A: The short answer is “Yes” on both counts. The total estimated cost of attending Vanderbilt is currently more than $60,000 per year. However, there are both need-based and merit-based awards available that cover very significant portions of that cost. And these awards are not loans that must be repaid. The Opportunity Vanderbilt program, for example, meets 100% of demonstrated financial need. And Vanderbilt typically ranks in the top 5 of Princeton Review’s rankings of “Best Financial Aid”. The bottom line: the cost of attending Vanderbilt should never dissuade a student from auditioning. Check out the Vanderbilt Financial Aid Office site for more information.

A: Vanderbilt is an academically rigorous institution, and the average test scores (ACT/SAT) and GPAs of admitted students are quite high, but the admissions process looks at many different factors and evaluates all facets of each applicant’s portfolio. That includes things like essays, letters of recommendation, success in AP courses, extra-curricular activities, service, and so on. Additionally, at Blair we also take into account the very important factor of musical performance ability, which can sometimes counterbalance a below-average scholastic indicator to make the sum of the student’s application worthy of admission. A student who is interested in Vanderbilt should not hesitate to apply and audition at Blair if one or two facets of their academic profile are below the Vanderbilt average. If you are concerned about your academics, you can always contact the Blair Admissions office for further consultation.

A: Anyone wishing to study as a music major at Vanderbilt must apply to both Vanderbilt University and the Blair School of Music through a single streamlined process outlined on the Blair Admissions website. You must then submit a pre-screening video for faculty review in order to be invited to audition live. The live auditions are held in front of the brass faculty and usually take place in December, January, and February. Detailed info on the application and audition process can be found here. The letters of decision are usually sent out some time in March, and admitted students then have several weeks to decide to either accept or decline their offers of admission.

A: Typically, a music major’s day is divided into two sections: morning classes and afternoon rehearsals. For many students, individual practice time constitutes a third section of the day, concentrated either early in the morning or in the evening.

Those classes and ensembles which meet multiple times per week usually do so on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. This includes many of our core music courses (history, theory, musicianship), many non-music courses (English, math, sciences), and most of our ensembles (Orchestra, Wind Symphony, Brass Chamber Ensembles). ‘MWFs’ are the busiest days for most of our students.

Those classes and ensembles which meet only once or twice per week usually do so on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This includes the Blair Big Band and various other courses benefit from the longer blocks of time available on ‘TRs’.

All brass students typically have a one-hour lesson per week with their studio teacher, and all the studios have a once-weekly performance class.

A: Not within the Blair School of Music. There is no graduate program at Blair, and it is a point of pride for us that every class/lesson/ensemble is taught by a faculty member, never a graduate assistant.

This absence of a graduate program also means that Blair students do not compete with Masters or Doctoral students for the best ensemble spots, merit-based scholarship money, or most importantly, a professor’s time and attention.

A: Yes, and then some. One of the hallmarks of the Blair School of Music is the amount of individual attention given to each student. The university as a whole is very committed to maintaining small class sizes and good teacher-to-student ratios. There are only around 220 university students studying full-time at Blair, but well over 50 full-time music professors, which means small class sizes and lots of individual attention from instructors, ensemble directors, and administrators alike.

This also means that faculty are much more likely to have time for the ‘extra’ things… to meet with and counsel students over a coffee, to organize ensembles, to oversee a student’s recording session for a competition or audition, or to provide extra help when needed, just to name a few examples. Blair’s size is ideal because it is large enough to offer a well-rounded menu of musical experiences to every student, but small enough that we never have to sacrifice the individual attention that is so crucial in undergraduate music study.

A: As mentioned in the answers above, Blair offers many opportunities for ensemble performance. Some ensembles are required of all music majors, and some are available as elective credit. Here is a list of the ensembles in which VU brass students most often participate. For a more complete listing and description, visit this page.

-Orchestra/Wind Symphony: The way we do large ensembles is unique. Students do not have to choose between symphony orchestra and wind ensemble because both ensembles rehearse on a rotating schedule. Students perform one large ensemble audition each semester, and then perform with both the orchestra and wind symphony on a rotating basis.

The orchestra does major repertoire; recent examples include Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, Holst’s The Planets, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4, Vaughan-Williams' Symphony No. 5, and Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, just to name a few!

The Wind Symphony is simply one of the best in the country, even as an all-undergraduate ensemble. They really turned heads across the country when Blair hosted the CBDNA conference in 2015, and their recent album, Spanish Eyes, received the American Prize. More info and tons of amazing recordings can be found here.

- Blair Big Band: A fantastic group under the leadership of our Director of Jazz Studies, Ryan Middagh. Rehearses twice weekly and usually performs two or three concerts each semester. The big band has recorded multiple albums and received several Downbeat Awards in recent years. You can find out more here.

- Brass Chamber Ensembles: All brass majors are required to sign up for at least four semesters of chamber ensembles. These ensembles (usually brass quintets or quartets) meet three times per week and are student run. Each ensemble is coached by a brass faculty member once weekly, but the other two rehearsals are run by the students themselves, giving invaluable experience in rehearsal technique, listening, and musical communication.

A: Regular performance opportunities are vitally important to a student’s growth and learning, and we work to ensure that our students capitalize on every opportunity. Students have a chance to perform for each other weekly in performance class. There is also a weekly Student Recital Hour attended by all Blair students, and students can usually count on at least one performance per semester in this venue. We encourage students to perform more recitals than are required of their degree curricula; freshmen and sophomore recitals are not uncommon at Blair. We also heavily encourage our students to participate in solo competitions, from our own Blair Concerto Competition to various national and international competitions.

A: Yes! We are happy to meet with you on campus or via Zoom for a sample lesson and answer any questions you may have. Simply contact the appropriate faculty member or email Molly Jewell in the Blair Admissions Office (molly.a.jewell@vanderbilt.edu) to set up a time and date. You may also be interested in setting up a tour of Blair or the entire Vanderbilt campus.