<p>This thread is coming about in part because of a conversation I had with someone else from here, about how hard it can be when kids come in here asking about chances in music, who seem to love music but haven't had much formal training, experience, etc. It is hard because no one wants to tell someone no, and people try to couch it as positively as they can, but the reality is getting into music is hard and getting harder each day and I think it is important that people realize what is out there, what it means about being realistic.</p>
<p>What I am writing about varies from instrument to instrument, area to area, it is a very different experience being a violin student then it is a tubist (not talking ease of being in music, just that the paths are different in some ways), it is different for a jazz musician or a contemporary musician and different for composition students, and music ed is once again different. I am primarily talking about classical performance, but some of what I will talk about applies across the board with performance. </p>
<p>First reality check: </p>
<p>There are a lot of music programs out there, last number I heard was 15,000 kids graduating each year. Not all of these are performance, classical or otherwise, but even assuming half of them are, it is a lot of kids coming out, and the competition for jobs is fierce or grad school positions. Because they have many slots, a lot of schools are more lax in their requirements....so getting into a music program in of itself may not mean much in terms of your ability. There was a flame war on one thread, where people accused others of elitism and such, thinking this meant unless you go to Curtis or Juilliard or CIM or whatever, that you shouldn't go into music, and no, it doesn't mean that.</p>
<p>However, what it does mean IMO is that to realistically have a shot at making it in music (and again, I am talking professional performance of any kind), you should be at the point where you realistically could get into the competitive programs or very close to it. It may make better sense to go to a school with a great teacher where it won't cost you an arm and a leg, where said school is less competitive, than the great school at 55k a year, but the thing is, you should be at the point where you have that choice of going to the highly competitive one or the lesser one (not saying you have to audition at Juilliard, CIM, Curtis, etc, just that your level should be where you could audition there). I wish I could say that spirit and hard work would make up for deficits, but I can't in all honesty (remember, I am talking about someone nowhere near the level to get into a competitive program, not someone who just misses, which could be luck of the draw as much as talent). </p>
<p>Second reality check:</p>
<p>"My S or D is playing first chair in their school orchestra, as done all State, has won competitions, everyone says they are great, so they have a great chance of going into music, right?"...I have heard this quite a bit, and quite frankly, this may mean nothing at all. School programs comparatively are not going to be that strong and All State and such vary from place to place, region to region, it depends on what else is out there. I have heard some states have fantastic all state programs, others are full of decent school musicians. The big fish in the small sea is problematic because you don't know what is outside of that bubble, it can be shocking what is out there. It is why it is important to find benchmarks that are real, the violin competition at the local orchestra might not mean much, getting into a competitive summer program or youth orchestra means a lot more. </p>
<p>There are videos of kids out there from the top prep programs, there are videos and recordings of top level youth programs, it can tell you a lot; the key here is don't assume. </p>
<p>BTW, I am not saying this as if I always knew, we knew nothing about the reality with our kid, we are not musicians, didn't really know much of anything....and were shocked when we found out how different the levels of playing are, and teaching. Their old teacher was a pretty accomplished musician, had a top seat in a pretty well known orchestra, and we were in disbelief when our kid switched to a high level teacher, how much he was lacking. </p>
<p>Third reality check:</p>
<p>"I have been singing in chorus and choir for years in school, I found I absolutely love it, and though I haven't had any formal lessons, I would like in (1 year, 2 years) apply to a vocal music program in classical voice/performance"....</p>
<p>I am no expert on voice, but I have seen young, top level voice students. While in some ways it is easier to start late with voice, in part because the voice develops later (as opposed to strings and piano where right now scientists are perfecting pre-natal training programs for budding string and piano players). Even so, to get with a good program and more importantly, a good teacher, without the training, all the passion and natural talent and desire may not be enough. </p>
<p>Similarly, the kids on instruments who pick it up late, have been playing in school orchestra, no or little private instruction, are likewise going to hit a wall. With instrumental music, it is worse with the piano and violin because kids start so early and are working earlier and earlier to higher standards, but with any kind of instrument that bar is flying higher and higher, kids are getting serious much earlier, and without the training, to make up for lost time gets to be more and more difficult. Natural talent may or may not be an oxymoron, but the reality is with natural talent you need the time, 10,000 hours or 2000 hours or whatever. </p>
<p>The sad reality of music is it probably takes the most amount of effort and support to achieve in something that is so fraught as a future. Monetarily and time wise, to build a top level student musician takes time and resources that many would struggle to do, whether it is lessons or music programs or instruments or driving to competitions or summer programs, it takes a lot of support, monetarily and time. There are ways for people of modest means to support a kid who wants to do music, some programs offer decent aid or scholarships, there are high level programs like New York Youth Symphony that are free (or with a nominal fee), but it takes a lot of effort to navigate that (we know a family like that, they have a pretty big family, family income is modest, but the kids all played instruments, got into programs, etc, but the mom was a master at finding ways to do it). </p>
<p>Reality check 4:</p>
<p>If someone really wants this, there is a way to make it in music....</p>
<p>There are many paths, and for example, someone who finds they struggle as a performer might end up teaching at a local music school, or working as the manager of an arts group, but what I am talking about is as a performer.</p>
<p>We all love stories like this, the musical equivalent of Horatio Alger, and few want to discourage someone. It is more likely to work in non traditional music forms, like folk and rock and country, where you don't necessarily need formal training, but if you are talking more formal forms, it is extremely unlikely. The playing level out there is just too high, the opportunities relatively few, the competition fierce, to make this a reality.</p>
<p>I have heard the stories, the kid who didn't have formal music training who ended up playing in an orchestra, the singer who is 'discovered' singing in an amateur group who ends up singing at some opera, and to be honest, most of those stories turn out to be 'someone I know knew someone", or stories from long ago (usually the same generation where someone picked up a violin in high school, played in the school program, and ended up at X music school........a long time ago in a galaxy far away)....</p>
<p>Reality check 5: "I really want to do music, but I also have to maintain all the AP's, EC's and so forth, in case music doesn't work, but I can do that and keep up".</p>
<p>Caveat, there are kids who do just this, but they are rare IME. In the program my son was in, it became evident by sophomore/junior year who was heading into music and who was heading the academic route, the kids heading to academic pursuits in college, heading for top level schools, had their playing fall of dramatically. The kids who were serious about going into music tended to pull back with academics, many music kids homeschool because of the drag of having to go to school all day, then have hours of homework, just doesn't allow time to practice. Kids taking the heavy academic load without music are up late trying to finish everything, try fitting in 2,3,4 hours of practice a day....</p>
<p>Given the level of playing ability required to get to the level you need to have a hope of making it, and that the requirement to get serious is moving earlier and earlier, for most kids there just won't be the time to do everything that entails and maintain the 8 AP/4.0 GPA/honors course track, and it probably won't get any easier. I have heard 'but what if you are applying to a music school in an LAC, where grades and such matter"...the answer is those schools make allowances, they realize what it takes to become a top music student, and they don't want to have the level of music student drop because they rigidly demand hyper academics. It doesn't mean you can slack off in the classes you do take, it just means they understand the difference. </p>
<p>Reality Check 5:</p>
<p>"I have discovered I really love music, I want to write music, and want to study music composition in college, but I haven't had formal training or music theory, can I do that?". </p>
<p>There are people who taught themselves to compose, there are people who kind of set their own curricula (Michael Giacinno, who did Lost, Star Trek and so forth recently), but if you are talking going to a college based program, this again is difficult. They don't take many composition students, and the programs want to see portfolios and demonstrate ability on an instrument before they will even look at you (disclaimer: not having a composition kid, this is from what I have heard and seen). </p>
<p>Like with instrumental music, I think the reality is you have to have some background in it if you want to try and get into a decent program. There could be exceptions, but the reality is this is very competitive as well, and you need to realize that sudden love for composition, passion, probably is not enough. </p>
<p>I think across the board, the best way to look at it is to assume what it is, something that takes dedication and passion, yes, but also takes a lot of preparation before college to even get into a decent program, and if you are not already at a certain level by the time you graduate, it is extremely unlikely you will be able to pull it off. </p>
<p>Obviously, this is just a matter of opinion and experience, but I think it is important to dispel some of the myths and things being said by people with all good intentions.</p>