Auditioning for Newpark

Zapp Brannigan

Well it's time to choose what I wanna do with my life and a degree in Jazz Performance is very interesting.
I've been doing jazz for awhile with Tommy Halferty and he suggested I go and try and get into Newpark, so here I am trying to decide a good piece to play at the audition. He mentioned Teen Town to me but, personally, it ain't one of my preferred Jaco songs. I was thinking, maybe, Chromatic Fantasy (I'm a sucker for Baroque). But what song would be good to play at the audition that will impress who ever is there (Guilfoyle or someone else)

Anyone wanna throw some suggestions at me? (In case you can't tell I'm a bassist!)

DjangoDjango

Hi Slurms,

Sorry I cant help you with your bass peice, I'm a guitarist myself, but I was curious to know what does a year in Newpark cost ?

I've always considered biting the bullet and going there, but don't know much about it. How difficult is the audition ?

Best of luck with it.

Zapp Brannigan

I haven't got all the info at the moment.

The audition consists of them judging how adept you are at your instrument and your command of it. You have to sight read an unseen piece aswell.

DjangoDjango

When you say 'sight read' a peice of music, is that from standard notation ?

Zapp Brannigan

Yeah the standard notation of your instrument.

Tania

Hey, Im currently a bass student in Newpark, and i have to addmit i used a bit of jaco into my audition what i did was make a meddle of two pieces part of chromatic fantasy and ran it into another of his "Amerika" and just some of my own licks then, and it worked! I think one of the main things their looking for is that u've a good sense of time so yes you should play an impressive piece but also like what i did was break it down to a good stong pulse groove of some form,to get their feet tapping, I even stuck in some Led Zeppelin:)!Its a great course though and
would recomend it as a very big learning experience. Having Tommy as a teacher must give you an idea of the talent in the place he's a Legend!! Anyway best of luck with it... Tania

Zapp Brannigan

Tania wrote:

Hey, Im currently a bass student in Newpark, and i have to addmit i used a bit of jaco into my audition what i did was make a meddle of two pieces part of chromatic fantasy and ran it into another of his "Amerika" and just some of my own licks then, and it worked! I think one of the main things their looking for is that u've a good sense of time so yes you should play an impressive piece but also like what i did was break it down to a good stong pulse groove of some form,to get their feet tapping, I even stuck in some Led Zeppelin:)!Its a great course though and
would recomend it as a very big learning experience. Having Tommy as a teacher must give you an idea of the talent in the place he's a Legend!! Anyway best of luck with it... Tania

Thanks alot, if all goes according to plan I might see ya next year!

crowbar188

You should have a read through this thread.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=250096&highlight=newpark

It might answer some questions you have.

Setun

crowbar188 wrote:

You should have a read through this thread.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=250096&highlight=newpark

It might answer some questions you have.

Did you ever organise that Boards jam session? Sounds like a great idea.

Is there a part-time Jazz course in Newpark? If there is how much is it and when does it start?

crowbar188

Eh... im pretty sure i didnt ever say i was going to organise anything. Wrong person i think.

This is the only part-time jazz based course in Newpark i think -

http://www.newparkmusic.com/index.rvt/Jazz%20Improvisation.html

LundiMardi

The course in Newpark is €3900 PER YEAR!! I'd love to do it but that ain't money i have lying around, it's possible that i could afford one year, but how i'd come up with that every year is a head scratcher.

Zapp Brannigan

Im planning on a student grant and a loan.

LundiMardi

is this course eligible for student grants? please explain!???

Zapp Brannigan

I hope so, its a 3rd level institue so it should be shouldn't it?
either way if I get accepted im going. Money isnt gonna get in my way.

Cian

Slurms wrote:

I hope so, its a 3rd level institue so it should be shouldn't it?
either way if I get accepted im going. Money isnt gonna get in my way.

There are no grants available as a student in newpark, fyi. i'm thinking of applying this year and i looked into this.

Zapp Brannigan

Cian wrote:

There are no grants available as a student in newpark, fyi. i'm thinking of applying this year and i looked into this.

Thanks for the info, at least now I know im going into debt

The OP

LundiMardi wrote:

The course in Newpark is €3900 PER YEAR!! I'd love to do it but that ain't money i have lying around, it's possible that i could afford one year, but how i'd come up with that every year is a head scratcher.

This is gonna sound absolutely insane, but what about.....A JOB?

LundiMardi

quick thinking there man:rolleyes:

Out of interest, are you able to work part time, pay 4000 a year in educational costs, as well as pay rent, car insurance, tax, food, bills, loans... ???

Didn't think so.

The OP

LundiMardi wrote:

quick thinking there man:rolleyes:

Out of interest, are you able to work part time, pay 4000 a year in educational costs, as well as pay rent, car insurance, tax, food, bills, loans... ???

Didn't think so.

Yes. 1000's of students do it every year. It's only a matter of how much you want it. It's called making sacrifices and working your ass off for something you really want - it has been known to happen before.....

LundiMardi

thousand of students also have mammy and daddy to help them out, and grants etc and a nice big savings account also...

Thousand of student do it yes, the majority have some form of financial backing however...

The OP

LundiMardi wrote:

Thousand of student do it yes, the majority have some form of financial backing however...

Or some just go down the ol' fashioned 'hard work' route.

No point moaning about other people having "mammy and daddy" to pay for stuff - that's a lame & clichéd attitude to have, especially if it stops you pursuing your goals - "boo hoo, it's easier for other people, so why should I bother trying!".
If you want the Newpark course bad enough, you'll just do it. Using the excuse that you dont have €4K "lying around" is nothing more than that: an excuse - so stop moaning, and either do the course or don't - money is only a simple obstacle that can be overcome with a job, and/or longer hours/harder work. My mate did the Newpark course a few years ago, and he SERIOUSLY worked his ass off in Xtra Vision with every hour available, and poured his heart and soul into the course - and he had no grant, or help from "mammy or daddy".
Your defeatist attitude is sad. Follow the beaten path, sheepy!

LundiMardi

man, you're living in a dream world... Sometimes it's just not that easy. I have a full time job, i am not applying this year because i simply cannot afford it, i have bills and loans to pay, so please tell me where i am to get 4000 euro in the next few months when loans are not an option?

If you think it's a ''defeatest'' attitude, then fine, i don't really care. However, my attitude is realistic for MY situation, if i could quit my job, work part time and still LIVE i would. So don't go ****ing assuming that it's that easy to ''follow the dream'' JUST because you want it *that* much.

And to be quite honest, there's no way in hell your mate worked part time in extra vision and supported himself, paying his own rent, bills AND 4000 per year in educational costs without ANY help whatsoever..

The OP

LundiMardi wrote:

And to be quite honest, there's no way in hell your mate worked part time in extra vision and supported himself, paying his own rent, bills AND 4000 per year in educational costs without ANY help whatsoever..

Eh, he did. I know that for a fact. He did almost a 40-hr week outside of college. Correct me if I'm wrong - but that's almost a fulltime job - i.e. more than enough to support yourself on, including paying back a student loan for the fees.
Just because the thought of hard work makes you scared, doesn't mean other people don't put every available hour they have into pursuing something the love.

LundiMardi

Paying back a student loan for fees? Oh right, so what would i do then? I can't get a student load as i already have outstanding loans! Again, you're thinking this is a dream world where all you gotta do is *want it bad enough*, hell, i'll do the course, work 60 hours a week, volunteer down at the orphanage on my days off and in the evenings i can work on that mustange i've been restoring since i was 12 and fúck the prom queen when i get home.

EVERYONE'S situation is different, if i could get a loan to pay for the first year, then i could probably do it and work part time, but i'm not in that position!! This is something you don't seem to comprehend.

The OP

LundiMardi wrote:

Paying back a student loan for fees? Oh right, so what would i do then? I can't get a student load as i already have outstanding loans! Again, you're thinking this is a dream world where all you gotta do is *want it bad enough*, hell, i'll do the course, work 60 hours a week, volunteer down at the orphanage on my days off and in the evenings i can work on that mustange i've been restoring since i was 12 and fúck the prom queen when i get home.

EVERYONE'S situation is different, if i could get a loan to pay for the first year, then i could probably do it and work part time, but i'm not in that position!! This is something you don't seem to comprehend.

Dude, I don't care if you do the course or not - it doesn't affect me - but where there's a will, there's a way. Your will just isn't strong enough. And I am being realistic - lets look at the big picture here - it's just a COLLEGE COURSE you want to do, not world peace you're trying to achieve. If 'attending a college course, while supporting yourself and paying back loans' seems "unrealistic" for you to achieve, then you're going to have a bland life. "I can't do it - it's too hard. Waaaaah! I can't think of a workaround". Enjoy your 9-5, your credit card bills, your 2.3 children, your public transport, and your predictable life.
Good luck....

LundiMardi

man, you're talkin out of your arse

The OP

LundiMardi wrote:

man, you're talkin out of your arse

I know. Sorry. It's just insane to think you could get a set of balls and just go for it, and pursue your goals. What was I thinking....

LundiMardi

thinking out of your arse perhaps?

Anyway, not to worry man, no one blames you.

thedyingrebel

It may be possible to do it but I wouldn't suggest it and in reality is probably a not so good idea.Also it has gone up fro 2500 and less for some years (1500 for year 2 and 3 I think if I can remember) a few years ago to the whopping 3900-4000 I hear thrown about.

Take a year to work and save and then do it when things aren't as manic and time and money isn't an issue.no government backing will be a bitch but you can get the dole and rent allowance if your up for those hassles and do some voluntary work if you feel bad about cheating the state like I did!

But it's not unreasonable to think it's possible,I wouldn't do it that way though.

LundiMardi

ah yeah man that's cool, that's what i was thinking of doing anyway, applying next year instead, the guitar is taking a bit of a back seat at the moment and i'm focusing on my drumming, so i might apply for that instead next year.

satchmo

LundiMardi wrote:

man, you're talkin out of your arse

The OP wrote:

I know. Sorry. It's just insane to think you could get a set of balls and just go for it, and pursue your goals. What was I thinking....

No need to get personal lads.

The OP, cop on and butt out unless you've something constructive to say.

crowbar188

To be honest, its a bit of a catch 22 situation with Newpark. If you have to work during the college year to support yourself, it really does affect your performance in college, especially if youre working anywhere around 40 hrs a week. I dont think its worth your while doing the course if your gonna be working 40 hrs a week. Newpark courses are very self dependant in the sense that, if you dont put the work in at home, you wont pass.

The best thing, ive found, to do is work full time during the summer and save up as much money as you can and obviously pay for the course. Then just dont spend as much money as you usually might during a normal year. I did that last year and it worked, granted that i do live at home so i dont have rent/bills to pay. I have tried working during the college year, but i found it really gets in the way of your practice. And i figured, the reason i was working was to save up the money for next year, but whats the point in saving up the money for next year if i dont even pass this year due to working so much.

shatners basoon

Yeah im on a year out this year workin a horribly depressing 9-6 week in the hospital so that i can save up enough to go. Its a sacrifice but the prospect of one day going is enough to get me through it. The prospect of having to work part time as well as do the course at the same time isnt too attractive. Nice to hear that simply being tight with one's savings worked for someone .
Whats the standard age for ppl entering this course? Just wondering as my plan is to get a basic degree in something like arts here in galwee (to appease the folks) then head off to hopefully follow my dream. Anyone else doing something like this?

LundiMardi

i've also decided to save for next year.. i'm going to take up instrument tuition there in the mean time, i would imagine it would give a slight advantage to gaining access to the full time course next year.. I'll be doing drums and guitar, don't know what instrument i'll choose for the jazz performance course though.

Zapp Brannigan

Just so you know man, theres a kinda Newpark open day on Sunday in TBMC. And afterwards in JJ Smyths Tommy Halferty will be playing with Keith Copeland.
Even if you're set on not going this year, it would be worth the trip to see what its like.

LundiMardi

thanks for the heads up man..

Does anyone here know the instrument tuition costs in Newpark?