<p>After making the college rounds again with my D for decision time, we found out something that perhaps others knew but we did not. If you get a dual degree at Northwestern in 5 years, music lessons are only guaranteed for 4 years. If you get a dual degree at Oberlin in 5 years, music lessons are guaranteed for 5 years. The dean at NU said that a 5 year dual degree student might be able to get lessons for a 5th year if the teacher happens to have an opening that 5th year. We do not know how likely or unlikely that scenario is, but this is a concern for my D for sure.</p>
<p>Have you talked to the voice teacher(s) at Northwestern? We have found them to be very helpful.</p>
<p>Oh yes a few and I agree they have been quite helpful!</p>
<p>I’m in the 3rd year of my double degree at Northwestern (with tuba on the music side). I can’t speak for the vocal programs specifically, but I know that in all the instrumental programs, if a double degree student wants a 5th year of lessons, they get it. </p>
<p>You only need 4 years worth of private instruction for the BM, and certainly there are some double degree students who realize they won’t be pursuing music after undergrad and therefore drop lessons after the 4th year to focus on classes for their other degree. That said, most students continue for all 5 years, and the professors are happy to have them. Again, I’m not certain on the protocol in the vocal studios, but instrumentalists typically have one teacher through their entire undergraduate stay. And the teacher-student relationship that gets built up over the previous 4 years typically means that a teacher won’t kick a double degree student “out in the cold,” so to speak, in their 5th year.</p>
<p>I know what the dean said, but between you and me (and completely off the record), she’s somewhat out of touch with the actual realities of the school of music (assuming you talked to the top dean, and not some other dean). If I were you, I would just straight up ask the vocal professors you’re likely to be studying with, “I’m a double degree student, will I be able to get lessons my 5th year?” and see what they say. Ultimately, that’s more important/reliable than anything a dean or a brochure says.</p>
<p>My D was looking at a BM in Musicology from Northwestern and noted the requirements call for only 1 year of studio lessons on major instrument. I’m going to have her contact the school.</p>
<p>Some of these degree requirement issues have to do with mapping out a curriculum that can be accomplished in a set period of time, regardless of whether there are any advanced credits. So a musicology student will have more academic requirements, as opposed to performance and applied lessons, and there has to be time for credit load. Probably if the student enters with AP credits, the schedule can allow for more performance courses.</p>