Hi. I was recently accepted to the new school for jazz and contemporary program(in New York city)but without any scholarships. I am wondering where is the merit there and where do you see a selection. I mean when you have to pay a tuition of almost 30 000 per year the selection became much much easier. They could accept everyone at that price. Often the best musician are not the richer. The best had scholarships and the other I don't know how they are considered. At least It would be great if we could have a report from the audition committee. I mean now I am certainly not going to accept their admission offer without knowing if I have been really selected among the other applicants. How do you do guy to afford such price with dignity if you ever don't konw if you have been musically selected or financially selected. I mean maybe only the ones who have enough money to afford the school or think it worth to pay the huge tuition and run into debts for years are selected by default because the other or have not enough money or think It is not sane to pay such money without knowing exactly if they have been really selected. Of coure student who have great scholarships award or any other financial aids are not included because they have been certainly selected and I would even say "very selected". Thank you to share there your experiences and opinions.
Where is the merit when you are accepted in great universities without scholarships?
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I was accepted to:
Northwestern University: $34,000 a year.
New England Conservatory: $31,000 a year.
University of Michigan: $29,000 a year.
Manhattan School of Music (waitlisted): $30,000 a year
Etc.
I've often asked myself the same question. I was a great student in high school (32 ACT, 3.7 GPA) and because I live in a single parent home I qualify for government aid. Even with all of that, none of those schools were remotely affordable without me falling into thousands upon thousands of dollars in debt. Going into major debt is not something I'm prepared to do.
So, I'm academically talented, musically talented, and poor---what am I to do if I want to study music at a prestigious music school? The answer is: There is nothing to do. Does this suck?--yes.
Right now I'm at Bowling Green State University studying education and preparing to enter the jazz studies program. I have hopes of studying at the Sibelius Academy for my masters (it's free if you get in).
My advice is this: find a great teacher that you really click with at a state school or small private school and get a double-degree if possible. Go somewhere huge for your graduate work. Good luck.
Northwestern University: $34,000 a year.
New England Conservatory: $31,000 a year.
University of Michigan: $29,000 a year.
Manhattan School of Music (waitlisted): $30,000 a year
Etc.
I've often asked myself the same question. I was a great student in high school (32 ACT, 3.7 GPA) and because I live in a single parent home I qualify for government aid. Even with all of that, none of those schools were remotely affordable without me falling into thousands upon thousands of dollars in debt. Going into major debt is not something I'm prepared to do.
So, I'm academically talented, musically talented, and poor---what am I to do if I want to study music at a prestigious music school? The answer is: There is nothing to do. Does this suck?--yes.
Right now I'm at Bowling Green State University studying education and preparing to enter the jazz studies program. I have hopes of studying at the Sibelius Academy for my masters (it's free if you get in).
My advice is this: find a great teacher that you really click with at a state school or small private school and get a double-degree if possible. Go somewhere huge for your graduate work. Good luck.
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That's why you go to the University of North Texas ... top-tier music program w/out spending a fortune. Out of State is roughly $6,000/semester ... In-State around $3,000/semester. In-State w/jazz scholarship around $2,500/semester. Not bad I'd say...Let me know if you want more info 
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Thats one of the factors that made UNT what it is...as quiet is its kept. (You shouldve seen how cheap it was in the 80s)
My sarcastic side would like to say: What till you graduate, after spending $30K/yr and find out there are no gigs!! Surprise!
But my positive side says...you'll probably learn more about the saxophone from Mr. Riggs than NY Saxplayer X (whoever they got there these days) thats doing adjunct at the New School to supplement his income. But you can tell all your friends your studying with NR Saxplayer X and he has an album out & he acts so cool and maybe he'll let you hang w/him during the break at Smalls or Smoke or NY jazz club X, until his friends or that cute NYU girl shows up....Ive lived in NYC too long, can you tell?
Good luck, find the best teacher you can and try to play as much as you can with the best players in your area--as much as you can & use your time wisely---then you'll be 25 with little or NO STUDENT LOANS and as good or better player than those New School Kids, out there wasting their parents $$ or in debt. Then you can laugh at them!
My sarcastic side would like to say: What till you graduate, after spending $30K/yr and find out there are no gigs!! Surprise!
But my positive side says...you'll probably learn more about the saxophone from Mr. Riggs than NY Saxplayer X (whoever they got there these days) thats doing adjunct at the New School to supplement his income. But you can tell all your friends your studying with NR Saxplayer X and he has an album out & he acts so cool and maybe he'll let you hang w/him during the break at Smalls or Smoke or NY jazz club X, until his friends or that cute NYU girl shows up....Ive lived in NYC too long, can you tell?
Good luck, find the best teacher you can and try to play as much as you can with the best players in your area--as much as you can & use your time wisely---then you'll be 25 with little or NO STUDENT LOANS and as good or better player than those New School Kids, out there wasting their parents $$ or in debt. Then you can laugh at them!
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and you only have to live in Texas a year to get the in-state tuition. UNT is one of the best college programs going. write to them and see if you can get a scholarship there.Andrew said:That's why you go to the University of North Texas ... top-tier music program w/out spending a fortune. Out of State is roughly $6,000/semester ... In-State around $3,000/semester. In-State w/jazz scholarship around $2,500/semester. Not bad I'd say...Let me know if you want more info
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You don't have to go to a top-tier school to learn to play. You go to a top tier school to say 'I studied with such and such'. No need to do this as an undergrad.
Go to the best school that you can afford. Learn something besides music (liberal rather than fine arts), so that you can get a balanced education, and a decent world perspective (politics, religion, philosophy, math, language arts, history, science, psychology).
Again, save the 'polishing' and 'finishing' for grad school.
My $.02
Go to the best school that you can afford. Learn something besides music (liberal rather than fine arts), so that you can get a balanced education, and a decent world perspective (politics, religion, philosophy, math, language arts, history, science, psychology).
Again, save the 'polishing' and 'finishing' for grad school.
My $.02
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As an undergraduate, I was an out-of-state student who got Texas residency, I worked at the school and it cost practically nothing. Several years later, I returned to NT (with the Texas residency), got a teaching assistantship and did get my degree (MM) for free(*); something to think about.Selmer's_glu said:
(*)...that is, if you consider living in north Tesax getting something for nothing.
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Yeah, but Martin - think about what that might mean. At the time I was working on my masters, that could have meant studying with Jim Riggs, or Dan Haerle, (or meMartinman said:
) or any number of other outstanding educators who were "merely" grad students at the time. A couple of the guys who are there now would know better, but it's possible that the situation is the same; that is, that many of the grad-student assistants are the successful teachers/players of tomorrow. Also keep in mind, that many of such grad-assistants have been out of school and gotten experience and then have returned, they're not snotty-nosed kids.
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The guy who was my Graduate Assistant private teacher during my 1st year at UNT, years later, gave me my first gig in NY. (referal-wise)
Gee, yeah, what a drag it was having to study w/a grad student the 1st year I as there
Gee, yeah, what a drag it was having to study w/a grad student the 1st year I as there
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A lot of those "grad students" end up being professors at a lot of the different universities around the world. I'm an undergraduate student ... studied w/the main professor (Jim Riggs) starting my third year here. You may not have heard of Jim Riggs, but after you take lessons w/him you'll wonder why you hadn't.Martinman said:
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I have heard of Mr. Riggs before, I believe my instructor mentioned him when I was asking for recomendations as to where to go to school. I had also thought about the whole grad student = future professor thing, but hey, if I can study at somewhere like Western Michigan (which is only 2 hours from my house) with Trent Kynaston, then so much the better, assuming I get in there. I am definately thinking about going to NT my second semester of college. Plus, they take insanely low scores for AP tests....
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