My Dream College Visit

Objective: Students will begin to imagine themselves as future college music students by identifying what matters to them in a college environment. They will explore the concept of a campus visit and articulate early preferences and goals based on their interests, learning style, and musical growth.

Step 1: Class Discussion (Optional Kickoff)
Your teacher will introduce what it means to visit a college campus—especially if you want to be in band, choir, or orchestra. Together, you’ll talk about things like:

• Music buildings
• Meeting teachers
• Seeing performances
• Living on campus

Step 2: Personal Reflection Assignment

Write a 2–3 paragraph response (about 150–200 words) imagining your very first college music visit. Be creative and personal! Use the following questions to guide your writing:

• If you could visit a music school today, what would you want to see first—and why?
• What kind of music teacher or program would make you feel excited and comfortable?
• What would help you know if this was the “right place” for you?
• How would you want to feel when you leave the campus?

Step 3: Share (Optional)
You may be invited to read your response aloud in small groups or display your “dream visit” paragraph on a classroom bulletin board.

Grading Rubric (Total 40 Points)

Grading Scale:

• 36–40 (A) – Strong, creative, thoughtful reflection
• 32–35 (B) – Clear effort with a few minor areas to improve
• 28–31 (C) – Basic response, missing some detail
• 24–27 (D) – Needs more depth or clarity
• Below 24 (F) – Incomplete or unclear

Walk the Campus, Hear the Future

Objective: Students will explore how to evaluate a college music program during an on-campus visit by identifying key decision-making factors—such as faculty interactions, music facilities, ensemble culture, and personal alignment—and articulate how these impressions influence their college selection process.

Step 1: Read the Article
Read the article titled: “Tour, Tune, and Trust Your Gut: Your First College Visit as a Future Music Major.”

Step 2: Reflect on the Role of a Campus Visit
In a one-page (300–400 word) written reflection or video journal (2–3 minutes), respond to the following prompts:

• What are three specific things you should look/listen for when visiting a college music program?
• Why is it important to speak with current students and faculty during your visit?
• How can you tell if a school feels like the right fit for you musically, personally, and professionally?
• If you could visit any school today, what would you want to see—and how would you know if it was “home”?

Step 3: Optional Extension (Extra Credit)
Interview a music major (in person or virtually) OR a college music recruiter. Ask them:

• What made them choose their school?
• What surprised them after they enrolled?
• What advice would they give to a high school music student visiting a college for the first time?

Step 4: Submission Format
Choose one:

• Typed, double-spaced written response (PDF or Word Doc)
• Recorded video (2–3 minutes, submitted via Google Drive or classroom portal)

Grading Rubric (Total 100 Points)

Grading Scale:

• 90–100 (A) – Clear, personal, and reflective writing with strong detail
• 80–89 (B) – Solid effort with minor issues or generalizations
• 70–79 (C) – Meets minimum requirements, lacks depth
• 60–69 (D) – Incomplete or vague reflection
• Below 60 (F) – Submission missing or shows little engagement

Imagining the Future in Harmony: Why Your Child’s First College Visit Starts Now

Dear __________ Parents,

When I was in eighth grade, I had no idea what my future would hold. I knew I loved playing my instrument, and I knew I felt more like me in the band room than anywhere else in school. What I didn’t know was that music would one day lead me to a college campus where I would find lifelong friends, a mentor who changed my life, and a calling that still shapes my days.

That journey didn’t begin with a college application. It began with imagination.

That’s why I want to share an article with you from Accoladi.com titled: “Tour, Tune, and Trust Your Gut: Your First College Visit as a Future Music Major.”

Now, I know—it might feel early to talk about college visits with middle schoolers. But this article isn’t just about touring a campus. It’s about helping students start to imagine what they want in their future, what kind of environment helps them thrive, and how music can be more than a class—it can be a pathway.

The article offers insight into what students should listen for on a college visit:

• How professors interact with students
• What rehearsal spaces feel like
• How musicians support each other
• And most importantly, whether a place feels right

While most of our students aren’t quite ready to visit campuses, they are ready to start thinking like musicians who belong in those spaces. That’s what we work on every day: confidence, self-discipline, creativity, and the ability to imagine themselves somewhere new.

I encourage you to read the article together and use it as a launching point for some “what if” conversations. What kind of school would your child like? What kind of teacher do they respond best to? What excites them about music? These conversations don’t have to lead to decisions—but they do help spark vision.

Thank you for supporting your child’s journey in music. Whether they grow up to be a music teacher, performer, or simply a lifelong lover of the arts, their story is already underway—and you’re helping to write the first chapter.

With Appreciation,

______________________________________________________
[Director’s Name and Position]

_________________________________________________________
[School Name]

Trust the Gut, Tune the Future: A Note to Our Music Families

Dear _______________ Parents,

I’ll never forget the day I stepped foot on the campus that would one day become my college home. It wasn’t the biggest school I toured. It didn’t have the fanciest dorms. But the moment I walked into the music building, something clicked.

The band was rehearsing in the concert hall—Grainger, I think—and I remember standing at the back, not saying a word, just listening. I watched the conductor give feedback that was both sharp and kind. I saw students exchanging glances of mutual respect and focus. And for the first time in all my visits, I could imagine myself there. Really there.

Later that day, I met the professor who would become my mentor. He didn’t ask about my résumé. He asked about what I loved about music. We talked about vulnerability in performance, about teaching with purpose, and about finding your own voice. I left campus that day feeling both calm and energized.

That’s how I knew it was the right fit.

Now, I get to stand on the other side of that journey—helping students like your child find their path. And let me tell you: it’s not about picking the most well-known school. It’s about finding the one that sees who they are and who they’re becoming.

That’s why I want to share a powerful article I recently read, written specifically for young musicians and their families. It’s called: “Tour, Tune, and Trust Your Gut: Your First College Visit as a Future Music Major” and you can find it on Accoladi.com.

This article walks students through how to think about their first college visit—not just what they’ll see, but what they should listen for. It emphasizes talking to professors and current students, observing ensemble culture, and most importantly, listening to their inner voice.

It also encourages students to take the lead on their visit—to reflect, question, and notice how they feel as a musician and a human being. I found myself nodding the whole way through.

So as your family begins to think about the next steps in your child’s musical journey—whether college is a year away or several years down the road—I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read this article together.

Because sometimes, all it takes is a single visit to hear the future calling.

With Gratitude,

______________________________________________________
[Director’s Name and Position]

_________________________________________________________
[School Name]

People Over Programs – hosted by Dr. Joe Clark

Episode Title: The Day I Knew

Based on the article: “Tour, Tune, and Trust Your Gut: Your First College Visit as a Future Music Major”

Dr. Joe Clark:
Well hey there. I’m Dr. Joe Clark, Director of Performing and Visual Arts in the Spring Independent School District, and this is People Over Programs.

If this is your first time joining us, welcome. This podcast is where we talk about the people behind the performances—the students, teachers, and families who make our music classrooms more than just rehearsal spaces.

Our district has a 50+ year legacy of outstanding music education. That doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because our teachers show up with heart. And our students? They show up with hope—and horns, and harmonies, and hi-hat cymbals. (You’d be amazed what happens when they all play together.)

[Brief music cue]

Today, I want to talk to you parent-to-parent… educator-to-family member… about a moment that every student in music eventually reaches:

The moment they walk onto a college campus and wonder—“Could this be where I belong?”

And yes, I’ve been there.

[Reflection – warm and sincere]
I still remember the day I toured the college that would change my life. I was nervous. I had questions I didn’t know how to ask. I was wearing a polo that didn’t quite fit and shoes I thought looked collegiate but really just made my feet hurt.

I walked into the music building expecting nothing. And then I heard it:
a wind ensemble rehearsal, faint but focused, coming from the recital hall. I stood in the hallway—not because anyone told me to—but because I couldn’t not stop.

Something about the sound made me stand taller.

Later, I sat in on a lesson with a saxophone professor. He didn’t ask me what competitions I’d won. He asked, “What kind of music makes you feel like you’re home?”
And then he listened.

That was the moment I knew.

[Short transition music]

So what does this have to do with you—today?

Well, your child may not know it yet, but that moment is coming for them, too. Whether they’re a freshman just discovering their vibrato, or a senior prepping for auditions, someday soon they’ll walk across a college campus with a backpack full of nerves and a head full of dreams.

And when that day comes—I want them to be ready.

That’s why I’m asking you to read an article that changed how I think about this entire process.

It’s called: “Tour, Tune, and Trust Your Gut: Your First College Visit as a Future Music Major”
And it’s available on Accoladi.com.

This isn’t just another list of “Top 10 Things to Ask on a Campus Visit.” It’s a guide to listening deeper—to how students feel, how musicians thrive, and how a building can either inspire or intimidate.

It helps students think about:

• What they’re hearing in the hallways
• How professors and students interact
• Whether the ensemble energy feels focused, joyful, or flat

But this podcast isn’t just for them. It’s for you—the parent.

[Lighthearted shift – conversational tone]
You’re the one driving them to campus visits.
You’re the one who may want to ask 34 questions at the admissions office—and resist the urge to raise your hand in the masterclass.
You’re also the one who’s going to notice when your child is unusually quiet after the tour.
And later, they’ll say: “I don’t know… I just felt good there.”
That’s the moment to lean in.

So yes, read the article. But even more importantly, let this be their day of discovery.

Encourage them to lead. To ask the questions. To sit in the practice rooms and just listen. And then later—over lunch, or on the drive home—ask what lit them up inside.

Because it’s not about prestige. It’s about fit. It’s about belonging.

[Bonus Story: “The One That Didn’t Fit”]
Now let me tell you the other side of this story.

Before I chose my school, I visited another campus that, on paper, should’ve been perfect. Big name. Beautiful facilities. Everyone was smiling.

But during the ensemble rehearsal, I watched the conductor bark at a student who missed a cue. Not correct. Not coach. Bark.

I looked around and realized—no one was smiling. Not even during the music.

The professor I met with looked at his watch more than he looked at me.
And the students? Well… one of them told me,
“Yeah, you just kind of survive here.”

And listen, that might be fine for someone else. But I didn’t want to survive music school. I wanted to live in it.

That visit taught me as much as the one that felt right. Sometimes, clarity comes from contrast.

[Final Thought – grounding the message]
At Spring ISD, we aren’t just preparing students for concerts.
We’re preparing them for moments like that.

That’s why we’ve partnered with Accoladi.com, giving every middle and high school student in our district access to a powerful, life-changing platform.

That’s why we host our annual Collegiate Showcase, where real university recruiters sit down, listen, and say, “That’s a student I want in my program.”

And that’s why we talk to students not just about how to practice, but how to imagine their future.

Because one day they’ll walk into a music building, just like I did.
And they’ll hear something.
And they’ll feel something.
And they’ll say:
“This is where I grow.”

[Closing – gentle, encouraging tone]
So here’s your assignment, parents:
Pour a cup of coffee.
Pull up Accoladi.com.
Search for the article: “Tour, Tune, and Trust Your Gut.”
And read it—not because someone told you to,
but because your child’s next big step might be closer than you think.

Let’s help them walk into that moment prepared.
With open ears.
And open hearts.

[Outro Music: hopeful orchestral swell]

This has been People Over Programs—because at the end of the day, it’s not about the trophies, the tours, or the titles.
It’s about the people our students become—and the music they carry with them wherever they go.

I’m Dr. Joe Clark. Thanks for listening.
Now go listen to your child.

[OUTRO MUSIC FADES OUT]

__________________________________________________________________________________