AboutTodd Sullivan Expertise Hello, I am a NYC violinist performing for Broadway shows, symphony orchestras, opera, and sundry theatre/pop tours. I would be happy to answer your questions about anything related to being a performer in the music business. I play both violin and viola professionally, so questions on playing either instrument are welcome. The only thing I am not well informed on is information concerning instruments/bows...those questions are best left to luthiers.
Experience Professional experience includes a variety of on/off Broadway tours and shows, numerous orchestras, tours with Ray Charles and Ann Murray orchestras, leader of the 20-piece Todd Sullivan Orchestra.
Education/Credentials Bachelor of Fine Arts (violin) with honors from Carnegie Mellon University (1999)
Expert: Todd Sullivan Date: 6/18/2008 Subject: music festivals req'd
Question My daughter is a violin performance major at the hartt school. She insists that I must pay for Music festivals over the summer months and this is the only way she can get jobs. Is this true. I pay over 40K for tuition and now 6 K for summers??? Thank you in advance.
Answer Yes it is true - sorry! This is a necessary part of a musician's education for several reasons:
1. You have more time at the summer festivals to focus exclusively on practicing, rehearsing, and performing on the instrument than during the school year. Usually there are no music history and theory classes to intrude upon practice, and also far fewer social distractions since you are in a new place and many festivals are in remote locations with little else to do besides practice. I and my colleagues made as much or more progress on our instruments during 2 or 3 months of summer festivals as we did in the 8 months of the proper school year; time that could never be made up had we stayed home and taken a summer job.
2. The music field is all about networking, and your daughter will meet many great professionals and future colleagues at the festival. Getting new and diverse opinions from the teachers there will help immensely because one can get stuck in a rut with the same teacher at school for four years. They will also get to know her in advance of your daughter possibly applying for graduate programs in a few years, and this is an advantage over other students that they have never met before.
3. If she does not attend a music festival for the summer then she will likely be without guidance until the next school semester...not good preparation for a music major. Remember that every minute you are not working hard there is someone else out there that is...and someday you will meet them.
