<p>I'm questioning specifically of Juilliard or Manhattan School of Music, what is student life like there.</p>
<p>Could you describe how great the schools you're at are, the faculty, the amount of work, the expectations. Could you also tell me if Study Abroad is an option?</p>
<p>How are the classes like, and well could you just give me a review of your Music major experiences. </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Well I don’t have experience but here would be my guesses:</p>
<p>Very easy, little work, very good study abroad experiences.
I would guess professors would be very laid back and liberal.</p>
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<p>Are you kidding me? Music is one of the most time-intensive majors out there. You’re expected to practice 24/7.</p>
<p>Sorry TC, I can’t offer you any personal experiences, other than to ignore the above poster.</p>
<p>^^I’m with pandem … Are you kidding me, SLightManifesto?!As you stated, you obviously have no experience on this topic! So why post here?</p>
<p>I’m sorry, stealth, though my son is a music major, he is not at Juilliard or Manhattan. He only applied to music schools where he could earn a liberal arts degree with a core curriculum in addition to his music performance degree.</p>
<p>Of course, as you know, the standards are very, very high at both the schools you named, and the competition is tough.</p>
<p>As pandem said, music is one of the most time-intensive majors out there. At my son’s school, there are only two majors that allow any exceptions to the full core curriculum – music performance and engineering. Like engineering, you’ll likely be on a “track,” and you won’t be able to deviate from that track without a lot of complications. Aural skills, theory, history, piano, conducting, etc are given in sequence … in most schools, they’re therefore only offered in sequence. So you must stay on the “track.”</p>
<p>My son’s performance degree typically requires 17-18 hours per semester, for 4 years, which is a lot. Those 17-18 hours often translate to 9-11 classes. (17-18 hours for other majors often translates to “only” 5 or 6 classes.)</p>
<p>My son found that 9-11 classes is a lot of classes to keep up with! There are classes that meet for as long as a 3-credit-hour class meets, and that require practice and homework like a 3-credit-hour class, but that only count for 1 or 2 credit hours. That’s why you’ll have so many classes. The number of classes to prepare for, to work into your schedule each semester, and to practice for, makes for a very busy student!</p>
<p>Add to that the large amount of practice required on your instrument and the expectations to attend rehearsals, auditions, performances, and other people’s rehearsals and performances, and you’ll find that you’re extremely busy!</p>
<p>On the plus side, my son has found it to be a very rewarding major. With each passing semester, he’s more and more pleased that he chose to be a music major.</p>
<p>In my son’s case, in all the schools to which he applied, Study Abroad is not an option during the school year. That’s because of the “track” I mentioned earlier. If you leave your campus for a semester or year, you’ll fall off your school’s performance track. On the other hand, Study Abroad is a great option for the summer. There are all sorts of Abroad programs for music, language, the arts, and other interests.</p>
<p>Good luck with your choices!</p>
<p>If you post in the Music Majors forum, you’ll get some good information. My D is going to be a firstyear student this year, so I have no experiences to share with you, but her research this year has found that Study Abroad is an option, but a difficult one. Music teachers don’t like to have you study with someone else for a semester/year, so they encourage summer festival participation if you want to study abroad. Some conservatories do have “study abroad” programs, usually an exchange with a con in Europe somewhere, but it may be difficult to get permission from your primary teacher to participate or the admission may be linked to someone on the other end wanting to go to your school for a semester.</p>
<p>“I have no life. My major has eaten it” - a friend who is a music therapy major at Alabama</p>
<p>Well to put it softly, I haven’t even gone to my university yet and am practicing piano at least 3+ hours a day. It’s quite ridiculous how much you’re expected to know beforehand, and then you’re going to basically do the same thing, only the classes are a lot harder(i’m presuming). But all in all, if you’re passionate about music, it shouldn’t be bad.</p>
<p>Life at Julliard? Here’s how Robin Williams (believe it or not, an ex-student) put it…
" Julliard is like prison…but with cellos."</p>
<p>Juilliard and MSM are not really what people think of when they think “music major”… most people think “music major” from a state school where they will likely end up with a teaching degree.</p>
<p>people who go the conservatory route have very different goals. At places like Juilliard and MSM, they generally practice 24/7. They might take 1 class a semester that is non music related for the first year or two (basic stuff, like English 101). Mostly they have lessons… and they practice… and they have ensemble rehearsal… and they practice… and then they practice some more (I say this as someone who has friends that have studied at New England Conservatory, Juilliard, and Eastman).</p>
<p>Actually, soccerguy, the course load and activities required of Bachelor of Music candidates are pretty much the same for Julliard, Eastman, NEC, AND state schools or other private schools that offer Bachelor of Music performance degrees.</p>
<p>For the most part, only state and private schools with respectable music programs offer the bachelor of music, versus a bachelor of arts in music. The course load for the B.M. student is huge – and it includes not just lessons and practice and ensemble rehearsals, but lots of class time in theory, aural skills, music history, piano, etc. All the practice, rehearsal, and ensemble time is on top of the class and homework time. </p>
<p>I’ll grant you that the level of competition is very likely much higher at the elite music schools you mentioned, since those schools are filled with the nation’s very top musicians. But the actual programs are pretty much the same across the board for all candidates in all music schools who are aiming for a Bachelor of Music performance degree.</p>
<p>Some of the nation’s top high school musicians have elected to go to state schools or other private schools instead of the “elite” music schools – for cost reasons (state schools and lesser known privates tend to offer bigger scholarships for top talent – the elite schools don’t have to), or for a broader education, or because they have an affinity for a certain instrument/voice teacher at a certain “non-elite school,” etc.</p>
<p>And, unlike most kids at the better known music schools you mentioned, kids who elect to go to state schools or lesser known private schools for music often have to complete a liberal arts core curriculum in addition to their demanding music curriculum.</p>
<p>So, my point is, students who are working for a bachelor of music degree in performance have a very rigorous schedule. It’s a demanding program. Everywhere.</p>
<p>People who think “music major” and think “easy” or “not ambitious” or what have you, just aren’t informed about music majors. Even those in the BM program who become music teachers have a rigorous schedule. In their case, they’re usually double-majoring in performance AND education. The course load is pretty much the same – the level of talent one is surrounded by may be different, which can certainly affect the pressure one feels while earning their degree. But the course load is demanding everywhere.</p>
<p>I was thinking more as like, maybe studying the music of another country abroad, for instance, but I do see where going abroad wouldn’t work. Thanks!</p>
<p>Thanks, yeah I see, would the summer traveling be by yourself or be with the school? And ok, thanks for the track information but thanks a lot. Good stuff to look out for, um out of curiosity where does your son go? But practicing music will be good to look forward to. </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>what’s music therapy, pretty discouraging, but music is supposed to be your life to some extent, which is why you go for it,</p>
<p>Cool, good to know, thanks for your time.
Is anyone of your friends a guitar major from Juilliard. I’d love to talk to someone, but it’s hard because of the internet trust issue. I’d like to talk with someone and ask them about their own experiences.</p>
<p>Music performance is extremely time-intensive and ****ing difficult, as others have said. Competition in premed does not compare to the competition at Juilliard. </p>
<p>Majoring in music is also totally awesome.</p>
<p>Simple Life - </p>
<p>I agree with everything you wrote. My impressions are that on the conservatory side, the music is the goal. They don’t really take other classes. I am not really familiar with the state school side of music performance, but I know that the BA in Music Ed is extremely time intensive.</p>
<p>Music Major is definitely one of the most time intensive majors out there. They take tons of classes and when they aren’t in class, they are practicing.</p>
<p>anyway, music is definitely not a relaxing major as was suggested at one point in this thread.</p>
<p>Everyone else was right when they said that a music major is the one of the toughest and most time-consuming majors out there.
I’m a music ed major at a state school, but the courseload for top notch private schools v. cheaper state schools is almost identical. It’s a lot of work, and you’ll spend an average of 8-9 hours a day just in the music department/building. And that’s just with classes sometimes, you can add an extra couple hours for practicing. You have to be really dedicated, or you’ll burn out (though I’m sure you’re dedicated if you were able to get into Julliard and MSM!!!).
On the social side, it’s actually really fun. Since you’re spending all of your classes with the same people, unlike other majors who only have one or two classes with the same person in their whole undergrad experience, music majors become like your second family. That said, I have had one friend outside of the music field at college so far, and I’m a sophomore. She always comments on how jealous she is of how we are all so tight, but that’s what happens when you spend every waking minute together.
I hope I gave you some sort of idea of what it’s like to be in a music school. If you have any more questions, just ask!!!</p>
<p>well that’s a really good idea, good to know I’d be really tight with everyone. The thing is I’m a classical guitar student so I’m hoping the competition will be lower, I emailed Juilliard and they said it’s about like 10 people a year who apply and 3 get it, so it’s not so bad. But haha I’m not exactly on the elite/rich side of life, so I expect that to double the pressure. But Juilliard is a really small school, I think it was like 800 students or so.</p>
<p>If you insight and advice on the whole music admit/audition process, the place to go is here [Music</a> Major - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/]Music”>Music Major - College Confidential Forums)</p>
<p>Yeah classical guitar isn’t too competitive, not to mention the guitar studio at least at my school seems like a pretty relaxed atmosphere. Everyone in the studio is basically your stereotypical low-key guitarist haha. Don’t worry about Juilliard students being the “elite” type though…honestly, anyone who gets in there goes pretty much for free (after all, they wouldn’t want to give up anyone with that much talent), and I know of plenty of lower-income people who have gone there. I doubt it’s quite the snooty school it’s worked up to be. :)</p>
<p>Thanks for the info, but I really hope your info about the stereo typical low-key guitarist is right, but I have a feeling that only the elite guitarists would be serious enough to apply there, you get my gist? </p>
<p>But for me it’s all about the guitar, because for all these other instruments it’s a bit different I’m not sure how to explain how, but eh… Because classical guitar isn’t really an orchestra or band instrument rather a solo, I just hope the other competing students aren’t “elite” kids.</p>
<p>How are the guitar students at your school like besides being a relaxed atmosphere?</p>
<p>I have a friend who goes to UNT (University of North Texas) and knew squat about classical guitar (according to him) he only knew how to play electric, but they let him in anyways, haha, so a good story for hope IMO.</p>