Legato College Consulting

03/19/2025

For those interested in pursuing a music education major in college, I wrote an article about what you're getting into. Spoiler alert: you need to examine your WHY in choosing this major!

Huge thank you to Dr. Ross Ipsen-Sanchez and David Davis for contributing to this article and sharing your experience. Your advice for future music educators is incredible, and your excellence in teaching will impact generations of students in the best way.

Read more here:
www.legatocollegeconsulting.com/blog/for-the-future-music-educator

If you’ve ever been inspired by your music teacher or dream of sharing your love of music with the next generation, majoring in music education might be the perfect fit for you. Becoming a music educator is a rewarding path that requires dedication, creativity, and a passion for teaching. However,...

03/11/2025

We don't get that many opportunities to practice presenting ourselves, especially in writing or for college/job interviews. I've found that many students lost ground during the pandemic to hone some of their social, speaking, and presentation skills that will be important when applying for college or interviewing for a future job. Here's the basics on how to present yourself with some practical tips to get really comfortable with it!

https://www.legatocollegeconsulting.com/blog/presenting-yourself-101

How you present yourself in writing and in person can open doors for college and future jobs. Here are some tips to help you get comfortable writing and speaking about yourself without it feeling too weird.

03/02/2025

Today I taught the last Student Success Planning Workshop of the year at the SOUNDS Academy. I’ve found that since the pandemic, students have had a tough time with presenting themselves in writing and in person. We practiced writing about our values and what we wished people knew about us as a way to start thinking about how they might want to craft their college essays.

Then, the students had a chance to practice interviewing with two SOUNDS board members! We talked about the importance of practicing ahead of time, coming up with questions for the interviewers, and understanding that the students have more power in interviews than they think. Overall, it was a great session!

02/19/2025

What if you want to study music in college, but don’t have a formal “classical” training? What if you’re an amazing singer/songwriter, or you’ve mastered a non-western musical tradition, or you’ve been composing or making beats on your own for years? How do you find a college music program that fits your interests?

What if you want to study music in college, but don’t have a formal “classical” training? What if you’re an amazing singer/songwriter, or you’ve mastered a non-western musical tradition, or you’ve been composing or making beats on your own for years? How do you find a college music progr...

01/08/2025

I hired a new office assistant—she’s not very productive but she sure is cute. Gets paid in snuggles and treats. 🥰😸

12/24/2024

12/03/2024

Today is Giving Tuesday! As a strong supporter of the arts and music education, here are a few places that I would highly recommend for your donation:

SOUNDS Academy
Phoenix Conservatory of Music (PCM)
Rosie's House: A Music Academy for Children
Vocal Connection (I have the honor of singing with this chorus!)
Merit School of Music
Midwest Young Artists Conservatory (I performed here when I was in high school)

Find your favorite arts organization and make a donation if you can. The arts are in our lives always--building strong soft skills with our kids and students, bringing joy in dark times, providing peace when life gets stormy. Don't take it for granted!

11/23/2024

The FAFSA is open ahead of schedule! If you're going to college next year--whether you're a senior in high school or already in college--you need to fill out the FAFSA to be eligible for federal financial aid. Click the link below to go straight to the FAFSA website.

https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

11/20/2024

Another audition season is upon us! If you're making a video audition for a prescreening round or a regular audition, keep these tips in mind for making a high-quality video that college music faculty will love.

Making a great audition video for college doesn’t have to be complicated or scary. Follow this guide to set up your space and recording equipment properly, get yourself prepared mentally, and how to make sure your video is high quality before submitting it to colleges.

10/31/2024

There might be nothing more scary during the Halloween season than a looming November 1 college application deadline. If you’re feverishly working on wrapping up those early applications over the next few days, my friend and colleague, Dr. Thom, wrote a fantastic blog with last-minute tips for submitting college applications.

And, if you need a great spooky playlist to listen to while you’re finishing up your apps, I’ve got you covered! I curated a list of classical and jazz pieces that will definitely get you into the Halloween spirit and satisfy your inner music nerd (like me).

Listen to Kate’s Spooky Season Jams here! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0UP6lSNwJ97BKcnxKWPQkk?si=5103a3820580474f

What are you favorite spooky classical or jazz tunes? Comment below! 👇

Remember, take a deep breath before you hit submit on those applications and proofread carefully. Don’t let the application scaries get to you!

October is a busy month for college applications, with deadlines approaching. Here are our best tips to be ready to hit the submit button.

10/30/2024

Carnegie Hall offers fabulous opportunities for classical and jazz musicians to get intensive training and performance experience through the National Youth Ensembles. Check out the application and audition process here!

The National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA), NYO2, and NYO Jazz offer intensive summer training for gifted musicians ages 14–19.

10/28/2024

Your perfect college is a blend of a great academic fit, social and cultural fit, and is affordable for you and your family.

With the FAFSA opening up on December 1st this year, it's not too early to start thinking about financial aid. This week's blog is Financial Aid 101, with definitions of commonly used financial aid terms, how to apply, how to understand what each school is offering you, and resources for finding extra scholarships.

Finding the perfect college for you blends the academic fit, social and cultural fit, and affordability factors all in one. However, affordability seems to be the trickiest factor of all.