piccolo: which college??

Question:I live in Georgia, and would like to know which college in georgia would be best for someone majoring in music (i don't know if i'll do performance or teaching). And (part 2) which college would be better if I went out of state? I'mthinking that Juilliard and Boston conservatory would be too hard to get into.

Me: I'm currently 2nd chair flute/ piccolo player in my high school (10th grade) but i'm 2nd out of all flute players (not just 10th graders). I'm halfway done learning Fantasie by Faure. It's not too easy for me, but it's managable. I like to think I have good tech. and tone... other people may think otherwise. Last year I made a superior (solo festival) by playing Scherzino from the concert and contest book by Voxman.

Any info about colleges or what I should do to prepare for college level music will be appreciated! Thanks!

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I live in Georgia, and would like to know which college in georgia would be best for someone majoring in music (i don't know if i'll do performance or teaching). And (part 2) which college would be better if I went out of state? I'mthinking that Juilliard and Boston conservatory would be too hard to get into.

Me: I'm currently 2nd chair flute/ piccolo player in my high school (10th grade) but i'm 2nd out of all flute players (not just 10th graders). I'm halfway done learning Fantasie by Faure. It's not too easy for me, but it's managable. I like to think I have good tech. and tone... other people may think otherwise. Last year I made a superior (solo festival) by playing Scherzino from the concert and contest book by Voxman.

Any info about colleges or what I should do to prepare for college level music will be appreciated! Thanks!

Check out this website, it gives lists and links to accredited music colleges across the US:
http://nasm.arts-accredit.org/

And as for preparing....
*Once you pick your future college, check out their website and the music department's page. They'll likely have an entrance music theory exam, which is basic theory to see which level of theory you should start in. This COULD include transpositions (very basic), chord qualities, triad building, and bass/treble clef reading. The webpage will give you more details.

*Work on your major (and minor, if you know them) scales, from memory. Some schools might require minor scale knowledge, but major scales are definitely required.

*Work on a prepared solo that emphasizes your best playing ability--be it lyrical, technical, expressive, etc. I doubt you'll get through the whole solo when you audition, you might be asked to start halfway through the piece, so know it inside and out!

*Work on sight-reading. This isn't a hard thing to do--this could involve sight-reading some etudes from method books for 5-10 minutes a day.

*Keep up your GPA! The higher your GPA=the more $$ you get for scholarships.

And of course, do whatever else the future college asks of you!

Edit:
Thanks for messaging me! I'm glad to see you found something useful--I've been in college four years now as a music student so I've seen a lot of commonalities among colleges. I thought of a few other things for you to help with college decision.

Your band directors will be very familiar with colleges in your state---out of state tuition is KILLER, only if you can afford it---and can give recommendations.
I see you're interested in performance and teaching. Why not both? Both majors require a lot of very similar classes, so you could either choose to major in education and minor in performance or vice versa. Or, you could just test the waters in one major and make sure to choose classes that meet the requirements of both majors. The only difference would be more performance-based classes for performance, obviously, and more teacher-education centered courses for the other.

Large universities obviously have well-known names, but the quality of education might not be up-to-par with what you need.

Also consider the size---do you want the chance for one-on-one interaction with your teachers, or do you want a large class size where this may not be likely? Think about what situation you function best in now.
Don't overlook the medium to small sized colleges---some of them have the best programs in the state for your degree decision!

After that, consider the community--is it a large community or small? Which do you prefer? Research some local clubs, shops, malls, restaurants, and the like. Music majors often don't have much free time, but sometimes it's nice to get out now and then. Talk to other students at colleges you're considering (Facebook is a good place to start, or the Myspace message boards for colleges) and ask about life at that college.

Something often not mentioned during recruitment---research the security and safety of the place. Do the dorms lock after a certain time? Is there a public safety department (campus police)? Do they provide evening escort services should you ever choose to take a night class? What's the crime rate?

More music-related...
What ensembles do they offer? Are they open auditions for students of all classes (fresh-sr)? Are the audition etudes for the ensembles available online before school starts so you can prepare them? What music scholarships do they offer (they could also be called service awards)? Are there any other scholarships I could apply for? Is the college reputable for the major I want? Are the graduates of my major highly sought-after or have a history of finding success after college? What music organizations are available for me to join?

And some MORE thoughts....
*Check for academic scholarship availability and the requirements
*Visit the dorms AHEAD of time (during a tour or something) so you get an idea of space and dorm quality.
*Start saving money NOW for living expenses (things like to pop up when you're especially broke)
*Apply for the FAFSA the minute you get accepted to your college, OR, fill it out during your senior year and the taxes are filed by your family and submit it officially once you get accepted to a college.

LOTS of information for you to process there, but it might be useful in narrowing down your selection process:)

GOOD FOR YOU for wanting to continue in the realm of music. I am a professional flutist, teacher, and competition adjudicator in NY. There are SO MANY fine colleges from which you can choose, I am sure that you private teacher can assist you narrow down to one that is right for you. I am sure that you realize that we flutists have it harder than other instruments - there are SO many of us that play well - that you will have to work very hard these next 2 years to work up a fine audition. Yes, Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, Oberlin, Hartt, and many other conservatory-style schools are difficult - but there are many fine state schools and schools with a music department, rather than college, that are also good. You can run searches on college lists, and define by geography,etc. My best advice you you NOW would be to go on Yahoo Groups, and join FLUTENET. There are about 3,000 of us there - students, teachers, orchestra players, etc. - and we will welcome you, and ANY flute question you have. THAT would be a place where you can get a better-targeted answer than on this more-general board. Even current students at various colleges, who are flute or music ed major, will answer you. Best wishes for the next two years of fluting!