• FAQ  • Search  • Memberlist  • Usergroups   • Register   • Profile  • Log in to check your private messages  • Log in 

Trumpet performance programs at Universities - advice?


Goto page Previous  1, 2
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    trumpetherald.com Forum Index -> Schools
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
khedger
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 12 Mar 2008
Posts: 754
Location: Cambridge, MA

PostPosted: Wed Apr 29, 2020 7:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here's my take on your situation - first a recap. My comments are based on the following data points that I understand from your original post:
- your son has another way to make a living is music doesn't work
- therefore, he's interested in a real performance track, i.e.
- he wants to really take a shot at a playing career

My background is in jazz music, but I attended Berklee in Boston and have been around the block a bit, so I'm going to make my comments from this perspective. I don't know exactly what the typical college->orchestra, classical soloist track is, but I'm sure there are similarities between it and the jazz world.

Firstly, your son should go to a conservatory or a conservatory-like program. That is a hard core program that preps bad a** players. Secondly, your son should be a bit of a bad a** player when he ARRIVES there. That's not to say that there shouldn't be plenty for him to learn, but he should be at a level to really a) take advantage of the high level of tutelage available and b) be able to 'shine' within the context of the program if possible.
The reason I say this is that I noticed that the people that came out of Berklee and were real players, the people how made it, so to speak, were all really good players when they got there. The learned a lot as players while there, but just as much of there time and energy was spent networking, being seen and heard and making the connections that made it possible for them to leave school and transition into a serious playing career.
I would think that this is the same strategy that someone like your son could take advantage of.
If he's not ready to take full advantage of one of these highly advanced programs, then I'd suggest a good, solid program, perhaps at a state school which might be more affordable, or offer some scholarship money, then a later transfer or post-graduate study at a hard-core conservatory. Just my two cents worth....

keith
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
parentologist
Regular Member


Joined: 17 Jul 2010
Posts: 45

PostPosted: Fri May 01, 2020 12:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

[quote="mattdalton"]You should consider adding The Hartt School / University of Hartford to your list. The music, theatre and dance programs there are strong. Phil Snedecor is the trumpet professor.

My daughter is currently in her senior year at Hartt (BFA in musical theatre) so I am familiar with the school. When visiting I've had a chance to talk with and take a lesson from Phil, and to hear some of his students play. The music school is strong on both the classical and jazz sides.

You can read Phil's bio to get the long list of professional experience and who he has studied with, of course, but I will add that he's a great guy, and that if your son is interested in arranging or composing, Phil is very skilled in those areas too.

My son has studied with Phil Snedecor. He is an amazing teacher. My son says that he has incredible ears. He's helped my son greatly over the years - I don't think that he'd be anywhere the player he is today without Phil's help. And Hartt is a wonderful music school, very warm atmosphere. Honestly, the only thing that we have against it is that it's 3 miles from our house, and kid has had enough of living in West Hartford!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
kehaulani
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Posts: 8964
Location: Hawai`i - Texas

PostPosted: Fri May 01, 2020 1:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just a point on conservatories over universities. Indiana U., Miami, North Texas and others hardly have a wealth of successful alumni. Many of my mates at North Texas are a who's-who of the music industry.
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Getzen Capri Cornet
Adams F-1 Flghn


Last edited by kehaulani on Tue Jun 09, 2020 6:34 am; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
kgsmith1
Regular Member


Joined: 30 Nov 2019
Posts: 73
Location: Greater Chicago

PostPosted: Fri May 01, 2020 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think we've identified your next step then - ask Phil Snedecor for some guidance on what schools to prioritize.

You asked if Rice should be back on the list - in my opinion, undergrad should be focused on getting a player's fundamentals to the point of efficiently supporting the expression of the music they want to play. They train students to do that very, very successfully there. If he wants to play jazz and other styles professionally I would consider whether Rice can support those goals too, but it's an extremely strong studio.

I would also be aware we're taking about some schools that have only a handful of openings a year, for which there could easily be a hundred applicants. Paraphrasing Stephen Burns, the good news there is that there are really only a handful of people really prepared to compete for those spots. The bad news is, most of us aren't in that handful. Phil's guidance could be invaluable in picking good schools where your son is a strong candidate.

Also do follow up on other posters' suggestions to get lessons with prospective professors. See who seems like a helpful teacher and your son can show he is teachable. Then he walks into the audition, sees a friendly face, and understands the level and style of playing that teacher wants to hear.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
LakeTahoeTrpt
Veteran Member


Joined: 14 Aug 2012
Posts: 120
Location: Portland Oregon

PostPosted: Fri May 01, 2020 2:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

kgsmith1 wrote:
I think we've identified your next step then - ask Phil Snedecor for some guidance on what schools to prioritize.


This.

My teacher, who was the principal of the local symphony, gave me pointers on where to go, and even put in a good word for me before I auditioned.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
MrClean
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 27 Feb 2003
Posts: 2734
Location: Los Angeles

PostPosted: Mon Jun 08, 2020 10:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Shameless plug here. Even though the Colburn School has been around as a conservatory since 2007, we still fly under many folks' radar. I would be happy to send you a list of studio accomplishments if you are interested.

Outside of a student fee of around $3000, tuition, room and board are covered for anyone that is accepted to the school.

https://www.colburnschool.edu/conservatory/
_________________
Jim Wilt
LA Philharmonic
Colburn School
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
blbaumgarn
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 26 Jul 2017
Posts: 705

PostPosted: Thu Jun 25, 2020 10:57 pm    Post subject: trumpet performance programs, advice? Reply with quote

I grew up part of the baby boom generation and when you go away to college it is "all" about competition. I did it in two areas in my life, first music and years later athletics and while a person sets their own course you face competition everyday if you study biology, psychology or music. I personally felt like any competition in music in college motivated me and helped. The other advice I heard everywhere I auditioned and with some who judged me was "get your degree in education" you can always perform. Very few are successful and end up teaching anyway. That is others telling me that. Later, I played college football returning as a non traditional student. Studied to be a teacher. I never met a 6-0, 220 lb. guy who played offensive line in the NFL. Still, be encouraged and go for it no matter where you end up in college. Kehaulani has sage advice. College is an overall education.
_________________
"There are two sides to a trumpeter's personality,
there is one that lives to lay waste to woodwinds and strings, leaving them lie blue and lifeless along a swath of destruction that is a
trumpeter's fury-then there is the dark side!" Irving Bush
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Croquethed
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 19 Dec 2013
Posts: 609
Location: Oakville, CT

PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2020 8:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

MrClean wrote:
Shameless plug here. Even though the Colburn School has been around as a conservatory since 2007, we still fly under many folks' radar. I would be happy to send you a list of studio accomplishments if you are interested.

Outside of a student fee of around $3000, tuition, room and board are covered for anyone that is accepted to the school.

https://www.colburnschool.edu/conservatory/


I used to work in that neighborhood, Jim, at 6th and Grand, in the late 1990s. Back then, it was like a ghost town after 5. Where do the Colburn students live? I hear Pershing Square has livened up some.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
nltrumpet
Veteran Member


Joined: 11 Nov 2019
Posts: 206
Location: Washington DC

PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2020 8:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

All very good suggestions for schools, but I too will add a “shameless plug” only because I don’t see it here yet. Your son should consider looking at Baylor University with Wiff Rudd and Mark Schubert. Fantastic teachers, players, and humans, and their studio reflects those qualities. A very undergraduate-driven program where grad students don’t get siphoned all of the opportunities.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
kehaulani
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Posts: 8964
Location: Hawai`i - Texas

PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2020 8:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

nltrumpet wrote:
All very good suggestions for schools, but I too will add a “shameless plug” only because I don’t see it here yet. Your son should consider looking at Baylor University with Wiff Rudd and Mark Schubert. Fantastic teachers, players, and humans, and their studio reflects those qualities. A very undergraduate-driven program where grad students don’t get siphoned all of the opportunities.


How would a person from Massachusetts adjust to Waco?
This is not a smart-aleck question. I went from Hawai'i to Denton, Texas and it was a huge culture shock.
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Getzen Capri Cornet
Adams F-1 Flghn
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
nltrumpet
Veteran Member


Joined: 11 Nov 2019
Posts: 206
Location: Washington DC

PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2020 9:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

kehaulani wrote:
nltrumpet wrote:
All very good suggestions for schools, but I too will add a “shameless plug” only because I don’t see it here yet. Your son should consider looking at Baylor University with Wiff Rudd and Mark Schubert. Fantastic teachers, players, and humans, and their studio reflects those qualities. A very undergraduate-driven program where grad students don’t get siphoned all of the opportunities.


How would a person from Massachusetts adjust to Waco?


Valid question, I actually grew up a few miles south of Denton, so that’s where I “adjusted” from. I can’t really attest to making big moves, as my going there was a difference of just over 100 miles from home.

What I can say is that while the majority of students at the University and School of Music come from Texas, many from the trumpet studio who come from out-of-state have wound up being the most successful from the program. I know alumnus from FL, Chicago Suburbs, and CO, and I believe the incoming grad student grew up in and did his undergrad in Maine.

I think community is what allowed the mentioned alums to adjust and ultimately move on to successful careers in performing. For some it’s faith (it’s a Baptist school after all), but the trumpet studio is a family that reaches from all over and and supports a healthy but competitive environment.

I hope this somewhat answers your question. I don’t consider Waco to be too dynamic of a town, but that’s just my perspective. But any student who moves to Boston, Ann Arbor, or Bloomington is probably going to have to adjust too.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
MrClean
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 27 Feb 2003
Posts: 2734
Location: Los Angeles

PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2020 12:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Croquethed wrote:
MrClean wrote:
Shameless plug here. Even though the Colburn School has been around as a conservatory since 2007, we still fly under many folks' radar. I would be happy to send you a list of studio accomplishments if you are interested.

Outside of a student fee of around $3000, tuition, room and board are covered for anyone that is accepted to the school.

https://www.colburnschool.edu/conservatory/


I used to work in that neighborhood, Jim, at 6th and Grand, in the late 1990s. Back then, it was like a ghost town after 5. Where do the Colburn students live? I hear Pershing Square has livened up some.


Downtown has really changed since then!

There are residence suites attached to the school. Everyone gets a private bedroom with shared bathroom (2 or 3 per, I think), plus a kitchenette and small common area with TV in each suite . They eat in a pretty good cafe that is also open to the general public
_________________
Jim Wilt
LA Philharmonic
Colburn School
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
LaTrompeta
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 03 May 2015
Posts: 867
Location: West Side, USA

PostPosted: Sat Jun 27, 2020 5:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

MrClean wrote:
Croquethed wrote:
MrClean wrote:
Shameless plug here. Even though the Colburn School has been around as a conservatory since 2007, we still fly under many folks' radar. I would be happy to send you a list of studio accomplishments if you are interested.

Outside of a student fee of around $3000, tuition, room and board are covered for anyone that is accepted to the school.

https://www.colburnschool.edu/conservatory/


I used to work in that neighborhood, Jim, at 6th and Grand, in the late 1990s. Back then, it was like a ghost town after 5. Where do the Colburn students live? I hear Pershing Square has livened up some.


Downtown has really changed since then!

There are residence suites attached to the school. Everyone gets a private bedroom with shared bathroom (2 or 3 per, I think), plus a kitchenette and small common area with TV in each suite . They eat in a pretty good cafe that is also open to the general public


How does that quote go?

"It's a good gig, if you can get it."
_________________
Please join me as well at:
https://trumpetboards.com
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
MrClean
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 27 Feb 2003
Posts: 2734
Location: Los Angeles

PostPosted: Sat Jun 27, 2020 6:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Indeed. They’re pretty spoiled. It would have been nice to have had something like that back in the 80s.
_________________
Jim Wilt
LA Philharmonic
Colburn School
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
LaTrompeta
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 03 May 2015
Posts: 867
Location: West Side, USA

PostPosted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 4:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

MrClean wrote:
Indeed. They’re pretty spoiled. It would have been nice to have had something like that back in the 80s.


I know. Your teachers were AWFUL!


_________________
Please join me as well at:
https://trumpetboards.com
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
kehaulani
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Posts: 8964
Location: Hawai`i - Texas

PostPosted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 5:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

MrClean wrote:
Indeed. They’re pretty spoiled. It would have been nice to have had something like that back in the 80s.


Oooh - that far back, LOL?
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Getzen Capri Cornet
Adams F-1 Flghn
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
MrClean
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 27 Feb 2003
Posts: 2734
Location: Los Angeles

PostPosted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 7:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, that far back. Only referring to the red carpet treatment my Colburn kids are getting. I was very fortunate to have worked with the folks I did along the way.
_________________
Jim Wilt
LA Philharmonic
Colburn School
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Petey
Regular Member


Joined: 16 Feb 2016
Posts: 29

PostPosted: Thu Dec 30, 2021 9:01 pm    Post subject: Re: Trumpet performance programs at Universities - advice? Reply with quote

parentologist wrote:
Son is a high school junior, making his list of where to apply to college. He wants to major in trumpet performance (happily plays both jazz and classical, but leans classical), but wants to be able to easily take an academic class or two every semester, so wants a university program, rather than a free-standing conservatory. If it's a conservatory on a college campus, he does not want the kind of intensely high pressure, chair audition every month environment. Plays well with others, in every way. Could probably do well with many different styles of trumpet professors. Doesn't want to have to study with a grad student, instead of the trumpet professor. His audition is unlikely to keep him out of anywhere. Grades are very good, in challenging classes, at a good suburban public high school.

So far, here's the list: BU, U Mich, U Md, Indiana U (Jacobs), McGill, ASU. And because of geography/family ties, U of Utah, U Conn.

I would love to hear other suggestions from anyone who has current knowledge of programs that might be appropriate for him. Trumpet professors move around, so please, responses from people with current knowledge. Thank you.


University of Maryland with Chris Gekker is probably the very best choice any player can make.

It's a small studio, but no one is as great a teacher and as wonderful a mentor as Gekker.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Kaleb.Troutman
New Member


Joined: 21 Jul 2022
Posts: 1
Location: Lexington,Ky

PostPosted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 6:54 pm    Post subject: Schools Reply with quote

I think when deciding where to go to school it is crucial you look at who is teaching not only By instrument if your a performance major but also by who the director is for the bands if you are education as well! It’s super easy to get lost in the name and forget about what kind of teaching style you would benefit from!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    trumpetherald.com Forum Index -> Schools All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Goto page Previous  1, 2
Page 2 of 2

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group