Band in College

[Shiloh Phoenix]

I plan on going to Arizona State. they have the greatest tuba player that ever lived as the tuba professor there. Sam Pilafian.

[gavinrh]

what happened to juliard, jj?

[fourmalleteer]

What I heard about Julliad is that it's expensive (duh) and its all about connections. I read it in some article somewhere.

[Nancy08]

Dang if anyone could make it into Juliard you're my hero.

[Skippy]

  fourmalleteer said:

What I heard about Julliad is that it's expensive (duh) and its all about connections. I read it in some article somewhere.

And also requires being amazing at your instrument.

[G'townPIT]

University of Michigan undecided

[Serardian]

As of right now I am looking into Biology major (Pre Med) with hopes of being a pediatrician.

 

I don't know where though.

 

And no marching band, but probably concert band and/or orchestra.

[MartinHorn]

  fourmalleteer said:

Seriously? Because I'm torn between TCU and UTA.

 

I'm planning on majoring in Business Advertising (I was accepted as a BS Bio major at TCU, that's gonna change).

 

But, I'm most definitely going to continue playing percussion. It would be cool to be a double major. But who knows?

 

Haven't turned in my app for UTA. A couple things are keeping me away from UTA; population, the vast size, various black holes scattered across campus, the parties, and rabid, wild cattle.

Umm we don't have rabid, wild cattle here, It's the middle of Arlington not the country. UTA has a very good accounting program, plus it's much cheaper than TCU, but TCU does have an amazing band program. And I know UTA's population is smaller than TCU.

[fourmalleteer]

  MartinHorn said:

Umm we don't have rabid, wild cattle here, It's the middle of Arlington not the country. UTA has a very good accounting program, plus it's much cheaper than TCU, but TCU does have an amazing band program. And I know UTA's population is smaller than TCU.

Oops, I meant University of Texas at Austin.

But I'm sure UTA would have a smaller population than UT Austin.

[fourmalleteer]

  Skippy said:

And also requires being amazing at your instrument.

Of course.

[PrideOfPearland]

People People! Come on now! Its all about Texas State University

[Band_Person]

  MartinHorn said:

And I know UTA's population is smaller than TCU.

UTA is a state school with an enrollment of around 19,000 students.

 

TCU is a private university with an enrollment of less than 9,000.

[ClaireAnnette07]

TCU is the horned frog people right? I keep getting a lot of stuff from them, but my heart is set on UT-Austin & Sam Houston. Now it's just deciding which one I want to go to if i get accepted with my major to both.

[BassoonPadwan]

  Skippy said:

Yeah, me too, and I want to be. But a huge dream of mine has been to add more importance to orchestra in our education system. I'm not talking string orchestra either. Playing french horn in both the SFA orchestra and the Virtuosi Youth Orchestra, were probably the single greatest things in making me a better player. Not only do you become much more aware of your sound as you are the only one on an exposed part, but your level of personal accountability is raised 300%. Every note you play as a member of an orchestral wind section is a solo.

 

The reason I haven't been nervous for an audition or performance in the past 2 years? Orchestra. In 2005 I played a solo in youth orchestra that was 2 lines long, at a banquet, for a huge crowd of people. I had no choice but to suck it up and play it the best I could, and in doing so, I mostly overcame the fear of messing up. It instilled in me a confidence I didn't have before, as "hiding" yourself in concert band is a relatively easy thing to do, espeically with doubled or tripled parts.

 

 

Honestly, I want to make full orchestra something that isn't considered an afterthought or something to do on the side, which I experienced my last year of high school. Ultimately, I'd love to have it as a class period, and rather than kids being in the "top band," the best players would be in the orchestra. This is also a huge benefit to string players as it opens up repertoire possibilities immensely. Believe me, playing string orchestra piece after string orchestra gets very tedious. At least for me it did. And so many great works that some orchestras are capable of playing, get left unplayed because there isn't a readily avaliable wind section to rehearse every day.

 

Just an idea I've been messing with for the past year.

That's amazing! I never thought of things like that!

 

I played in an orchestra this past summer for five weeks. Two and half hour rehearsals everyday. I know what you're saying about the level of accountability being raised. I knew that I wanted to do something in music. I wasn't swinging towards mainly playing, but composing or maybe teaching. I also because of that experience, fell in love with orchestral music.

 

You shed some more light on my situation. Thanks!

[Skippy]

Well join my cause, and together we can rule the world.

[thesnareguy]

I'm going to go to either UT Austin or North Texas. I'll probably end up in Music Ed.

[Keyboard_Countessa]

I'm a psychology major at UT Austin. Although I planned to continue doing music in college, I found out the hard way that getting in a music class when you're not a music student can be more difficult than one would expect.

 

I didn't join the marching band because they didn't have a pit and there was no way I'd play a battery instrument. Instead, I was going to take a private lessons class and then try out for the concert band in the spring. Unfortunately, I couldn't get into the lessons class, and now I can't try out for the concert band because I can't practice (only people currently in a music class can use the practice rooms).

 

There is a bright side: I recently found out about a local percussion group and have been going to their camps, so I still get to play music after all! (Even though they keep putting me on bass drum because I'm the only pit person there .)

[T-ratbowieband]

I'd like to be a music major or pro trombonist. Maybe work for BOA

[Shiloh Phoenix]

Orchestra had the same effect on me. except there's only 1 tuba. all the time. I'm wanting to go to arizona state and learn from sam pilafian, the best tuba teacher in the world.

[G'townPIT]

And what about summer music festivals? Aspen, Tanglewood, Round Top which is in Central Texas, etc. Those are targeted at college music majors. Anyone had experience with that? Applications for the festivals are usually due in January and I'm thinking about it.

[Disappearer221]

I was a participant (as a percussionist) at the International Festival Institute at Roundtop for two summers. Those summers gave me some of the best memories of my life so far, right up there with my summer of drum corps. I learned a whole lot from Tony Edwards and Tom Burritt, and the orchestra is absolutely top notch. The audition is very competitive, and they dont take anybody under 18. I say go for it, the audition rep list is basic, but at the same time very comprehensive. The audition for Roundtop is much more competitive than the Aspen audition, because Roundtop usually only takes 5 percussion players, as opposed to the 20 or so needed to staff all the orchestras at Aspen. If you have any specific questions, let me know.

[Serardian]

Somehow I found this thread I started almost 20 years ago, darn! How many of yall are band directors now?? Lol

[oddlynormal]

Older guy here...I have some GREAT advice...

 

START at a community college and do most if not all of your core classes there.  If you choose to go to your university right away try to do summer and minimester classes at a community college and transfer them over.  If you are going to be a music major DO NOT TAKE MUSIC CLASSES AT YOUR COMMUNITY COLLEGE!!!!  Their are certainly good music teachers at many community colleges, but you need to learn your college's system for music to be successful.  Music theory and other fundamental items can be very different at various campuses.  If you can save money in any way at all DO IT!  

[Fluteriffic]

 

  On 2/3/2025 at 3:33 PM, oddlynormal said:

Older guy here...I have some GREAT advice...

 

START at a community college and do most if not all of your core classes there.  If you choose to go to your university right away try to do summer and minimester classes at a community college and transfer them over.  If you are going to be a music major DO NOT TAKE MUSIC CLASSES AT YOUR COMMUNITY COLLEGE!!!!  Their are certainly good music teachers at many community colleges, but you need to learn your college's system for music to be successful.  Music theory and other fundamental items can be very different at various campuses.  If you can save money in any way at all DO IT!  

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I am going to have to disagree..  Do your research... Have you heard of Tyler Junior College? Might wanna check that out. Last year my freshman child, who is an all-stater and a music major performed at State Marching Contest, and Midwest not to mention other wonderful experiences. My child is getting a VERY high quality music education. 

SO yeah... please do not put advice out there to unequivocally say one should NOT do something based on information that you do not have all of. While I do agree there are certainly community colleges out there who do not set students up for success in music education...  I can also say the same for some 4 year universities. 

Better advice is to do your homework and research lots of schools, visit lots of schools, ask trusted people within your music circle, see what kind of scholarships are offered, sit in some rehearsals for the places you want to attend, and really find the place that fits YOU the best. Find out who is graduating from  or transferring from these places and ask them about their experience both while there and after? A big part of college is what YOU make it of it. Once you find your place start networking with local directors, try to get some private lessons going or even tech at some local schools. While sitting in class and learning about diminished chords is important... there is more to music education than theory, music history etc. 

[oddlynormal]

  On 2/9/2025 at 9:04 PM, Fluteriffic said:

 

I am going to have to disagree..  Do your research... Have you heard of Tyler Junior College? Might wanna check that out. Last year my freshman child, who is an all-stater and a music major performed at State Marching Contest, and Midwest not to mention other wonderful experiences. My child is getting a VERY high quality music education. 

SO yeah... please do not put advice out there to unequivocally say one should NOT do something based on information that you do not have all of. While I do agree there are certainly community colleges out there who do not set students up for success in music education...  I can also say the same for some 4 year universities. 

Better advice is to do your homework and research lots of schools, visit lots of schools, ask trusted people within your music circle, see what kind of scholarships are offered, sit in some rehearsals for the places you want to attend, and really find the place that fits YOU the best. Find out who is graduating from  or transferring from these places and ask them about their experience both while there and after? A big part of college is what YOU make it of it. Once you find your place start networking with local directors, try to get some private lessons going or even tech at some local schools. While sitting in class and learning about diminished chords is important... there is more to music education than theory, music history etc. 

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And I will have to disagree with your disagreement.  I understand what you are saying about there being great junior colleges and community colleges.  I am not discounting the value of what you can learn there.  However, I do have a music education bachelors and a masters.  I also have been teaching for quite awhile.  My point is every university has its own system of music theory and common language.  Some universities use movable Do for sight singing and some used fixed Do.  Some use La based minor.  This can cause a major headache for transfer students who expect to transfer theory, aural skills, and keyboard credits over to their selected university.  When you audition as a transfer you do typically get placed in to your music core classes based on your understanding of these skills in adherence to their system.  If you are not successful on their terms then you get to start all over in the first portion of each of these classes.  Piano is a BIG one that gets a lot of transfer students.  

 

I am not at all discounting your post, but I have lived these experiences and I have had many students of mine go off to college to be music majors.  If you do choose to go to community college it is my personal view that you avoid taking music classes if you intend to go to a full 4 year university.  More often than not your College or School of Music will not take your transfer credits as anything more than an elective unless you can ace their placement test.  And even then, you have to do things their way to graduate.  Unless the community college you go to is somehow connected to the 4 year university you are going to, which is VERY unlikely, you may find your self with wasted money and time.  I have always told my students to take your common core classes at a community college during the summer and mini-mesters, and only do your music classes at your chosen university.  

 

Again, there are GREAT community college teachers, but you can find yourself on an entirely different system when you arrive to your university.