<p>Hi. I am currently a senior high school student.
As the title says, I really want to major in music composition, but I am not confident in my piano skills. I have played the piano when I was very young for couple of years, but quit due to personal reasons. However, I started playing piano again during my 8th grade year and have been playing since. I know I can't play as well as other students who have been playing piano since they were five, but I really want to pursue my dream of becoming a composer.</p>
<p>I currently have:</p>
<p>4.0 gpa
31 on the ACT (1940 on the SAT)
Around 5~6 years of piano lessons.
Been in the school orchestra during my middle and high school years.
Taught myself guitar; currently playing for the church.</p>
<p>I plan on taking the AP Music Theory Exam this year. I am pretty confident in my academic abilities. If I try harder I can get higher scores on the ACT or the SAT. I am currently writing music that can be put in the college portfolio. </p>
<p>What more should I work on to achieve my dream of becoming a composer? What colleges or conservatories do you recommend for composing? Any kinds of help, comment, or recommendation is good. I am open to all opinions so please help me out!</p>
<p>Go to some of the websites of the schools that interest you to find out what they require. You need to have done compositions and had them played. Playing an instrument is required but not at the same level as a performance major. For example Rice:</p>
<ol>
<li> Composers must submit a written portfolio of compositions that is representative of their work to date. Whenever possible, include a CD with an insert that is clearly marked with the name of each piece or movement. One CD containing all of your music is sufficient.</li>
<li> To establish the applicant’s musical ability and background, applicants must also demonstrate proficiency on a musical instrument by submitting an audition recording with a performance by the applicant of two contrasting works from the standard repertoire.</li>
</ol>
<p>Have you ever had anything you composed played? Do you have a private teacher? Your compositions will be the most important thing. You can work with a private porno teacher to select some pieces for the performance part.</p>
<ul>
<li>sometimes the auto spell comes up with interesting choices. But then, maybe that’s where the money is that everyone is always looking for :)</li>
</ul>
<p>Many composition programs don’t require that you play an instrument at all. The piano you have done will help with theory classes though.</p>
<p>Conservatories generally want 3-4 compositions, and although Midi versions are acceptable, it is much better to have them (or at least a couple) played by good musicians. Many musicians will play for free or a lower fee for a high school student in your position.</p>
<p>If you apply to colleges, you can submit an “arts supplement” with a CD, resume, and so on. Often admissions will send this supplement on to the music department, but not always. One piece, with info on which 3 minutes to listen to, is usually enough.</p>
<p>Do you want to go to a college or conservatory? I can suggest a good book, “Creative Colleges”, that lists schools for music, dance, visual arts and theater. I bought it online.</p>
<p>If you give a little more information about what you are looking for, folks here will be really helpful. What kind if music do you write? What kind of music do you like? Do you want to be in a city? Are academics important to you? Etc.</p>
<p>I have made about 10 songs with MIDI, but they didn’t come out as I wanted, because I couldn’t get right sounds and dynamics with MIDI.</p>
<p>And yes, I currently have a PIANO teacher, and I am still taking lessons from her.</p>
<p>About the learning conditions, I do not care about academics at all. I just have kept high grades hoping they can be some help. I do not care whether I study in cities or the country sides or at suburban areas as long as I can get into a decent college with good composing programs. </p>
<p>It’s my goal to write songs with lyrics in them, but I also think studying classical compositions will help. Later on, I want to move on to studying more modern music.</p>
<p>I’ve had a rearrangement of Jason Mraz’s I’m Yours+Geek In The Pink played and sung by my friends in my orchestra class, but that’s about it for having any of my compositions played. I guess I can’t really call it a composition because it wasn’t my original. </p>
<p>And… that’s about it. I don’t have much idea on where I am planning to go. I’m hoping to get in any college with good composing programs, and I do not care at all about my academics. Thanks for all the comments and please guide me more.</p>
<p>Would you be interested in a songwriting program, as opposed to a classical composition program?</p>
<p>Also, what do you mean by “modern music.” Contemporary pop, rock or jazz, or do you mean “new music,” the term people use for contemporary classical?</p>
<p>What music do you enjoy yourself, and what are your compositions like?</p>
<p>Not to put you on the spot, but it would be easier to guide you.</p>
<p>I believe people have mentioned University of Southern California at Thornton, maybe Berklee, maybe Belmont, NYU-?? for contemporary music studies. Others on this forum know more about this and will give more information for you…</p>
<p>Berklee has a Contemporary Writing and Production major which requires knowledge of arranging, composition, song writing, performing and pulling a professional quality recording together. Other schools could have something similar, but Berklee is the only one I’m familiar.</p>
<p>I want to compose for my entire life, so I personally think it does not matter as much as in which direction of composing I go for.</p>
<p>Being a teenager, I like to listen to more of pop and rock songs over jazz or classical music, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like jazz or classical music. I try to listen to all type of music I can find. New Age is definitely good, since they sound amazingly good while being easier to play compared to the Beethoven or Chopin.</p>
<p>Songwriting program definitely sounds more appealing and fun, but I have heard from other music major students that trying for classical composition program is more beneficial as a musician/composer in the long run. I also heard after mastering classical composition, it’s easier to go to any other “modern” ways of composition. I think I should study classical composition first. I want to learn more about my weaker points before I can focus on my stronger point. But thanks for the idea. I know it’s difficult but I want to try to get in as a classical composition major.</p>
<p>This is just a personal request. Is there any way I can find some of the scores or recordings of anyone already accepted in classical composition? I want to know where I’m standing right now compared to others. And thanks again for new suggestion.</p>
<p>I have a young friend with a similar background to phaido. She is interested in University of North Texas. When she goes to tour the school, should she ask for a sample lesson from a composing teacher? Similar to what a violin performance major would do to get an idea where they stand before auditions?</p>
<p>Maybe you could tell us a little more about your 10 pieces. Were they for piano? </p>
<p>To apply for composition at a conservatory, again, you will need 3-4 pieces to submit. Some students applying alongside of you will have composed orchestral pieces, string quartets and other complex pieces, but others may have just started. Many schools look for potential rather than perfectly polished work, at this age, and they also like to see a personal style or vision.</p>
<p>To apply as a music major (or composition major) at a college, in a non BM degree, you will not need a portfolio, but can choose to submit a piece as a supplement to your application.
Sorry to repeat this! You can also enter a college music major with relatively little experience, and start composing there.</p>
<p>So if you do not feel that you have a portfolio for conservatory, college would be a very acceptable route. Many composers go to a college program rather than conservatory, and some of them head on for an MM afterwards. So there are several possible routes.</p>
<p>Thanks for everything. I’ve done some research myself and heard compositions from couple of students applying to Juilliard and… Wow… They sounded like perfect full-orchestra pieces. </p>
<p>I think I already have enough skills on the piano alone to get into a college music major course. I will devote this four months to try to get in a conservatory. </p>
<p>As for my 10 pieces… I wrote them about 2~3 years ago, while I was still all passionate without much musical background. First few were definitely horrible. Later ones had funny, creative ideas. After the 10th one I thought I wasn’t improving at all, so I decided to stop composing for a while and focus on developing a musical background. I focused my last couple years into playing piano, and I know I progressed tremendously in piano. I know I can’t play as well as a performance major, but at least I’m playing few from Mozart, Beethoven, Debussy, Schuman, Chopin, Bach, and others. </p>
<p>Because I’ve only been playing piano, violin, and guitar, I almost have no knowledge on brass, woodwinds, or percussion instruments. So I’m thinking of one easy-going piano piece, one fast, dramatic string piece, and one slow piece with maybe violin solo with piano accompaniment. If I have enough time, maybe even a modern piece. On the easy-going piece, I’m even thinking of adding guitar or a singing part. Would the conservatories prefer classical form of the song or will they be ok with a more “pop” version of the song?</p>
<p>Oh, I’ve also heard that many schools look for “potential” rather than a perfectly polished work. Do you have any idea what the schools are meaning in “potential?”
Do they mean skills like perfect/relative pitch, sight-singing skills, listening abilities, or understanding of music?
Or are they meaning some natural talent that some people have at composing?</p>
<p>It’s ok if these questions can’t be answered. I guess only people who could actually answer these questions would be an admission director.</p>
<p>Others can chime in, but I think natural talent is something they do look for (as opposed to a lot of training, though training doesn’t hurt), especially an individual “voice.” It can take many years for any artist to refine his or her vision, and it will change throughout life, but still, I think that the beginnings of that development are what admissions tend to look for.</p>
<p>Is it possible for you to get a composition teacher? It would be very helpful.Your local college or music program would be able to refer you.</p>
<p>I would not recommend submitting a song with guitar if you’re submitting a portfolio for a classical composition program. For a commercial/popular music major that would be another story. If you haven’t actually composed anything in 2-3 years, are you certain you want to be a composition major? My advice would be to enter as a general music major which will teach you theory, history, composition, and, usually, performance. Often these majors don’t even require an audition - or, at least, not as a freshman. There are many good music programs which will teach you the fundamentals of composition in colleges all across the country. You do not need to attend a conservatory to get a solid foundation in composition which you can then use on whichever path you ultimately choose.</p>
<p>Are you a rising senior this year or are you saying you are in senior high school? If you are a senior this year you should note that many of the schools require prescreening auditions for composers and most of the schools we are looking at often have Nov. 1 or maybe early Dec. as the deadline to have that in and that includes recordings and scores. I second the idea of a composition teacher. Good luck to you.</p>