[backlash]

I am currently enrolled in Ohio University, and pursueing a major in music education on saxophone. Although I love the studio and the teacher, I am just not happy with the atmosphere here. Now my question to you is, would I have success in transferring schools earlier the better, or wait another year, and then transfer into my junior year? I am worried about my credits transferring over.

Second question, what schools? I am looking into school with a large city atsmopshere. I have been searching on collegeboard.com and have come across Eastman, Ithica College, and some others in Indiana. I like the big city atmosphere, and want to find a liberal arts college with a good reputation.

 

[Martinman]

What Indiana schools are you thinking about? The only good music ed school for a sax player is Indiana (unless you count Ball State), and Bloomington is a small town.

 

[thejoyofsax]

I'd say transfer early at the risk of losing credits, but be in contact with a school of music academic advisor at your target schools to fully understand what may happen to your academic status. It's different everywhere.

Ithaca is a nice school. Great sax prof, Steve Mauk, but I can't speak for their Ed program.

Bowling Green would be a good one to look into. Another great professor (John Sampen) and the city is no smaller than Ithaca, NY.

As always, I will plug good ol' Western Michigan University, which has a great Ed program that I've been through. Our professor Trent Kynaston will retire within the decade, though. Kalamazoo is a great city, population 75,000.

It's been my general impression that the best music ed programs are found at slightly smaller schools in slightly smaller areas. It seems easier for those programs to develop relationships with area schools and teachers, and that makes practicum training and internships more possible. Think about being at a larger school and not being able to take your car everywhere ... would you really want to take a city bus for 30 minutes down to your internship school just for the morning, for instance?

Eastman is a great school but (and an Eastman grad may correct me) mostly centered on performance and is quite competitive. I would save your out of state tuition dollars for a more intimate setting where you could receive more personal attention and more external experience actually teaching.

 

[tracy285]

What Indiana schools are you thinking about? The only good music ed school for a sax player is Indiana (unless you count Ball State), and Bloomington is a small town.

Why would you not count Ball State?

 

[Rackety Sax]

Ithaca has a large city atmosphere?? And what schools in Indiana have a large city atmosphere? Your post really doesn't make any sense.

 

[Razzy]

Temple in Philadelphia sounds like a good one to look into for what you want.

 

[Saxydude]

You want a QUALITY saxophone education as well as an outstanding education department?---Bowling Green State University. Consistently rated one of the top 10 undergraduate education programs in the country and John Sampen is the saxophone professor. Combine that with the low tuition and you can't really go wrong.

 

[vonbraig]

Stick it out Dr. Parkinson your new dept. chair is a great guy and will have a big impact.

 

[maestroelite]

Come to Ball State! We need more good sax players...

But seriously, its the polar OPPOSITE of a big city environment, but so would Bloomington really. The Education program here is held in pretty high regard. There's a few pretty hot sax players but not a ton, so if you're looking for an environment with lots of people to push you this might not be it. Not that the rest of us aren't good, it just wouldn't be IU.

 

[tracy285]

I don't think you can get farther from a big city that Bowling Green. Check out DePaul. Good for jazz and classical, downtown Chicago. Though I've not heard Susan Cook play I have heard very good things. She has an impeccable Pedigree, she has studied with Londeix, Hemke, and Sampen.

 

[queperknuckle]

Stick it out. You can live in a big city after you leave college or during the summer. Ever heard the saying: "the grass is always greener on the other side."

 

[backlash]

I have been thinking about even changeing majors to possibly music performance, but I am unsure as of right now. I haven't heard anything about any schools in Indiana. What I am looking for is the NYC atmosphere with a great saxophone program, that is the best way to describe what I am looking for. I have looked into Bowling green but the campus just isn't for me. I am not looking to transfer by winter quarter to I have time to think about it.

 

[Rackety Sax]

Northwestern isn't in a big city but it's immediately next door to Chicago. I would guess it's extremely difficult to transfer into, however.

 

[thejoyofsax]

University of Tennessee, which is in Knoxville (population 174,000) has a sax studio run by Connie Frigo. She was a Fulbright scholar who studied with Bornkamp - great player and a nice person. Currently plays Bari with the New Century Sax Quartet.

Butler University is in Indianapolis (pop. 782,000). Nicholas M. Brightman teaches saxophone there - never heard of him, but here's his bio:
http://www.butler.edu/music/mu_bio_brightman.html

U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign would be a nice choice. Between the two cities resides about 100,000 people, and professor Debra Richtmeyer is certainly very in demand.

All this population research took place via Wikipedia in the last ten minutes. I think this really is research you could orchestrate very easily. Maybe compile a list of possible schools and then fish out people who attend them?

 

[Martinman]

Butler University is in Indianapolis (pop. 782,000). Nicholas M. Brightman teaches saxophone there - never heard of him, but here's his bio:
http://www.butler.edu/music/mu_bio_brightman.html

DO NOT GO TO BUTLER AS A SAX PLAYER!!!!

I can not stress this enough. If you want, pm me and I will tell you exactly why.

As for Ball State; it is good, but only if you want to teach in Indiana or want to specifically study with George Wolf.

 

[backlash]

Why would Northwestern be hard to transfer into, they are on the same calender system as OU, the quarter system. I like the fact about Depaul though is that they are located inside Chicago.

 

[Rackety Sax]

Why would Northwestern be hard to transfer into, they are on the same calender system as OU, the quarter system. I like the fact about Depaul though is that they are located inside Chicago.

I'm saying that based on the fact that they've got one of the most prominent saxophone teachers in the world. So I assume it's very selective to get it at all, and probably even more so for transfers. Just my guess, by all means look into it if the place interests you.

In addition to DePaul there's Roosevelt University in Chicago. Jan Berry was teaching there but I don't think she is anymore.

 

[backlash]

I have also been looking into Eastman, yet the deadline date for everything is december first and their application requires alot of supplemental materials, so that one is on the brim right now. Also their is the Manhatten school of Music, though very selective I wouldn't mind applying, and the school is in NYC which is a big plus.

The reason I am looking for a school in an atmosphere such as NYC is because of all the playing opportunities, venues to hear new music played, and all of the chances to play in pit orchastras as wel.