Hello,
My DD has had an epiphany and it has caused us to do a pause on most of the schools she has already applied to. She was very adamant, against my wishes, that she persue a BM in piano performance as well as a BA in history. This has been her idea for over a year. Well she recently has had a change of heart and wants to persue a piano dregree solely. This in in part due to a tremendous growth in her playing as well as a renewed love for the piano. For those of you who have studied a musical instrument intensely, you have likely had valleys where you doubted your abilities to make it in a very competitive world of music. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it) this change of heart has come at a time when all applications have been sent and pre screenings have ALL been passed. The issue is, the schools she has applied to are highly academic with a couple exceptions. She and her teacher want her to possibly take a gap year and apply to high end conservatories, such a Julliard, NEC, Peabody, Curtis, Berkeley etc. Her teacher, as well as many other professors who have worked with her, think she is capable of getting into these schools. She will likey continue the audition process for 2 schools out of 8 this year. But she will be wondering what would have happened if I just took a gap year and applied to conservatories next year. Anyone have thoughts on this who have possibly had your kids experience a gap year in the music world?
What will she accomplish during this gap year that will add to her candidacy? As she’s specialized perhaps it’s different - but you want to make good use of your year in general to grow as a candidate.
I’m not a music person but just playing devil’s advocate - will an outcome/career growth be better at a conservatory vs. a college music program?
@tsbna44 during a gap year, this student will continue to perfect and increase her repertoire…which can result in fabulous outcomes.
Also, we have a kid who went to a university undergrad, and a conservatory for grad. Really in hindsight, a conservatory where the total focus was music could have been better. But his conservatory within the university was a strong one…as was his private teacher.
@Momto5kiddos a very hearty good luck to your daughter regardless of which direction she takes. I don’t think there is anything wrong with a gap year. I also don’t think there is anything wrong with a strong program within a university setting with a great private teacher.
Does your daughter want to do collaborative piano…or what?
I have a daughter who seriously considered a career in music but who then decided to go in a different direction. She does have significant musical talent. I also have a relative who is a professor of music, and I have played guitar in public from time to time (but never made any money from it – I worked in high tech). To me a gap year makes sense, but not necessarily for the reason that you think.
At one point the professor who I know introduced my daughter to another professor who used to be a singer and dancer on Broadway. She discovered that the pay is mediocre, New York is a very expensive place to live, and eventually you get tired of singing the same songs every day. This former singer went back to university, got a PhD in music, and became a professor (in a location which is a good place to live and less expensive compared to New York).
Music is a tough way to make a living. My daughter actually decided against pursuing music as a career after having a tour across Europe with a performing group. You spend each night in a different hotel, and spend your evenings playing the same songs over and over again. Eating in restaurants gets old after a while.
I think that a gap year might help your daughter to make sure that this is really the path that she wants to take.
By the way, I assume that you meant Berklee (in Boston) rather than Berkeley (in California). My daughter did take a summer class at Berklee and liked it quite a bit. In addition to the music, they talked some about the business aspects of being a musical performer. I am guessing that it should be possible for a recent high school graduate to take a summer class there. Also there is a lot of student housing in the area, and I would expect that short summer sublets should be available.
One of our kids is a professional musician. His first job after his masters was with a touring group. They actually went both around this country and abroad. But as you pointed out to the poster, it’s a tough life touring.
He is now established in the city where he lives now…and does a variety of musically related things to make a living. He loves what he does.
Every professional musician should anticipate doing a variety of things musically.
It sounds like you have an amazing daughter with lots of options and opportunities ahead.
In my opinion, whether a gap year is of benefit really depends on the student, and I would venture to say it might be hard to predict.
My son (and his entire conservatory class) in a sense had a pseudo gap year three years ago, as they entered conservatory with the first year on line and remote. So, classes and weekly remote lessons, and a lot of time practicing alone in his room. My kid did great, he is very self disciplined. But I must say he yearned for the aspects of being a musician that necessitate being together with other musicians: ensembles, jamming with the student in the practice room next door, performing in front of a live audience. So much of learning music is by experiencing it with others working towards the same goals.
So I would just be mindful of the pros and cons. And I always remind myself (at least with my kids) that they don’t always look at the larger picture. Totally normal at their age. Thus it is challenging to pick the best path/option. Especially when it comes to studying and careers in music where the path seems to wind and diverge more easily. But it is part of how their lives will be as musicians, so I try to embrace the uncertainty, although it challenges me,
Good luck!
I don’t know about music majors, paths, etc. but I am aware of a student who did a pg year at an arts school. I am not sure why as they had an acceptance to one of the conservatories you mentioned. Good luck to her!
@Momto5kiddos, your post confuses me. Why would stand alone conservatories be the only good option for a BM?
Has she applied for double degrees or double majors?
I know kids who went to top grad schools and didn’t even do a BM, but continued to work with a teacher, performed in extracurriculars and maybe did summer programs.
But it sounds like your daughter applied to BA/BM programs so I don’t understand the problem. If she gets into the BM degree program at University of X or College X, can she just attend the BM part and drop the BA? ( I really don’t know…)
My music kid changed their mind several times in senior year, did a BA in music, then doctorate. There are many paths. Your daughter does not need to apply to “high end conservatories.” (And btw Berklee is quite different from the others…)
I think a gap year could be isolating and would require a lot of discipline. Tough especially after COVID (which continues to some extent). Some kids kind of lose their way during a gap year if not properly structured. She could at least start somewhere and if she wants Juilliard et al apply as a transfer.
A gap year can be hugely beneficial to kids in music, if it is done well. Some kids just need extra time to get their technique and repertoire where it needs to be. Others specifically use the year to prepare for top conservatories because some of them require so much repertoire in auditions that it is hard to prepare while simultaneously going to school.
A gap year usually works best if it is well-planned out. We know kids who have done a series of European music courses (like masterclasses) during a gap year. Another went to an arts high school that had a gap year program. Yet another stayed in a well-known pre-college program. All of these had a lot of success in their gap year. But if the year is not planned out, you risk loneliness, burn-out, and potentially a lack of focus.
And this young woman appears to have already applied to BM programs, and passed “ALL” prescreens. I am not sure it is worth it to do a gap year to get into, say, Juilliard versus wherever she has already applied. There are great teachers at a lot of schools.
Plus if the daughter again changes her mind and wants a BA, that is possible at her current target schools as well.
Maybe I am missing something and OP can clarify.
I agree-- the apps are in, why not play it out (pun sort of intended, sorry)? Why not see the schools during auditions if finances allow, or at least do virtual auditions to get a handle on that aspect of it, then decide whether to take that gap year.
She may be missing out on an amazing teacher and program out there for her. Keep her options open-- this is a time when these students are questioning everything!
I was about to pose all these same questions. It is also worth mentioning that students in music tend to transfer at a higher rate than students in other fields; If she attends someplace where she feels she can grow with the professor, I don’t know why she would want to cut off that opportunity, even if it is not a top-five conservatory in general.
@momto5kiddos has not returned, but I am wondering if there is a mistaken view of the advantages and disadvantages of “elite” freestanding conservatories versus BM programs that are integrated in or affiliated with colleges/universities.