This past Sunday I got a chance to visit the Performing and Visual Arts College Fair sponsored by NACAC at the Ackerman Union at UCLA. I’ve been to college fairs before, but this one was focused around schools that offered exceptional arts programs — everything from hardcore conservatories like New England Conservatory and Juilliard to liberal arts schools like UCLA and USC. There were even a few schools out of the country like the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD) in Glasgow, Scotland.
It was definitely a much better experience than my last college fair back at the Andover Phillips Academy in Boston, MA — I remember when I asked the Syracuse representative about their music program, he stared back at me in confusion and responded with, “um, do you like hockey?”
I’ve never seen a ballroom this crowded before, either:
But the most interesting thing was the variety of definitions these schools gave for the “well-rounded” musician.
Schools like NEC saw it as being a well-practiced and experienced musician — knowing your music theory well isn’t a huge criteria in the admissions process. Loyola University New Orleans and RSAMD, on the other hand, think music theory is super important — Loyola even requires a theory test with your audition. The representative there also emphasized the importance of knowing how to survive in the real world — for her, music’s more than just playing; it’s also got a business aspect that some people forget about. (In fact, if I remember correctly, she’s a business manager for the LA Phil and sings with the LA Opera.)
And then we get to CalArts, who thinks that being a well-rounded musician means that as well as doing hours of practice and knowing your theory well, it’s also knowing how to intelligently critique the music you hear. In other words, it’s knowing how to write well.
So far, a well-rounded musician equals hours of practice + knowing your theory + surviving in the real world + being able to write well. (Do you have anything to add to the list? Tell me in the comments below.)
To close it off, here are the colleges at the fair that really caught my attention. Although I’ve got a bit more time to decide, I’m pretty much geared towards a double major — Jazz Studies/English.
1. UCLA
2. Loyola New Orleans
3. CalArts (even though I’ve been around it for ages, the whole well-rounded-writer thing was something I’ve never really heard expressed from an arts school before.)
Schools I enjoyed talking with (but not looking to attend):
1. Interlochen Center for the Arts (I had a great time talking with admissions ambassador David Neubauer — he told me about his band in LA that I’m hoping I can see sometime soon. And after some research, I’ve found out that he’s a magician — what a story.)
2. Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (in Glasgow, Scotland. I got to talk to the dean of music who told me about one of the UK’s great jazz guys, saxophonist Tommy Smith. Their jazz program’s only a year old, but it was so exciting talking to someone so excited about jazz. Sadly, Glasgow might be a bit too far for me.)
And the not-so-great:
1. Berklee (I was completely disappointed. They have a reknowned jazz program, with people like Esperanza Spalding and Hiromi Uehara coming out of it. But their table was bare — no pamphlets, nothing! They only had one representative that knew nothing about the jazz program or even the area of the school in general. Come on, Berklee.)
2. Rice (Great jazz band; no jazz program. Really?)
Be sure to tell me your definition of a well-rounded musician in the comments below.
CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: Lady Bird/Art Blakey/At the Cafe Bohemia
