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Double Bass Good 4 year college for music?

T

tenorbass

May 8, 2005
56
0
#1
Hey guys I am looking for a good 4 year college that is in a good price range. I have a 3.0 GPA and I am really starting to get good on my instrument.

A school with a good bass teacher is a MUST! I was thinking about UNT because of Jeff Bradetich. I am going to do 4 years for my degree then do 4 back in Chicago at Depaul.

Someone toss out some names. Thanks :bassist:
 
#3
Thanks for dropping that name. My teacher told me about Curtis and the name escaped me. It looks like it wont be too hard for me to get into there. The only down side is having to live off campus but that can have some advantages ahaha.
 
#6
tenorbass said:
Thanks for dropping that name. My teacher told me about Curtis and the name escaped me. It looks like it wont be too hard for me to get into there. The only down side is having to live off campus but that can have some advantages ahaha.
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It looks like it won't be so hard for you to win a principal spot in a top 5 orchestra either, so go for it!
 
#8
UNT sounds like it would be good for you. Jeff Bradetich is amazing. Don't forget that Bill Clay, the principal bass of the Ft. Worth Symphony also teaches an orchestral excerpt class there. He is a top notch orchestral musician/teacher. Two of the guys from the excerpt class I was in with Bill now have major orchestral gigs. Curtis is a great place to audition. Even if you don't get in, Hal Robinson is a very encouraging person to meet and play for.
 
#9
tenorbass said:
Hey guys I am looking for a good 4 year college that is in a good price range. I have a 3.0 GPA and I am really starting to get good on my instrument.

A school with a good bass teacher is a MUST! I was thinking about UNT because of Jeff Bradetich. I am going to do 4 years for my degree then do 4 back in Chicago at Depaul.

Someone toss out some names. Thanks :bassist:
Click to expand...

Music performance degrees are basically worthless because all people want is to listen to you, they don't really care whether you have a degree or not.
I would focus on the teacher I want to study with, and if money is an issue you could just take private lessons and study something that can help you pay the bills (a trade, education, etc...) Or you can just hold a job.
Just make sure that you put your practicing and orchestra (community, gigs, college orchestra) as a first priority. Don't expect a great practicing session after an 8 hour shift in the local restaurant.
 
#13
Good luck to all you bass players taking the Curtis auditions. Have a good time!

To the person who started this thread,
what exactly are you looking for? A university, or a conservatory?
4-year college makes it sound like you're looking for a university, in which case I guess I'd start with BU, USC, UCLA, Rice, Northwestern, and UMichigan. They all have good bass teachers.
 
#14
tenorbass said:
Hey guys I am looking for a good 4 year college that is in a good price range. I have a 3.0 GPA and I am really starting to get good on my instrument.

A school with a good bass teacher is a MUST! I was thinking about UNT because of Jeff Bradetich. I am going to do 4 years for my degree then do 4 back in Chicago at Depaul.

Someone toss out some names. Thanks :bassist:
Click to expand...

Jeff Bradetich is the man, period. When I went to the University of Oregon his mother was the undergraduate secretary/admin person and when Jeff would come home to visit he would always come to the School of Music for one reason or another. His clinics, master classes, private lessons, etc. are some of the best I've ever been to.

I vote for UNT.
 
#15
tenorbass said:
Hey guys I am looking for a good 4 year college that is in a good price range. I have a 3.0 GPA and I am really starting to get good on my instrument.

A school with a good bass teacher is a MUST!

It will be announced shortly that Dr. Mark Morton - fantastic bassist - will be teaching at Ohio U. starting in the fall of 2008.
Tom Gale
asodb.com:bassist:
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#16
Alex Jenkins said:
is this kid serious?
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Well I have been playing for 3 years, 5 years on electric before so I have a good foundation. I have the 2 movement solo done and the scales that are needed. This summer I am going to work on the bottesini. The only other thing will be some excerpts.

I still have 3 years before I will have to audition this is why I think I have a good chance. I also have done many things outside of school that should help me get in.
 
#18
That's great that you have started young. That's great that you have A movement of bach down, and two movements of a standard concerto down. That's great that you can play a 3 octave Bb Major and Minor (melodic and natural) scale perfectly in tune while dealing with all of the other variables that are needed when working with scales. What is also great is that you are a sophomore in High School.

Now, can you do it better than every other bassist applying that year? Because that's pretty much what it takes. Seriously. I'll send you a resume or tape, I'll have my stand partner send you a resume or tape, and you can check with any other player applying this year, and I'm willing to bet that none of us think that we are going to get in. Or at least as confidently as you pointed out. I'm not saying that you couldn't get in, nor am I saying that none of us could get in, but I am saying that before you say that you could get into the most competitive music school in the world, and maybe the most competitive school of any nature given the acceptance percentage, without much trouble, look a little harder.


Unless you really are that good. Either way, no harm meant.
 
#19
tenorbass said:
Well I have been playing for 3 years, 5 years on electric before so I have a good foundation. I have the 2 movement solo done and the scales that are needed. This summer I am going to work on the bottesini. The only other thing will be some excerpts.

I still have 3 years before I will have to audition this is why I think I have a good chance. I also have done many things outside of school that should help me get in.
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3 years and you're already going to work on Bottesini?! Jesus, I feel inept.
 
#20
tenorbass said:
Well I have been playing for 3 years, 5 years on electric before so I have a good foundation. I have the 2 movement solo done and the scales that are needed. This summer I am going to work on the bottesini. The only other thing will be some excerpts.

I still have 3 years before I will have to audition this is why I think I have a good chance. I also have done many things outside of school that should help me get in.
Click to expand...

check out some of these recordings of bass players NOW at curtis. this one was recorded when Blake was 16:

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Nathan Vedal, also 16:
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