Calling all music majors past and present

ding_man · #1 05-06-2007, 12:30 PM

I'm a junior going to be senior after this summer..

This year I've decided to major in jazz studies, and I have the support of my bass teacher and band teachers.

I'm just curious to what level you think someone should be at before entering college, and also what standards and such you played. Or any other general college audition stories.

Chad.mundt · #2 05-06-2007, 01:45 PM

It depends on where you are going to school.

I go to school at the University of Southern Mississippi. The entry level for jazz studies majors ranges from never having played the blues to professional level, so it varies. If you were to go to a school like U of North Texas, then the entry levels are higher.

BTW, USM has one of the most promising bass programs in the country. Although the students in other instrument programs range from great to not so great, the bassists have it made. Larry Panella, the chair of the jazz department, is the single most competent player (tenor sax) I've met, with the possible exceptions of McCoy Tyner and Joe Lovano. He is also a master teacher and a father figure to the entire program. We also have Dr. Marcos Machado as the bass prof. He is one of the most technically-proficient bassists in the country and a master of both jazz and classical, electric and double basses. He is also extremely inspiring to work with and open to new ideas. So, we have a strong teacher of intangible concepts (musicality, taste, arranging, etc.) in Panella and a strong teacher of tangible concepts (technique, styles, etc.) in machado. Seriously consider USM as a place to come to study the bass.

CamMcIntyre · #3 05-06-2007, 02:20 PM

I'm completing my second year of study. A lot of what drew me to this school [Chicago College of Performing Arts-Roosevelt University] was two main factors. The bass teacher [Scott Mason] and the city of Chicago. I feel like for what i want to do for a living this was the best choice for me.

As far as what it takes to get in-that varies a lot with the different schools. Speaking for myself-i prepped several tunes [i didn't have any of them memorized] and they had me pick the one that i felt best showed what i could do on upright and the one that i felt best showed what i could do on electric. So i picked Jive Samba and The Chicken. They asked me if i could play the melody.....i said no on both counts. They had me walk and solo over a Bb blues and sight read a melody. I butchered the sight reading.

At the end of my audition the department head, Rob Parton, and the bass prof., Scott Mason, both gave me very positive compliments on my sound and tone. In my mind they saw potential in me. I'm by no means the flashiest player or the most advanced soloist, but i can walk a line that swings hard.

Two years later-i finally feel competent enough on the DB to longer consider myself an electric cat who also plays DB rather i'm a true doubler. I'm by no means Patittucci or Bromberg, but i can play both. My preference is still BG.

As far as what you should/could do before auditions: listen to as much as you can, pick a few standards that show what you can do, and relax. I turned down a nearly full ride [music ed/business w/jazz minor at a much smaller school in Indiana] to be in massive amounts of debt to follow a dream. If it's ment to be, it'll happen and it's up to you to make it work.

if you wanna talk about this stuff hit me on AIM @ Ray5Cam-i've got my jury and a few other finals tomorrow and tuesday, but i'll be around more starting Wednesday.

ding_man · #4 05-06-2007, 07:54 PM

Thanks guys. I'll hit you up on AIM if I still have it.

I'm staying in Ohio to save money on tuition. So the only schools I have tochoose from are Cincinatti Conservatory of Music (University of Cincinatti), Bowling Green University, Dana School of Music (Youngstown University), and also Capital although they have no electric bass program at all, but they let you try out on electric bass and then they train you to switch.

Anybody else have any stories? Or.. maybe someone even has info on any of those colleges.. I know a lot about them, but someone might know lots.

WalterBush · #5 05-06-2007, 08:17 PM

Although I can't speak to the colleges in your area, my experience has been that any music program in any college will forgive a lot in the area of technique, etc if you can actually read notes. Sight reading abilities impress, apparently.

I could barely navigate chord changes when I auditioned at my college, and my tone was all rock, but the sight reading got me in. The school was forming a fusion ensemble at the time, and I was apparently the only bassist that year who could sight read worth a damn.

Also, remember, unless you're shooting for a scholarship, educated is what you're expected to be when you come out, not when you go in. If you already knew enough and could play at that level, you wouldn't need to go to college for it, after all.

ding_man · #6 05-06-2007, 08:25 PM

I've heard that for bass a lot, but not for other instruments.

I'm a pretty good reader. I play bass in jazz band, marching band, pep band, and percussion ensemble at school.. so I pretty much was forced to become a good reader.

BassChuck · #7 05-07-2007, 04:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ding_man

Thanks guys. I'll hit you up on AIM if I still have it.

I'm staying in Ohio to save money on tuition. So the only schools I have tochoose from are Cincinatti Conservatory of Music (University of Cincinatti), Bowling Green University, Dana School of Music (Youngstown University), and also Capital although they have no electric bass program at all, but they let you try out on electric bass and then they train you to switch.

Anybody else have any stories? Or.. maybe someone even has info on any of those colleges.. I know a lot about them, but someone might know lots.

If you are going to CCM, learn to spell Cincinnati.

There are a lot of colleges in Ohio. At one time there were more per capita than an other state. Ohio University in Athens has had a good jazz program in the past, also check Akron. Bowling Green would be a good choice too. Have you checked Ohio State? I've only heard their orchestra and band, but they are both first rate college groups. For the size of the school I'm sure they have a decent jazz program... and Columbus is a pretty nice town, not just politicians and grain elevators.

ding_man · #8 05-07-2007, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassChuck

If you are going to CCM, learn to spell Cincinnati.

There are a lot of colleges in Ohio. At one time there were more per capita than an other state. Ohio University in Athens has had a good jazz program in the past, also check Akron. Bowling Green would be a good choice too. Have you checked Ohio State? I've only heard their orchestra and band, but they are both first rate college groups. For the size of the school I'm sure they have a decent jazz program... and Columbus is a pretty nice town, not just politicians and grain elevators.

Two n's one t. Got it

I dont have the grades for Ohio state most likely. I saw their jazz band though when my jazz band played at their festival and I was pretty impressed.

I have not checked out Athens or Akron. I'm pretty set on CCM I really wanna go there.

Chad.mundt · #9 05-21-2007, 12:11 AM

CCM is a good school, but expensive. Their auditions are tough, tough. I auditioned there when I was looking at schools, and i got waitlisted. i wasn't great, but i was alright...

Both Akron and Youngstown have decent progs. Some very good players have come out of YSU.

I'm from Western PA, so these schools were high on my list.

BassChuck · #10 05-21-2007, 04:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chad.mundt

CCM is a good school, but expensive. Their auditions are tough, tough.

For an Ohio resident all the state schools are the same tutition. I think that is about $12,000 right now. The private schools are about twice that.

ding_man · #11 05-21-2007, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassChuck

For an Ohio resident all the state schools are the same tutition. I think that is about $12,000 right now. The private schools are about twice that.

The schools I had my ACT check out. It gave tons of info but heres yearly tuition for the schools I gave.
Bowling Green State University $8,600
University of Cincinatti/CCM $8,900
Youngtown State University $6,300
Capital University $20,500

So you're right with private universitys on the dot. Technically though, if you have the grades and talent to get into Capital scholarships will make it craploads cheaper. My paper also said the 88% of their students get financial aid from the college.

Chad.mundt · #12 05-21-2007, 05:44 PM

Excuse me, I was off base on the prices.

BassChuck · #13 05-21-2007, 07:31 PM

Sorry about that.... and I do feel a bit on the out of it side. My son is majoring in music at CCM, after we looked at several schools, I had forgotten the tution. The other post is correct.

Where you really get taken is on the 'room and board' stuff. My older daughter was a major at CCM and she graduated without debt, except we had to borrow for the dorm her freshman year. After that she had a job, lived in an apartment near school and didn't build the debt.

doctorjazz · #14 05-21-2007, 07:35 PM

In my experience, it seems that they focus mostly on technique and are generally forgiving in the areas of theory and improvisation for jazz students. A good friend of mine at the same school I'm entering is a performance major on trombone. She could barely improvise at all, but she was decent at legit stuff and knew her way around the horn, so she got in with no trouble. I'm a jazz performance major and I was never even asked to improvise for my audition, just to play a prepared piece and a couple of scales, although I have been studying privately with the department chair for a few years, so that might have helped.

CamMcIntyre · #15 05-21-2007, 07:39 PM

Yeah.....with the debt thing-that's where i'm caught. I'm an out of state student at a private school. If i do a graduate degree-i'm establishing residency in whatever state i opt to do the degree. My school [Chicago College of Performing Arts/Roosevelt] is right about $23k a year at this point in tuition alone. Our dorms run between $7 and $10k including room and board. I'm in quite a bit of debt. If i didn't feel so strongly about this-i would be going to a state school in Indiana [probably St. Joe's or Butler] and wouldn't be in the debt that i am.

ding_man · #16 05-22-2007, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doctorjazz

In my experience, it seems that they focus mostly on technique and are generally forgiving in the areas of theory and improvisation for jazz students. A good friend of mine at the same school I'm entering is a performance major on trombone. She could barely improvise at all, but she was decent at legit stuff and knew her way around the horn, so she got in with no trouble. I'm a jazz performance major and I was never even asked to improvise for my audition, just to play a prepared piece and a couple of scales, although I have been studying privately with the department chair for a few years, so that might have helped.

I've that and opposite of that. It probablys depends on the judge.

Ha.. think about the people who get masters degrees... the debt never ends.