Frequently Asked Questions

What is a typical day at TideBrass like?

Every day you'll wake up with the best cup of coffee in the world - The Breathing Gym. When you're feeling sluggish and tired from the day before, the Breathing Gym is the perfect way to get your synapses firing again at full speed. After that, you'll warm up as a section before moving to either a chamber ensemble coaching or elective class. A seminar typically follows where the day's guest artist presents a topic to the group. After lunch, the artist will hold a masterclass where participants can volunteer to perform. Before the large ensemble rehearsal that ends the day, you'll go to either a chamber ensemble coaching or an elective class – whichever you did not already attend that day. Once the large ensemble rehearsal is over you get a break before the guest artist's recital that evening. Certain days will be less structured allowing for practice time, extra rehearsals, and just hanging out.

 

Is this institute a good fit for me?

With a full suite of faculty and a rotation of world-renowned guest artists, motivated students of all skill levels have found the institute to be both challenging and rewarding. Since chamber ensembles are the foundation of the institute and are assembled based on skill and personality, participants of all skills have the opportunity to challenge each other to be better.

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High school students have opportunities to talk with the faculty and guest artists about potential school choices, audition preparation, and career paths. Many of our guest artists teach at the collegiate level, making them an invaluable resource in this regard. Elective courses such as Conducting 101 and the Basics of Arranging provide a firm foundation for future learning.

 

Collegiate and pre-professional performers have brought prepared repertoire and orchestral excerpts to gain new perspectives during master classes. Elective courses such as Music Entrepreneurship and Audition Prep delve deeper into the skills needed to build a thriving career.

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What if I can't attend the whole institute?

Students that cannot stay for the entire institute are encouraged to be an auditor. An auditor will be able to do many of the same things as a participants, but will not be able to play in the masterclass or in the chamber ensemble rehearsals. Auditors will be able to participate in daily warm ups and large ensemble rehearsals, as well as attend the guest artist masterclass, seminar, and elective courses.

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The cost to be an auditor is $100/day, or $250 for 3 days. Contact us directly if you are interested.

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Do you offer financial aid?

Yes - our mission is to do as much as we can to have every student who wants to be at the Brass Institutes of America be able to attend, but we can only do that if you reach out early. If you would like to be considered, contact us as soon as possible.

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Can I play for the guest artists?

Yes! We will take a limited number of volunteers to play for each guest artist during the masterclass portion of the day. Students are able to sign up for masterclasses soon after they register for the festival, so make sure to register as soon as it opens! Some guest artists choose to devote their "seminar" to a masterclass as well, providing ample opportunities for participants to either play as a soloist or chamber group. Participants that play the same instrument as the guest artist will be given the opportunity to perform first.

 

What should I prepare to perform in the master classes?

You are welcome to perform anything you're working on outside the institute such as a solo piece, orchestral excerpts, or etude. If you aren't actively working on anything but would still like to perform, contact us ahead of time.

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What are elective courses?

Faculty members teach a variety of 2-day courses that participants may choose to attend. Topics in the past have included: The Fundamentals of Conducting, Recording 101, Stage Presence, Entrepreneurship, and Arranging.

 

How are chamber ensembles formed?

We place participants into chamber ensembles based on their performance of the required music, their age, previous experience, and personality.

 

If I'm coming from out of town, where should I stay?

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This year, due to our new partnership with Old Dominion University, there will be dormitory rooms available for all out-of-town participants. These are optional, so if there is someone in town you would like to stay with, or would like to search for alternative options such as a hotel or AirBnB, you are more than welcome to do that. The pricing details for the dorms are coming soon!

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We will have our TideBrass Fellows operating as Residential Advisors during the week, so there will always be supervision and staff on hand. ​

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How should I travel to the institute?

If you're coming from out of town and aren't too far away, driving is the best option. If you must fly, you'll want to fly into Norfolk International Airport (ORF), and take a taxi, Uber, or Lyft to campus which will be fairly cheap.

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