I’d agree.
But I personally don’t think anyone at 13 has developed brain wise to make these decisions and don’t believe anyone at 16 should be integrating with 18 year olds plus. They’ll be isolated. There’s drinking, drugs unfortunately, sex.
No matter how mature one thinks their kid is - and yes, all are different, but my guess would be not as advanced as one thinks.
Of course there are professionals to evaluate that.
I will never forget the Dad who said to me, “Early admission to Curtis was one of the worst mistakes we ever made as parents. But she was so excited to have been admitted and we thought she was ready to handle it.”
The daughter ran into precisely what tsbna44 opines over. And, she was only one year early, not two or more as the OP contemplates.
Yes. Every “child” is different. Perhaps the situation would have been the same if she started conservatory at 18 rather than 16-17. But I know her parents, who are in the music business and thought they knew the situation daughter was taking on quite well, were stunned at her difficulties - definitely not as advanced as they thought.
I am still at a loss as to what early admission to music school is meant to accomplish.
Many students complete BM, MM, and DMA or Artist Diplomas these days, finishing their studies at age 24 to 26 or older. Some spend additional time in teacher mentorship or chamber music mentorship or orchestra mentorship type programs making them closer to 30 before being truly out on their own.
They have had additional years of practice and musical maturation which often shows in the playing when they begin competing for jobs. As a “non-prodigy”, will completing degrees sooner than her peers be any advantage?
@CookieJar you understandably misunderstand what I meant by true autonomy. I may not be using the right language. I don’t think you can say 100% that anything is her choice right now, due to age, maturity and not that much exposure,yet, to alternate paths at this stage of the game. I was really referring to a developmental stage, not whether you are choosing or she is choosing how to spend her time. A lot of change happens in the next few years.
I have homeschooled at times, and have several friends who did ful-time. I am completely aware it does not mean isolation. When I wrote about life being about more than music, I was trying to say that making a decision to enter college level programs based on music may need to include social and emotional factors. Would she live with you if you moved to the area? Even among serious students, there is partying, sex, drinking and in general kids may be in a different phase. That’s all.
In my opinion, the reason to consider early admission to music school is that it is needed for continued personal and artistic growth and can’t be replicated in the student’s current environment. This may be rare, but it happens. I think @soozievt makes this point above.
Just a bit of information about Curtis, since it has come up on this thread and I am familiar with the program. Yes, Curtis accepts students of any age. However, students under 18 live with their families in Philadelphia once admitted. They participate in lessons, ensembles, studio classes but do not start the full academic conservatory curriculum until they complete high school. Thus they would start their BM at roughly the same age as any other student. The high school aged students I know seem to have integrated quite well and are happy with their choice.
Of course, Curtis is a bit of an outlier in that it attracts and accepts top level talent at any age. And I do think that some kids absolutely know what they want at the age of 13. The high level performing artist would be the example that comes to mind.
Is it perfect? Probably not. But there are challenges to parenting and guiding a young talent in all regards.
Some are saying that a 16 year old can’t possibly be socially and emotionally ready to mix with older students in a college environment. For many, that may be true. For my daughter, going to college early was not merely about academic and artistic readiness (which she had) but she was indeed ready to mix with that age group as she had been doing all along. She was a leader in college among much older students. She went from a rural upbringing to a big university in NYC. She was MORE than fine. Please understand that each young person is unique and what is right for some is not right for others.
To those saying a young person can’t possibly know for sure what they want to do/study, etc…this is true for some (including one of my daughters), but for my kid in the music & theater world professionally now, she has known what field she wanted to enter from a VERY young age. Some fields, a young person can experience starting very young, whereas my other daughter’s field was not one she could truly get immersed in until college. For my daughter in the performing arts, there was never any discussion of what major she might do in college…it was so tied to her actual “being”…hard to explain. She knew with conviction. She had plenty of experience to be able to decide. It never wavered from a very young age, and in fact, she now has a full bodied career in it.
These are things one cannot make generalizations about. Kids differ. This is not the right path for all, but for some it is. I can say it has been for my daughter. Nobody who knows her personally would say her early entrance to college or committing to this field was not the right thing. She flourished doing so.
On a personal aspect, she met her now husband early in her college life. Her closest friends are older than herself.
That doesn’t mean university level programs are the only option. Having spent a week with my son at Interlochen, it seems like it would be an idyllic place to be a full time boarding student.
Precisely, anotheroboemom! One considers early admission to music school when it “is needed for continued personal and artistic growth and can’t be replicated in the student’s current environment”. My point is that I don’t see that the OP has reached that point. I specifically asked if there was concern that the current pre-college program was inadequate.
As for Curtis, the story I related was an early graduate such as the OP contemplates. I also know younger students who lived with family and studied at Curtis. Curtis doesn’t insist on completing a degree in 4 years, so younger students can stay on longer. My kids grew up with 2 Curtis grads who both entered early and spent over 5 years in the program before completing a degree. Outcomes - small performing career in Europe for one and symphony position won at age 33 (rather late in contrast to peers) for another.
OP - Another option for this sort of early admittance is the Young Artist Program at CIM. Students still in high school are accepted and have access to CIM faculty and programs while completing high school. We are good friends with a graduate of that program, BM, and MM from CIM. Current member of major symphony. Another that has crossed paths with one of “mine” has had a successful solo and teaching career. Another completed the YAP program, BM at CIM and left the field totally - quite bitterly. People change.
My overall confusion is that the OP seems convinced of the path of early high school completion and then onto college. I think the better question to ask is: what situation would provide the best training and opportunities for my teenage child?
There are many more possibilities to be considered in addition to early college/conservatory admittance. As noted - music boarding schools, elite pre-college programs which may require a move for the family, private study with an “elite” teacher which again may require a move. I’ve known families that have done all of them.
Please, let’s not get into the parent “guiding a young talent” discussion. I’ve encountered enough violin moms to last more than one lifetime. We all do our best and there are many of us out there.
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Colburn has a similar-sounding program- they have partnerships with two high schools (one is an online HS, one is an in person HS) so that the student is studying at Colburn while still pursuing their HS diploma and the program is designed so that there is the ability to do both. It’s called the Music Academy Program. It’s just for instrumentalists, though, I believe. And the family would need to relocate to the LA area.
OP - it would help if you indicated your d’s instrument.
There are differences in training, opportunities, standards, expectations.
Reading between the lines, I can see it in the replies you are receiving.
I am primarily a string person - different perspective and considerations than my secondary experience of conservatory level piano admissions. Soovievt is eloquent on her D’s experience in the MT environment. Oboe - winds - still a different set of subtle, but also not-so-subtle differences in approach to advanced training.
Yes - that is another program I am familiar with. I do not personally know graduates, however. Some of the faculty I do know.
Yes, she would. I would not put her in a situation like that alone. I believe the schools that accept early applicants require parents to be around any way.
I know you said you are homeschooling, but if you are looking for additional academic resources that would work, you might want to look at Stanford Online High School, which is an extremely rigorous online high school (with good social activities for the kids) . It is run on a college-style schedule (ie, classes meet twice a week) and a good number of the students are top-notch athletes or musicians, as this schooling gives them the ability to plan a school schedule that supports their athletic or artistic lives as well.
Students can take one class (enrichment), 2-3 classes (part time) or 5 classes a semester (full-time). They have multiple university-level classes in all subjects, taught by faculty who are mostly PhDs, and they have a unique Core Philosophy program that tends to be the favorite courses for many of the kids.
I know you weren’t necessarily looking for academic options, but just wanted to throw that out there if it was helpful if you have a student who has both strong academic and artistic goals.
Thanks, I’m familiar with the program and I’m not really looking for a full scale program at this time.
This is actually why I’m starting to think about early graduation. Her current teacher is wonderful and it’s a really good program but I think she is going to outgrow her and it might be right when she’d be a candidate for early graduation (in terms of academic classes/education she will have done by that time.)
Didn’t know about the YA program at CIM. Thanks for that info!
I’m not sure why me as a parent thinking that early graduation so she can move on to appropriate music studies is confusing. I am only considering it because it would be the right thing to do. Many here seem to think I’m rushing her or that she doesn’t want to do this herself which is not the case at all. It’s just where she seems to be headed and I am trying to find others who have done the same. I know they are out there, so I hope they will find this post and respond 
^ This 100%. Additionally, homeschoolers tend to do things differently. I am betting I am the only homeschooler on this thread at the moment (correct me if I’m wrong, anyone!) but it’s a different way to approach things and we do tend to be ‘think outside the box’ people, lol.
Got it!! Thanks for the clarification. It wasn’t clear to me if the current program had enough room for growth. If not, definitely be aware of other options. I understand that you aren’t rushing or pushing.
Caveat on below. I obviously do not know her level or even her instrument. She was presented as a “non-prodigy” so I am assuming a talented, advanced for her age student who is moving forward steadily.
I would suggest being open to programs for serious high school players that give support and training and don’t rush the time needed to develop. Putting her into an early admittance college degree program may short change some technical and musical growth that would have occurred had she entered at a standard age of 18 or so.
As a 15 - 16 year old, will she be able to audition her way into the same level conservatory/music school that she might be able to enter as an 18 year old with a couple extra years of development? Even if she gains admittance to a great school, will the scholarship money be the same as if she had a couple more years of growth and presented a more mature audition?
Music study is as much skill development as intellectual understanding. That comes with time. I am quoting something my mentor told me when I was a conservatory student in the dark ages. I finished my degree in 3 years against advice and have regretted that. I did myself no favors - I did not lack in technique or repertoire or playing experience, but I did lack in musical maturity that only came later. I wish I had taken advantage of another year in the conservatory environment to grow.
I’m sure that it true. Please keep in mind that not everyone can afford to send their kids to boarding school.
Instead of college…would a program like Walnut Hill or Interlochen be worthy of consideration?
These programs are worthy. Remember, however, not everyone can afford to pay for boarding school on top of paying for college. I know that was not an option for my kid.