Will I get a lot of scholarships with these instruments?

Question

I can play a clarinet and an alto saxophone. I can play most notes on the saxophone and i have a pretty good tone. On clarinet i can play most notes. I am planning to learn bassoon soon. I own a clarinet and saxophone.

Answer 1

You can play "most notes" and have a "pretty good tone" on sax and can play "most notes" on clarinet.  

I don't know because I've never applied for a college scholarship for music, but it seems to me that your instrumental skills as described are pretty mediocre.  You might be able to get into the music program  with your skills, but surely you need to be better than that in order to qualify for a scholarship? Don't you need to be able to play ALL the notes, with a VERY good tone?  :-)  

Answer 2

RJS1121 hit it right on the nose.  Bassoon would be the better one to get a scholarship, but it is not impossible on the others either.  Another thought, don't just look at the concert band for a scholarship.  As a clarinetist or bassoonist you could get an orchestra scholarship.  On alto sax, you may be able to get a jazz scholarship.

Get a teacher on which ever instrument you choose.  Learn your scales well.  Practice them down 3 times more than up.  Do major, minor, and chromatic for sure.  Intonation and tone quality are a higher priority than speed.  If you practice frequently, the speed will come anyway.  Then you just need to get the repertoire.

Good Luck.

Answer 3

Hi there,

You sound really talented.  :))  But... it does not matter how many instruments you can play.  It will depend on what you can play exceptionally well.   When you apply to a school for a music scholarship,  you will have a required number of pieces to have ready for the music professor.   My latest student applied to the college she wanted to go to... and in a few weeks,  she received a list of required pieces and scales to have ready for her audition.  So,  even if you can play well,  you will have to prepare the required pieces and know all of your scales by memory.

Knowing this,  and if you are serious about playing in college and trying for a scholarship, I would choose one of the instruments you now play to develop your skills even further. (Otherwise, you might have to prepare required music and scales for two or three instruments and that would be really hairy!!)  The music that is required is NOT easy.... but on a college level of difficulty.   Colleges offer scholarship money to the best of the best...  not the mediocre players.  

You would be smart to find a good teacher that is going to prepare you for a college music program.  You must explain that it is your hope to receive a music scholarship and ask that she start preparing you with high level instrument studies.

This is the way you get a scholarship.   This is my opinion...  but there is much competition on clarinet and alto saxophone in college.    If I were thinking serious scholarship money... I would focus only on bassoon and work tirelessly to plan for auditioning with that instrument....  which bands need desperately and do offer sizeable scholarships on.

Hope that was helpful.

Thank you for reading and Best Wishes.

Answer 4

I agree with the top two, the less popular an instrument, the less people there are to fill the role and the less competitive it is. That does not make it a free ride though.  

Answer 5

There are many Art scholarships out there willing to pay for your school. I myself play 5 and have been approached many times for scholarships.

Keep doing what you love, and colleges will admire your talent.

-Talemoney

Answer 6

Colleges don't look at what instrument you can play. They first look at how good you are in the classroom, and second, they really don't focus on how good you are in band.

I play the clarinet, alto sax, and bari sax, but my ACT score and my GPA will be the real things determining my scholarships.