As the deadlines come closer, I find myself having a hard time finding a viola professor that could be a good match. I am an international student that cannot travel to the US for a lesson, and I am also contemplating double majoring in Music and Astro-physics, I have been considering Rice, Boston University and University of Wisconsin - Madison. I am very blind to this process and desperatley need help in choosing a school with a good science program and good viola teacher. I anybody has any tips on which schools/teachers are good and also how should I get in touch with a teacher since I can’t get a lesson, please help!
What does your academic profile look like?
I going into my senior year. I have been playing viola for about five years (but I started with violin when I was 7), I have played the 1º, 3º and 5º cello sonata’s by Bach, Shubert’s Arpeggione, Schumann’s Märchenbilder, the Hoffmeister viola concerto, the first movement of Stamitz’s 1º viola concerto,and I0m preparing the first movement of the Hindemith viola concerto and the Prélude and Allemande of the 2º cello suite from Bach. Science wise, I am a fairly good student (I live in Mexico and my GPA was 9.8/10, and in my science classe I always get about a 9/10), and I recently participated in a science club (chemistry) after an application process.
If Indiana University interests you, send me a private message and I may be able to help connect you to the right person/people to talk to. They’re very strong in music, and generally quite strong in science as well.
University of Michigan would be another one to consider.
Bard College (Bard also has a conservatory, but there is a separate music program in the college) - Marka Gustavsson is a wonderful violist and teacher. Even if you don’t major in music, you can have lessons for free and be included in as many ensembles as you like. (My daughter did this, with majors in Photography and Literature.)
Bard has a Physics major with at least one Astrophysics course, but I doubt they have a full major in Astrophysics. HOWEVER, as a small school, they support students doing independent research and all students complete a senior thesis in their field. You could certainly choose to do your senior project on a topic in Astrophysics, which could set you up nicely for grad school.
Bard is about an hour by train north of New York City.
If you really want to double major - unless you get a BA in music which tends to be more general, you’ll actually want a double degree. Please read this to help understand the differences: http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/conservatory/admissions/tips/doubledegree.html. There aren’t as many top music schools which fully support double degrees. There have been many posts on this site about the issue, and a google search with “double degree” “Music Major” “College Confidential” should turn them up.
UCLA is an option to check out. They are very strong in the sciences and offer an astrophysics major. Their School of Music has been growing in quality over the last several years, and they just brought on a great new viola professor, CarlaMaria Rodrigues, who is the longtime principal violist of the San Francisco Opera.
You might want to seriously considering Skyping sample viola lessons as an alternative to have a lesson in person. So many teachers will accommodate this. Good luck.
@musicnstuff - Do you know how one goes about getting two degrees at UCLA? I know the OP would need to apply and be accepted to the School of Music. You can’t apply for two degrees initially. And then after attending, apply for a second major in a different college there?
Thank you so much to everyone!
@SpiritManager I’m not sure of all of the details - OP would have to contact the university for that. But, as far as my understanding goes, you’re correct; you’d have to apply to and be accepted to the School of Music, then after you became a student, petition to add a major in the College of Letters and Sciences. But you’d be free to begin taking the required courses for astrophysics from the start.