Anyone coming to North Texas?

[HeavyWeather77]

The IU post made me curious if there are any new sax players online that are auditioning at UNT this semester. It's a magical, gut-wrenching experience, that first audition for Jim riggs, and I remember mine like it was yesterday.

And hey, if anyone's new in Denton, be sure to come to Hailey's club to see Snarky Puppy on the 19th. The whole scene should be there, good opportunity to meet people, and I think it's all ages.

[Andrew]

Ha...guess not.

[HeavyWeather77]

Good call biznatch. Forgot I wrote this. Well, good.

[ramZsax]

My girlfriend (classical flute...jazz bari player) is flying out tomorrow morning for her audition. i might flying out first week in march, but not for an audition...im sending in my jazz CD pretty soon...but i haven't ever played classical saxophone, so i dont know what to do for the classical part...

[CountSpatula]

I won't soon but I will in the future :-)

[ramZsax]

my girlfriend said she saw the One O'clock band today and was blown away. She only got to hear the first tenor solo, but said i would have peed my pants.....hahaha

[blondemusicgurl]

Ramsey, you're going out first week of march? Gosh, you shouldve come with me this week.

Yeah, I really like North Texas and I'm sure that's where I wanna go. I might be majoring in classical flute, but, I'm not sure. I might go in music undecided and mess around with everything, because quite simply, I like it all. But the jazz program looks intense!!!

Yeah, and one o' clock sounded good. Ramsey probably would have trouble controlling his bladder. =)

[Sebbe]

I'm thinking about auditioning for this school, but not until next year. Schools in Sweden don't cost anything to go to, and they're really good as well. Everyone I know who's been to the US studying music have been very happy about their time, and they've improved alot during their time there.

[DukeCity]

When I was in the program at North Texas (way back in the 1980's!) there were several great-playing students from Sweden. Trumpet player Magnus Broo is back in Sweden, playing with a group called Atomic. Pianist Stefan Karlsson is now a faculty member at North Texas.

[Sebbe]

I know it's impolite to discuss money, but it's really interesting since it's a very important factor for me if I will be able to go to this school.

What would you guys estimate the cost of a year at North Texas? Including rent for campus (if the school has a campus, the site is down so I can't check), food every once in a while, reeds, etc. I don't smoke, and don't drink very often, so those costs are at a minimum.

EDIT: Hehe, just realized that I have an Atomic-CD right here on the desk, with Magnus Broo

[HeavyWeather77]

If you get a scholarship, tuition at UNT is reasonable. A scholarship of a thousand bucks or more (academic, music, or both) will guarantee you in-state tuition whether you're from Texas or not, which helped me out because I'm not. In-state tuition is somewhere around $2000-2500 a semester minus whatever you get from your scholarship. Out-of-state is much worse, more like $5-6,000 a semester I think. The cost of living here is VERY reasonable, whether you're on or off campus.

Blondemusicgurl, I think I remember you coming in and checking out the band last week. If I would have known you were on here I would have said hi. Ramz, if you come down here to visit let me know beforehand, I can tell you some stuff to go check out. Glen (DukeCity) is right, North Texas always has some world-class players hanging around, many of which go on to do really cool stuff in the music world. One of my best friends used to eat lunch with Norah Jones in Bruce Hall every day. He's considerably less rich than she is now....

[ramZsax]

i might be flying out first week in march

I meant to say April...Though now May is also a possibility.

HeavyWeather77,
I have to send in a tape for my audition. I already recorded some songs in October which i will use for the jazz portion, which I am hoping I can get in with, but what really worries me the the classical part. To be honest i have never played classical saxophone, and I'm pretty sure I dont sound like how people expect a classical tenor to sound (nor do I know how). How should i go about filling ten minutes with classical music?

[DukeCity]

If you get a scholarship, tuition at UNT is reasonable. A scholarship of a thousand bucks or more (academic, music, or both) will guarantee you in-state tuition whether you're from Texas or not, which helped me out because I'm not. In-state tuition is somewhere around $2000-2500 a semester minus whatever you get from your scholarship. Out-of-state is much worse, more like $5-6,000 a semester I think. The cost of living here is VERY reasonable, whether you're on or off campus.

Back in the old days, the deal was even better: Used to be just a $200 "competitive" scholarship would get you in-state tuition. AND for years and years, in-state tuition was... wait for it.... four (4) dollars per credit!!!! So, an 18-hour load was only $72 plus some fees. That $200 scholarship was essentially a "full ride." Oh yes, those were heady times...

[Andrew]

Man, I wish I were paying $4/credit now. It'd help out a lot with the whole money thing.

RamZsax - When I auditioned for the classical sax portion, I ended up sending in myself playing 2 of 3 movements of a very common classical saxophone tune (Creston Sonata), and a couple Ferling etudes. I think they really just want to get a feel for your playing just to make sure you can get around the horn well enough. It shouldn't be too hard to come up with a couple etudes and maybe a movement or two of a more common classical saxophone piece.

[Sebbe]

I read about the university, and found that there is a difference between graduate students and undergraduate. Can someone explain the difference of these two kinds of students, and take a guess what a foreign student with an education equivalent to US high school, would become?

[gary]

I read about the university, and found that there is a difference between graduate students and undergraduate. Can someone explain the difference of these two kinds of students, and take a guess what a foreign student with an education equivalent to US high school, would become?

Sebbe after High School, students have three university-level degrees available which are Bachelor Degree, Master Degree, Doctorate. Although in practice this often is not the case, generally the first degree is the Bachelor which is four years' study, the Master' 1-2 more years and the Doctorate takes whatever it takes (3+ years perhaps?).

The Mid-Northern European system is different from the US. In Germany, after Grundschule -4th grade- students generally go into Hauptschule, Realschule or Gymnasium. Graduation from Gymnasium is roughly the same as an American HS degree + two years of college. With the exception of Education and Musicology, most higher-level music training here (I assume Sweden also) is at a music conservatoire which has few if any academic courses. An typical US education, OTOH is an academic education with predominantly music courses, and therefore, a typical US music education is a music degree with a strong support in academics, Hence most formal upper musical education gives degrees equivalent to other academic degrees.

For you, if your system is parallel to the German system, you would be entering an American university at a higher academic level than the average US high school graduate and might be able to test out of some of the required academic courses.

If you're really interested, my suggestion would be to attend UNT for two years and get what you can, socially, culturally as well as musically from the experience and then make whatever additional decisions you might need to. You may be able to get credit back in Sweden at the Conservatoire for some of your US courses, but my suggestion would be more to look at the US experience as, well, just that-an experience- not necessarily a degree-seeking adventure.

My son did the opposite. He was a jazz major at UNT and went to England for a year. He didn't transfer hardly anything, credit wise, going or coming, but the year was a cultural eye-opener and well worth the time spent. (Got a great girl friend out of it, as well )

[HeavyWeather77]

my suggestion would be more to look at the US experience as, well, just that-an experience- not necessarily a degree-seeking adventure.

I've never been an international student, but this seems like great advice overall. That would definitely be my goal if I were going to spend a year overseas.

However.... Texas, particularly North Texas, would NOT be my first recommendation for an American "cultural experience." I love the musicians around here, and there's good friend chicken that I indulge in a couple times a year, but other than that I can't recommend the area... I mean, you could as easily go to New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, or Seattle. Needless to say, I won't be staying in the Dallas area after I've gotten everything I can out of UNT.

This is not to say it's not worth coming here, because, if you love jazz and want to learn how teach yourself how to play it, there's probably no better place as far as schools go. The area makes it easier to practice a lot, that's all. Glen, Gary, Andrew, agree/disagree?

[gary]

However.... Texas, particularly North Texas, would NOT be my first recommendation for an American "cultural experience." ...Glen, Gary, Andrew, agree/disagree?

When I wrote the word "cultural" I meant it in a broad sense, what he can pick up socially by hanging with american students, etc. And Denton may not be Boston, but for a foreigner it's still a slice of American life. Plus it's pretty easy to get around in and not so dangerous as some other more culturally charged places.

[Sebbe]

I'm trying to get a hold of a scholarship to afford to attend to an US university, but I think it would be hard to afford two years. It might be possible, but it would be difficult. Therefore I'm not that interested in getting a degree. If I'm going to the US it is to learn to play sax the way they teach in US, and to be around lots of great players, thus improving even more.

[Andrew]

When I wrote the word "cultural" I meant it in a broad sense, what he can pick up socially by hanging with american students, etc. And Denton may not be Boston, but for a foreigner it's still a slice of American life. Plus it's pretty easy to get around in and not so dangerous as some other more culturally charged places.

I'd have to agree with Gary. It may not be the prime spot for hearing jazz (outside of school), but it's still pretty much the heart of American culture. If you're in NYC, or SF, or any of those big cities, you get a bunch of different cultures mixed in. They would definitely be "better" in terms of finding a venue to hear other jazz musicians play...but they aren't always necessarily the greatest musicians, as there are way more of them than here in Denton. In any case, anywhere you'd go (well almost anywhere) would give you an idea of American Culture. It'd be a great experience to come to UNT, especially if your primary reason at coming here is just to learn to play well.