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I'm sorry for the multiple posts but this post caught my attention. I'm sorry but I feel that you couldn't be more wrong. Why is a degree any less important for someone playing jazz than classical (for popular music ill take it, but not jazz). Good luck being a succesfull jazz musician without the connections you make in college with your teachers and peers.
I have not read the whole post, but do not overlook the great music conservatories in England and Europe! There are many great teachers there and opportunities for music students.


in fact i would rather study in England or Germany
Well, Germany is pretty hard to beat. Practically no tuition (maybe a 200 Euro a year fee), you would learn a foreign language if you don't hang out with English speaking foreign students, incredible musical tradition etc...
This is a quote from their website: " There are no general tuition fees required by The LISZT SCHOOL of Music Weimar for undergraduate studies"
another interesting quote: "Starting on 1 October 2008, a tuition fee of 500 Euros per semester will be required for graduate studies which do not directly follow an undergraduate degree" which basically means that if you choose to continue after your undergrad, you still won't pay any tuition.
Sorry, but I don't think you could be more wrong either. You DONT need a degree in jazz to be able to play it! The connections are good, but that's all you're pretty much going to get. Most colleges just give you a formula to SOUND like you're playing jazz- and most people just end up spitting out licks, not knowing why or how they sound good.
hey guys,
another question school related so i figure just throw it on this thread...
When a college (university or conservatory) is going through application after application, how big of a factor are the level of classes the applicant took in high school with subjects that arent related with music? would a kid who took some AP college level classes in math/social studies be regarded as a better choice over someone who took Honors level classes. Or would the AP student seem as though they couldnt put their heart into one area.
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otherwise, how many of you performance graduates were able to take AP classes and still be at the top of your playing ability?
and, were the AP classes worth it?
registration for my junior year is coming up, and many view it as the most important year that colleges look at.
thanks everybody
Hey,
Take as MANY AP courses as you can. If you get at least a 3 on the AP exam, your school pays the exam costs (most times), and MOST colleges accept the credits. IMO, they are the ONLY courses that prepare you for real college courses. Taking a REAL college course can be challenging without prior experience.
I earned a 3 on AP Chemistry, US History, and Calculus AB exams. My school (U. Delaware) gave me credit for the calculus and history courses, a total of 10 credits. That calculus class was also higher ranked than the math course the music majors had to take - you might as well get it out of the way now!
Depending on your major, not all schools accept all AP credits. For me, majoring in chemical engineering, the only way we could test out of freshman chemistry was to get a 5 on the AP test & have special circumstances - essentially they wanted us all to take UD's chemistry. Something to keep in mind.
Regarding the difficulty level of the classes - they aren't THAT hard. It IS HIGH SCHOOL. There is no reason why you shouldn't be able to take 3-5 AP courses and still practice several hours a day.
Hope this helps!
ian
It was 90 bucks a pop for AP test? Our school pick up half the tab for our tests, pretty sweet deal
believe me, ive looked and am very interested as studying abroad is one of my aspirations. But the proposition is always shot down by the parentals as "it is to far away"
in fact i would rather study in England or Germany, but would need help on getting started on the research of the "major" schools there and abroad and whats available.
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I dont know about your highschool, but at my school they wouldnt be able to afford even the few people that take AP tests.