remember to always be yourself and let that show in everything you write. Let colleges hear your voice and don’t stress!
Choosing Audition Repertoire
Alright so you have your schools all listed out, you have created that handy dandy chart so all is laid out in front of you on one simple sheet, but you’re left to do one more thing before the mad practice sessions begin. What will you play? I’m here to help you choose some repertoire.
Step 1: Take a look at that chart you’ve made. When looking at every school’s audition rep list- Is there an overlap for any of these pieces?
Now, I most likely guarantee that you won’t be playing the same program for every school but if you could possibly find a program that you could play at more than one school, you are in good shape my friend.
Step 2: Take a look at the dates for auditions. Do you think you are going to be able to play this music at the same caliber, three months apart? You must look realistically at the big picture here. If you are a disciplined practicing musician, then I definitely say you’ll be fine but if you know after the first audition you won’t want to pick up the piece again, then maybe it’s not so smart to choose the same program.
Step 3: This is massively important I tell you. Do you like the music? If you don’t like the music, and it shows when you play it, don’t choose it. Times spent trying to make yourself love something you simply are sick and tired of, may not pay off as much as you would think. Make sure you’re excited and eager. Go to YouTube right now and check the pieces out! Find ones that you love.
Step 4: Which pieces that you have narrowed this down to, really show your strengths as a musician? You want to show off what you got in a sense. You want to have a well- balanced offering of pieces and a strong and equal stance on all. These pieces need to help you, not hurt you. So choose wisely! And make sure you like them. Trust me, you don’t want to be stuck drawing hearts on your sheet music to make you play with joy. Have fun with it!
New music, get excited. And break a leg!!! 
Majoring in Music Education: Graduate vs Undergraduate
Coursework
College Applications: Prioritizing Schools
Are you finding yourself bombarded by tons of brochures? Junk college mail? E-mails? The amount of information you receive is impossible for even the most organized person to keep track of. But no worries college applicant, you are in luck!!! I have developed a simple and easy way of keeping track of all this overwhelming info. Just follow these steps. [Read more...]
Teaching Abroad
Here’s a question for all of the music education majors on this site: how many of you have heard of or know of someone teaching abroad – not the English language lessons used to fund backpack trips though foreign countries or the Department of Defense Schools at US military bases overseas? Have you heard of the the American School in Singapore, London, Tokyo and Paris. What about the International School of Bangkok, Beijing, the Hague, Prague, Quito and Manila? Have any of your professors mentioned the thousands of schools throughout the world that hire US teachers? Probably not. It seems like it’s a secret club that very few educators know about…including your professors. My wife and I stumbled upon it by chance and our lives were changed forever. [Read more...]