I had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah Pedlar ‘25 about her experience in graduate school.
Sarah is currently pursuing a Masters of Music in Contemporary Flute Performance at the Manhattan School of Music, and is about to be done with her first year. When asked about why she wanted to continue her education, she mentioned how in the music world, getting a Masters is kind of just what you do. If performing is your goal and music is your passion, this makes perfect sense. She also talked about how she was ready to specialize, as the musical education one receives from Lawrence is primarily classical, and she had a strong passion for more contemporary music. Sarah applied to about 5 specific programs for this.
Preparing for your grad school application for music specifically is crucial. You have to audition, either in person or virtually, and do prescreen auditions as well. Pedlar mentioned a very common tactic to do this is to not just rely on those of your same instrument. Many people will have professors and friends listen to their audition repertoire, but it is important to gain various perspectives. If you play the clarinet, maybe think about asking some brass musicians to listen, or even the non musicians in your life. You never know what input people will have, especially coming from different backgrounds both musically and personally.
When asked about if there was anything she wished she knew when applying to grad school and choosing where to go, Sarah talked about finances. She described that as a student going into her second year, her school has made it very clear on how to appeal financial aid packages. Yet, as an incoming student, she had no idea. It’s important to inquire not only about aid, but also assistantships, housing, and especially cost of living. Going from studying in Appleton, WI to New York, NY has a huge price jump. That’s something a lot of people don’t really think about. Sarah’s opinion was to always argue for more aid. You never know what they might say, and the worst they could say is “no”.
In comparison to Lawrence, grad school is very different. An 8:30 class in Appleton obviously is very early. For Pedlar, a 9:00 class time feels earlier than she was used to here, since you have to add in commuting time. As well, electives are a given in any path to higher education. Here at Lawrence, we are more prepared for grad school than you might think. Sarah talked about how since we register ourselves for classes starting your first term your first year, we have a really good sense of the kinds of classes that fit us, which is a leg up when it comes to graduate school. The Lawrence Busy is also something many other programs don’t have, not to our degree anyway. Pedlar mentioned actually feeling like she has more time in her day and how The Lawrence Busy prepared her very well to balance a Masters program with everyday life. With that, us Lawrentians are used to 10 week terms. Everywhere else primarily has semesters. In comparison, a 15 week semester can feel very long in comparison to our normal 10, which was something Sarah mentioned as well. She also talked about how she felt like she was learning the same amount of content as she would’ve learned here in 10 weeks, but in 15 in New York.
Offering some pieces of advice, Sarah Pedlar said that early preparation is key. Doing your research in a timely manner is so important! If graduate school is something that is a possibility for you, start investigating. Which professors would you want to work with? Where would you want to live? What kind of program suits your goals? Typically if you are at LU for four years, your third year is when you should start poking around. Don’t forget to use your network. Talk with your professors, friends, upperclassmen, alumni, everyone. Talk out loud in conversations focused on what you want to do with your favorite professor, as this is how Sarah ended up going through with submitting her application to the Manhattan School of Music.
“Push yourself to do what you actually want to do,” Sarah said as her final piece of advice. Good luck Lawrentians, you can do this!
