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Wanted: One or more very wealthy patrons to fund poor musician through college.

March 25, 2008 at 1:55 PM

Apparently all of those auditions were useless.

Not only have I failed to get into any of my top choices, I can't afford to go to the others. I just got the estimates in the mail and even with a hefty merit scholarship, I can't afford it. 50 grand a year. With my merit scholarship and a butt-load of subsidized loans, I would still have to pay some 30 grand a year.
Even if I worked for three years I couldn't make that much money. And my parents certainly can't afford that.

So I don't know what I'm going to do.
I've worked so hard, but it's obviously not enough.
*sigh*

What a depressing week. I'm so upset I'm actually considering writing letters to companies and asking for donations. That's how desperate I am.
Anyone have an extra $200,000 that I could use?

Sorry to hear you bad news. You have our sympathy. What is your Plan B?
Awww, Natasha, I'm sorry. :( I know you put a lot of hard work into applying and auditioning. Music is so competitive . . . and there's so many random little factors that can go into acceptance and scholarships. Where exactly did you get into? Are all the schools you applied to really that expensive? This is just an idea, but . . . if none of them really seem to work out, maybe you could take a year off, focus on just lessons and practicing and saving up, and then re-audition next year. You're still really young, and all this experience would only make it easier the second time around. Whatever you do, best of luck, and keep us posted!
So far, Plan B is what Ruth suggested...take a year off and practice. I haven't heard from all of my schools yet, but so far, I've only been accepted to Case Western Reserve. That's the cheapest of the schools I applied to, and those are the estimates they sent me. Plan B2 is take out 200k in loans. Not a pleasant option, but do-able. We'll see. Right now I'm just going to sit tight until all of my acceptance/denial letters come in and then decide the best course of action. I was really disappointed in not getting into CIM, especially because I had one of the judges approach me afterwards and say how he really enjoyed hearing me play and that he'd keep in touch, etc. And I totally blew the Case audition, so I'm surprised I got in there...it's all so irritating. :(
Aww, I'm so sorry. No suggestions, just sympathy. : (
There is always viola.
Charlie, that was a low blow!

I'm so sorry to hear that, Natasha. I don't have any advice either, really, except to say that I firmly believe that someone as enterprising and resourceful as you will find a solution. We're all with you!

Have you exhausted all the outside scholarships you might qualify for-I had a student get a hefty scholarship from Coca Coca. Could you maybe take a year and and save some $$ by knocking off some of those general ed requirements at a local community college? My daughters will go to college in 2020 and 2021. Can't wait to see what college costs then!

And Charlie, you may knock the viola now, but when you're gigging, being able to play violin or viola guarantees you more work.

I read your post before jumping in the car to go teach a class and I thought about you the whole time I was driving, so I have a number of thoughts:

1) Your description of your tour in the previous posts proves that are a young woman with a great deal of moxie, which is probably a greater predictor for success than the results of growing up in a hothouse environment, coddled and prepped. This is a bump in the road, but with your determined attitude, you will get past it.

2) You're a couple of years younger than the violinists you were competing with for these auditions. If you were good enough this year to be a contender, think how good you'll be in a year or two.

3) I know a number of musicians who have taken a gap year after high school (and they are already two years older than you) to study and prep for auditions; they get into the best studios.

4) It seems that you and your parents and your teacher are in agreement that it's time to broaden your world beyond your town in Florida (I might be wrong, but I have this impression.) Would it make sense to go elsewhere to study for a year? A wild idea, but could you live with your relatives in Chicago and study privately with a teacher there?

5) Some universities that don't leap to mind at first actually have excellent faculty. I was thinking about Florida International U in Miami who has an up-and-coming string quartet in residence. My daughter studied with their viola teacher last summer at Bowdoin, and he was a great teacher. There are other schools, like U of Colorado at Boulder, which has Judith Ingolfsson, or Temple U, here in Philadelphia, which has a world-class faculty but state-school tuition. Or the Schwob School near Atlanta.

6) Charlie made a joke about viola, but in the past you have posted that you are very tall. If you have long arms and long fingers, you might want to look into viola during your gap year. Viola is a very difficulty instrument to play, and is taxing physically. But if you have the right physique, that would be an advantage. Many wonderful violists began as violinists and learned viola around your age, or even during college. If you have an affinity for the instrument, being an excellent violist could be your ticket to success.

You have received some excellent advice concerning Plan B. Go for it and let us know how it turns out.
Playing the violin isn't about the school you get into but it is about the guidance you receive and what you do with it. I know that there are fine teachers teaching in lesser known (and cheaper) schools. It may be too late (but maybe not!) this season to check some of these out. If you were not quite a match for the more prestigious schools (at the tender age of 16?) some of these teachers may be just right for you. One school that I can think of is Arizona State University. After four years there you may thrive in a master's program at a more prestigious school.

I have met a few students at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University that did just that. They are fine players.

Don't incur unnecessary debt just for prestige. You would be surprised at the resumes of some very fine professional musicians. They didn't all go to Curtis, CIM, Julliard, Eastman or Indiana as undergraduates. More than a few went to a state university or college.

Oh Natasha!! I bleed for you. Don't give up. Plan B sounds good to me, especially since you have applied early. Don't forget that gigging in a gap year can be good money, especially if you know the right people. I'll let you know right away if I find a wealthy benefactor . . .
Natasha, I am so, so sorry for the way things worked out. From reading your blogs I know that you are a very smart, resourceful, talented, and goal directed person. All these qualities will help you solve this problem.

I'm in favor of Plan B, especially because you are younger than most applicants. You can use a year to practice and get some paying gigs. You will need a good teacher to guide you and make sure that you devote your time and energy to the areas that need them the most. I also like the idea of taking some of your basic, required classes (English 101, etc.) at a community college, which will be a whole lot cheaper.

I really sympathize with you, and I empathize with your feelings of disappointment. I believe in you, and I believe that you will succeed. I wish you blessings now and in the next phase of reaching your goal.

PS. Treat yourself to something that will make you feel better now -- chocolate, a bubble bath, spending time with a good friend -- whatever makes you feel good.

Natasha,

Write to the school you most want to go (that accepted you), saying you'd really like to be a student there, but your financial situation is difficult and you don't know if you can afford to come. Talk to your teacher, and get him/her on your side. After the schools know who is and isn't coming, they'll often redistribute scholarship funds, resulting in a little more for you. Don't give up yet.

p.s. If money's really tight, consider auditioning for McGill in Montreal - even with out-of-country fees, it's a lot cheaper, and they've got good programs and scholarships. Plus, Canadians are nice...

My sympathies! I agree that taking a year off, practicing, and maybe doing some core curriculum classes at a local community college would be a smart move.

No offense to your young age, but you might want to seriously re-think a 200K loan, and what that would do for your future. If you have any long-term goals that include home ownership, children, higher education, travel, instrument upgrade, etc., a 200K student loan (plus interest!) could further cripple those dreams.

I agree also that there are many state colleges that offer fine music programs and brilliant teachers. Good luck, keep your chin up, and eat a lot of chocolate!

Anne's points are excellent. A 200K+ loan will have you paying an enormous monthly amount once you are out school. The amount of these payments will effectively narrow your options to working as a lawyer at a large law firm or becoming Joshua Bell. You would be paying upwards of $1000 per month on the loan. That kind of loan is the size of a home mortgage if not larger because you have to pay it off more quickly.
If I could, I'd give you a big hug.

Did you mean National Merit scholarship? If so, that's how I went to college, and that's why I picked the University of Oklahoma. They basically paid me to come there. I don't know what they currently offer their merit scholars, but I hear the music program is doing very well. They had a new music hall built within the last ten years.

Don't strangle yourself with a loan. the number one thing I had going for me when I left college was being debt-free. Because of that, I had so many more options, lifestyle wise.

Seriously, check out OU.

I'm proud of you for going through with all of those auditions. It's much better than not doing it and looking back later, wishing you had.

Knot, I'm sorry. Your issue with money concerns me greatly, though, because if what you say is true, I'm going to be in a huge amount of debt too. Did you submit the FAFSA? When I did a college visit at Vanderbilt, they said that they evaluate one's financial situation (using the student's FAFSA) and determine a reasonable amount of aid to give the student so that the maximum they would be in debt after 4 years is ~$10,000.
This post makes me feel a lot better. I got rejected from Oberlin and Boston University today then some lady missed her parking spot and took out the drivers side of my car. (!!!!!!!!!!!)

After hearing about this i feel so undescribebly happy about getting close to a full ride to Shenandoah Conservatory.

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