A Parents’ Guide to Conservatory Auditions, Part 2: Strategies

Written by Karen Rile
Published: September 20, 2013 at 2:54 AM [UTC]

STRATEGY 1: LOVE YOUR PLAN B
In the college application world, the catch phrase is “Love Your Safety.” An academic safety is a school where you comfortably exceed the median admissions standards. A financial safety is an academic safety you can afford to pay for even if you receive no merit aid (often a state school or community college.) College applicants are encouraged to build a list of reaches, matches, and safeties so that, come April 1, they will be able to make a comfortable choice.

But, alas, in the conservatory world there are no safety schools. Conservatory admissions are decided by audition, rather than essays, scores, and GPAs. And auditions are notoriously unpredictable. Every year, many talented, hard-working applicants are rejected by programs that they considered to be matches or safeties. All it takes is an ill-timed case of flu, a blizzard, a migraine, or an hidden personality conflict on the admissions panel. And even if you are admitted your dream conservatory, you may not receive the financial that you need to attend. You need a Plan B. Here are some ideas:

Non-auditioned programs. Most colleges and universities offer an academic-based, non-auditioned music major that focuses on musicology and theory with an option to take applied music classes for credit. At these universities, private lessons may be included with your tuition or partially subsidized by the institution. If not, you can still seek a private teacher outside of the college. In colleges that have both a conservatory program and an academic music major (such as Oberlin or Bard), there may be the possibility of re-auditioning for an internal transfer after a semester or two. Academically inclined students sometimes actually prefer programs with non-auditioned music major over conservatories with limited opportunity for academic coursework. Attending a conservatory or auditioned music program that is part of a larger university isn't such a bad idea, either. A liberal arts education will inform your future life as a musician and will be crucial in the event that you decide on a different career path.

Early or rolling admissions. To feel more comfortable going into audition season, consider adding an early or rolling admission school to your list. A few conservatories offer early auditions, and many BA programs will give a non-binding early decision. (However, financial aid decisions are rarely announced until later in the year.)

The Gap Year (or two). High school schedules are frantic and overloaded, leaving scarce time to prepare a bullet-proof audition. If April rolls around and you aren’t satisfied with your admissions results, consider taking time off between high school and college. A gap year will give you time to focus and prepare under the guidance of your private teacher. You’ll have the flexibility to travel to prospective conservatories for trial lessons with potential teachers, or even study privately with a conservatory teacher in preparation for auditions. You can also enroll in academic courses at local colleges (to knock off some of those “gen-eds”), earn money, volunteer, and read a lot of Shakespeare or David Sedaris. After your gap year, you’ll be older and more mature than the rest of the applicant crowd. And imagine how much better your audition will sound after a year of calm, focused study.

Post-Graduate Year. Some students do a post graduate year at an arts-focused boarding school, such as Interlochen. If you can afford it, this is a great way to stay in a structured environment for the year between high school and conservatory.

STRATEGY 3: THINK MONEY
Don't assume you'll get a gigantic scholarship. (And don't assume you won't.) Merit scholarships (as well as need-based financial aid) can be wildly unpredictable.

Don’t let sticker price limit where you apply. The Cost of Attendance (COA), as published on the college website, is a valuable number to keep in mind. But consider that number with proverbial grain of salt, as there are many hidden factors that can change the cost for individuals.

Don't overlook opportunities to make or save money.
Research which institutions provide support for students who engage in professional work while still in school. If you get a sub position with a professional orchestra, will your school excuse your absences?

Save on housing. Off-campus housing and other expenses can be much lower than in the college estimates. If you live within commuting distance, consider living at home. Sure, it's not as much fun as living in a cramped, noisy dorm. But if you can save $40,000 in student loans over four years, it might be worth the sacrifice of eating home-cooked meals, using Mom's laundromat, and cuddling with your Bichon Frise on a regular basis.

Work like a dog. Many conservatories offer opportunities for students to earn substantial income while enrolled. Juilliard, for example, offers unlimited self-funded (as well as federally-funded) work study to all students, as well as an opportunity to apply for high-paying teaching and performance fellowships.

Be Frankenstein's Violinist. Conservatories with conducting programs pay students to play in “lab orchestras”.

Hire yourself out. Many conservatory students make extra cash by subbing in local orchestras, or gigging at weddings and events.

STRATEGY 3: STAY SANE
The fat lady ain't sung. So much physical, intellectual, and emotional energy goes into preparation for the audition itself. And then it’s over in ten minutes. And then you wait. And wait. And while you wait, you second-guess everything that happened during the audition, playing it back over and over in slow-mo. The wait will be excruciating, and it will be made more painful via social media when friends begin to post of their acceptances. It will be worse when others are accepted to your dream school while you twist in the wind, rechecking your email every ten minutes. Or maybe you’ll be the one who hears back first. Have a heart: don’t trumpet your good fortune all over Facebook if you know others are still waiting to hear. And remember:

Financial aid information may not arrive for several more weeks, at which time you’ll finally have a clearer idea of your situation. If you have acceptances from comparable institutions who offer very different financial aid packages, it may be possible to negotiate your aid package with the lower-package school.

You might not get the financial aid you were hoping for. “Never go into debt for a conservatory education.” This old chestnut makes sense superficially, but not so much if you peek behind the curtain. That well-known school with the influential teacher might open doors and will bring your career forward. Or not. Think twice before you mortgage your future to attend a pricy conservatory.

What about a teacher?  Conventional wisdom has it that the teacher is the number one consideration when choosing a conservatory. But in real life, teachers come and go. They get hired away by other conservatories. The retire. And, like all of us, they die. If you choose a school solely for the teacher, you may find yourself stranded miserably midway through your conservatory career. Before you commit, look deeply into the rest of the faculty, the curriculum, and the environment of the school. Some acceptances come with a studio assignment; some don’t. You may need to spend the month of April scrambling to secure your teacher. As May approaches, if you haven’t figured out this piece of the puzzle, you’ll need to decide if you can accept a spot at the school without knowing who your teacher will be.

Waitlisted? You might be lucky enough to be waitlisted. You might be even luckier enough to be accepted off a waitlist during April, before the May 1 commitment date. Otherwise, you’ll need to move forward. Pick a school, take a deep breath, and send in your nonrefundable deposit check. Or go to your Plan B. Worse/best case scenario: you get into the dream conservatory off the waitlist and lose that deposit. If your waitlist spot comes through, you will be back at Square 2, looking for a teacher and negotiating your financial aid, and later in the game.

Next week: Trial lessons

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Click here for a reference page to all of Karen Rile's series: A Parents' Guide to Conservatory Auditions