OUR BASS STUDENT NATALEE M. HAS BEEN ACCEPTED INTO BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC! 

WE ARE SO PROUD OF HER FOR THIS BIG ACCOMPLISHMENT AND CANNOT WAIT TO SEE THE MANY BRIGHT THINGS HER FUTURE HOLDS. WE ASKED NATALEE TO ANSWER SOME INTERVIEW QUESTIONS REGARDING HER BERKLEE ACCEPTANCE.

Q: How do you feel about getting accepted to Berklee? 

A: I am beyond excited to say that I have been accepted to Berklee’s Bachelors of Music program with the intended major of Audio Production and Engineering. I cannot wait to begin my college experience there and expand my musicianship as well as continue to grow and build my character. 

Q: Do you have a pro tip on preparing a college audition? 

A: The best tip I could give would be to practice. Practicing may seem like a very simple answer, but I feel quality practice is hard to achieve. I would recommend not only finding a quiet place that has absolutely no distractions, but practice the things you are currently struggling with, do not just play what you already know. As someone who has auditioned for multiple ensembles and groups, preparing for any audition, not even strictly a college audition, can be very stressful and overwhelming. Giving yourself time to wind down and healthily cope with the stress that an audition may bring to prevent yourself from getting burnt out, I feel, is easily the most important part of a practice routine. 

Q: How did School of Rock help you accomplish this goal?

A: I went into my audition confidently thanks to the staff members and students at SoR. My lesson teacher, Tim, helped me the most in preparation for my audition. Tim helped me figure out my best qualities as a musician and helped pick out an audition song that accurately displayed those qualities. We practiced sight reading, ear training, chord identification, as well as improv all the way up to the last few days before the audition. I couldn’t have asked for a better teacher to help prepare me. 

As a School of Rock AllStar (South East 2023), I feel that being accepted into a competitive program such as that also gave me the confidence to audition for one of the most competitive music schools in the world. Being with School of Rock is an opportunity not everyone has, so I am beyond grateful for having previous audition experience that helped prepare me for my audition. 

Final Statement:

“I could not have accomplished this goal without the help from the Staff and Students at SoR Port Jeff. These people are some of the most genuine souls I have ever met and I could not be more grateful to have a support group like them.”