Our Mission
Our mission is to guide current high school students who are pursuing the performing arts and their families through the selective college application and audition process. We equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to prepare for the college application and audition process, ensuring they are well-prepared to identify the right school and program for their individual goals and to successfully navigate the unique challenges of dual application and audition requirements for college and conservatory programs.
Co-lead by experts in the college admission world and in the performing arts industry, we utilize our extensive knowledge to help you lay the foundation for preparing and applying for a performance-based college program. In addition to providing individual college counseling sessions tailored to your unique needs and process, we also offer presentations tackling topics including: Understanding the College Admission Landscape, College vs. Conservatory, the Nuts and Bolts of the Audition Process, Audition Strategy and Mindset, Researching Your Best Fit Program, College Application Components and Timeline, and Merit Scholarships & Financial Aid.
Let your passion crescendo as we help compose your college application process with expertise and finesse!
Meet the Team
-
College CounselorKelly Hedgspeth Howard has spent nearly 15 years as an expert in the selective college admission field and has strong experience working with high school students and their families. She holds a Bachelors of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Michigan and a Masters of Education in Mind, Brain, and Education from Harvard University. She has spent 10 years working at private, college prep schools across the US (Ohio, Virginia, and California) as a College Counselor. In addition to her role in College Counseling, she also has experience at private high schools as a Grade Level Dean, Residential Life Faculty Member, Private Music Instructor, and Athletic Coach. Additionally, she has worked on the college side as an Assistant Director of Admission at Centre College (a College That Changes Lives) and as a Seasonal Application Reader for Boston University. In these positions, she has read over a thousand undergraduate applications and has also served on scholarship review committees for premiere academic scholars and talent-based performing arts programs. Kelly truly loves collaborating with students and families and utilizing her expertise to help them navigate the exciting transition from high school to college!
-
Principal PercussionistMatthew Howard is the youngest Principal Percussionist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic; the same orchestra he grew up watching as a Los Angeles native. Before joining the LA Phil, he was a resident of Miami, FL where he was a Percussion Fellow with the New World Symphony under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. He has performed with such groups as the San Francisco Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, and Boston Ballet. He also has been a member in the National Repertory Orchestra, Verbier Festival Orchestra, and Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra.
Matt attended the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music earning a Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance. For his Master in Percussion Performance, he studied at the New England Conservatory in Boston. Immediately after graduating in 2015, he was offered the fellowship with the New World Symphony.
Matt also runs the Matt Howard Percussion Academy, where he maintains a teaching studio of professional percussion students. Additionally, he regularly teaches private lessons and master classes at top music colleges and conservatories around the world.
