<p>Thank you very much violadad for giving me another place to post this!</p>
<p>Hey Everyone,
If you could please respond to this post - it would be very much appreciated.</p>
<p>I have just finished my first semester of my freshmen year in college - I enjoy it a lot, and find the whole atmosphere amazing. However, I have always had an aspiration of doing law in the city. Since I am in the midwest currently, I will be transferring to several schools (NYU being the highest) to get out of the midwest finally.
I am currently declared both Music Performance and English - and am struggling with the analysis and aural part of music - although I thrive in my lessons, I can't seem to get anything to click in the latter area. Although I love music, and enjoy doing everything with it - I fear it will possibly effect my GPA if I continue doing it, and thus, hurt my chances at admissions into NYU.
As for English, I am doing extremely well (granted I haven't had many classes), I have 2 possible recs. from the english professors, and expect to keep a 4.0 in the subject area. </p>
<p>My question is this - Should I drop my passion of music and just continue with English - and likely get a 4.0? Or should I continue with music and struggle to maintain a GPA that the admissions of NYU will like, I want to continue music - but not as a sacrifice to my GPA. Since I have a music scholarship, I would still be in an ensemble to continue receiving it.</p>
<p>I'll repost my questions on your initial post from the Transfer forum:</p>
<p>violadad wrote: <nerf- you may want to repost or crosspost this on the Music Major forum, there is a vast amount of collective experience and wisdom there.</p>
<p>A bit more background may help as well... instrumental or vocal performance? Years of prior study, any previous background in theory or aural training? Are you currently at a public or private institution? Without necessarily naming names, what is the quality of the music school/department? How are your peers coping with these same courses/issues?></p>
<p>Hello Violadad,
Thanks for your suggestion - I have made another thread, I thought it useful in the transfer section since I am most likely transferring out.</p>
<p>For your questions - I am instrumental (trombone) performance, and have around 10 years of prior study. And I had never had any other training apart from the 12 years of piano I took.
I would say my peers are much better able to grasp the content of analysis, but most of them have had prior theory training (in high school). </p>
<p>The school at which I reside is a public selective school that focuses mainly on music education majors - and are very well known for that. In fact, I chose this school over IU Jacobs simply because I thought it would be less rigorous, and I would get a much better education. I was correct in my assumption, but I am having extreme difficulty mastering the content of it, when English comes so naturally to me - and I'd rather not do something to jeopardize my GPA when music is not something I want to do professionally. </p>
<p>Thank you very much for your reply! I appreciate it!</p>
<p>I feel like you are answering your own question. You ultimately don't want to perform, you want to do law. So at this point you should be doing what will further you toward that goal.</p>
<p>Your school may have a music minor, or a BA program, that doesn't require as much theory and ear training. Or you might simply be able to pay extra to continue trombone lessons, and participate in the orchestra. English is a great major for a future law student. I don't see any reason to pursue a second major in music performance. It is neither what you want to do, nor will it help you attain what you DO want to do.</p>
<p>I majored in English and went to law school - it is a great major for law school. I only practiced 3 years though - law school was a lot more fun than practicing. What is it you think you will like about practicing? Do you have any real life exposure to what practicing is all about? I ask because I have been a headhunter for lawyers for over 20 years so I know so, so many unhappy lawyers. Only you know what your passion is, but boy I hate to see someone give up a passion in order to get into law school. Hopefully, you will be able to come up with a compromise. You are certainly not alone in the struggle with theory and aural skills - they are the main reasons that anyone leaves a music program. I would struggle with it because of the math component - and I completely understand finding the study of English a piece of cake in comparison.</p>
<p>Being an attorney and in education, I have spoken to a number of law school admission folks. Be advised: They are VERY numbers oriented. They take your GPA and your LSAT and give each varying weights depending on the school. You want a high GPA period! The major is irrelvant. I would do what was suggested above: major in english and minor in music. You might want to stay away from anything that will harm your GPA significantly unless you can take these courses Pass/fail. I wonder if that is an option for you?</p>
<p>Note the inherent irony in cartera45's post:</p>
<p>The lawyer has all the fun in law school, then hates practicing after graduating, while the musician practices incessantly during music school in order to be able to play after graduating.</p>
<p>If law is your dream, it makes sense to do whatever possible to keep your GPA as high as possible.</p>
<p>Only you can make the decision about lowering the priority music has within your life. Some points to consider about your specific problems with analysis, aural skills and theory... take advantage of whatever opportunities your current school provides for peer tutoring. Perhaps a student well versed in these areas may have a better approach for explaining concepts and basics than your current instructor. I'd also recommend you meet for some additional time with your current instructor(s) in these areas. A one on one can at times be more enlightening than a classroom scenario if you're having comprehension issues. I have to ask as well if these courses are being taught by faculty, or are being taught by TA's or grad assistants.</p>
<p>Bassdad - so true. Because of my job, I am just a bit jaded about the practice of law. I try to help crestfallen lawyers of all ages all day long. Practicing law is an occupation that rarely is what people expect it to be - thus my question about what it is that attracts someone to it. I never remember wanting to be anything but a lawyer - I told everyone that when I was just a kid, but I thought I was going to be Perry Mason. I loved law school - the debating, the research, Moot Court tournaments, etc. However, the joylessness of practicing law astounded me and was one of the biggest disappointments of my life. I still talk to people who go to law school because they like Law and Order or Boston Legal. I do know happy lawyers and those fulfilled by it, but when I hear about someone dreaming of being a lawyer, I like to think that it's based on reality.</p>
<p>Private help is a great idea. Our daughter is taking an advanced theory class in her senior year of high school, and, since she has taken way fewer years of theory than the other students, she was feeling swamped, and got anxious before class every week. She started private lessons with the teacher, who is helping her fill gaps, and every week she seems more confident. Do you have the resources for this (not that we do, either!)?</p>
<p>On the other hand, if you do not aspire to be a prof. musician, you can still play your trombone in ensembles and generally enjoy playing for the rest of your life, no matter what you do for a living. Am assuming you are a pretty good player, since you have a music scholarship. Do you feel your musicianship suffers because of your lack of theory study? Do you have any kind of inner drive to learn more theory, solfege, ear training etc. or are you doing this work only because it is required?</p>
<p>Because you are still pretty young, it always seems prudent to keep options open until you are sure you want to close them. What motivates you toward law? Why law and not, for instance, English teacher? Just curious.</p>
<p>Hello Everyone, and thank you very much for your replies,</p>
<p>The theory course I am presently in is taught by the saxophone professor - who often goes way to fast, because he feels that since most of the class has had prior experience with theory - the ability to catch on to new subject matter will be easy.
One predicament I am faced with however, is that I may be too far behind to catch up - that is, I do not have a strong enough background to continue to the next level of theory. Since I am strongly considering a transfer - There seems to be no sense in me pursuing a music minor - but I still would absolutely love to continue playing (teach lessons, etc.) which is why I started the major initially.
Often times I feel like I robbed a student from a scholarship, since only 5% of the music majors receive one, I feel it in-just to have one, when they have a much greater passion and a better talent towards theory and ear training than I do.
I ultimately want to make the right decision- I'm just extremely confused about what that is at the moment.</p>
<p>Most music schools will perform placement tests for theory and aural skills for freshmen, and will place you in the appropriate initial class contingent upon your results. (BTW, this process is also done at the grad level as well.)</p>
<p>Did you have such a placement test? Seems like you may not have had a placement exam, the exam results may not have reflected your abilities and prior knowledge accurately, or the professor is teaching to the level of the most advanced students.</p>
<p>A couple of things to consider: while it may be too late for this grade and course, some schools will allow you to repeat the same course without penalty. Some will average the two grades, some will substitute the highest in the GPA calculation. Something to look into, and usually found in the undergrad handbook.</p>
<p>You didn't mention if you had sought additional help through peer tutoring or meeting seperately with the instructor during the course. It's best to address issues or questions sooner rather than later. </p>
<p>Consider looking into repeating the course if music is still a major condieration for you.</p>
<p>Think hard about what you want and be honest with yourself. If there were issues you might have addressed earlier that could have helped you understand the material better, make a conscious effort to recognize that, and redo the course. Sometimes it takes a replay to achieve that eureka moment. </p>
<p>Don't feel guilty if you decide to drop the program. You got the scholarship because you were the best qualified within that applicant pool.</p>
<p>Law schools will think you are far more interesting if you double major...tons of lawyers are English majors, but not many are musicians (I did have a string quartet in law school, however, that was every bit as good as my conservatory quartet). Music will set you up well for entertainment law, and even if you do not pursue a music related legal field, you will not regret working on your music. I really think that graduate schools love music majors...my best friend from Juilliard went to Stanford Business School.</p>
<p>PS...I am Cartera's opposite...I absolutely hated law school and love practicing law:) Many of my friends are professional musicians who, after thirty years of playing, are just as bored as some of my legal colleagues....
Advanced theory is a bear...It's harder than anything else I ever took...get a grad student to tutor you! Or drop the class and study it over the summer before tackling it again if that is an option...</p>