I am so lost in the music college application process and I am hoping you guys can help. My son came to singing late and we live in the sticks where there is very little music and music education. As a result he has none of the usual competitions, choral performances etc. that a lot of people seem to have. He is a true bass at 17 which we have been told is pretty rare. He wants to pursue classical singing and/or opera. He is also a pretty strong student, 3.9 full diploma IB and a 31 ACT. We do have a private teacher, who I think is very good, but she usually works with adults and doesn't know the college process very well. He was accepted to Interlochen and Brevard and WNO this summer so that was a good start but I still have so many questions!
#1 I have read that you should know how you stack up against the competition when looking at programs and / or conservatories. I also understand that you should not submit an Arts Supplement to top universities unless your pretty confident you will stand out. Since his voice is rare, I'm not sure what the competition is--all singers or just basses?. We did have a sample lesson at a college he toured and they told him he had the best voice in a 17 yearly they had heard in years (which got him pretty fired up). BUT he's only participated in one NATS competition and didn't make it to regionals. So we kind of have mixed messages. Another teacher told us his voice would be judged on its potential as lower voices develop through their 20s. So how can he determine his "level of competitiveness" and if it will help get accepted or get scholarships or just be a nice EC on his application. Any perceptive from this seasoned group of music parents would be appreciated.
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