Attention IU and CCM students:

[a. meyer]

What do you like best about attending IU/CCM? What do you like least?
I've been accepted to IU and CCM and I'm trying to make up my mind.

[JGGBassPlya]

I really love being at IU. I really thing the enviornment has made a big impact on me. Being surrounded by a bunch of great players and guys who like to practice really helps. Being around Jeff Kail, Ben Jensen and some other heavy audition guys really helps. Seeing them play in master class and how they prepare for an auditon really helps. Being in the practice building and going down the hall and asking a bass player to listen to something before an auditon can really help. Not to sound like a jerk but CCM just doesn't have that. CCM just placed one of their first people in an audition Travis Gore, they also did place a guy in Oregon symphony a few years back but I think to be successful out of CCM you need to be really self motivated. Lazlo is a good person to teach you how to play the bass, but Travis had to go to Rice before he could pass a round. I really like IU if any questions email me. JGGBassPlya@aol.com

[Hoyt5String]

Try and get lessons with both teachers (Lazlo and Hurst/Bransby depending on who you want to study with at IU) and then decide. Everyone is different and work well with different people. Hurst is a great teacher and has helped me tremendously, but I know people who have done great work with both Bransby and Lazlo. It's all about what you want out of a teacher and school. They both have their advantages and disadvantages.

IU being big can either be an advantage or disadvantage depeding on what kind of person you are. The same for CCM with it being small.

I know good players that have come out of both CCM and IU. So it's really all about what's going to work for you and how you interact with each teacher.

My own personal preference would be IU, but I'm obviously biased since I went there.

[a. meyer]

I've decided on IU. It was a tough decision, but I think the right one. If I can't get good there, I can't get good anywhere!

[Jeremy Allen]

I don't think you'll regret it; I've been to IU, the New England Conservatory, and worked at Juilliard, and now I'm back at IU--it's a helluva school!