Hi all,
I guess I’m an unusual case. I’m currently working on a PhD in physics, but my true passion lies in opera and I would really love to go back to school one day and get a masters in vocal performance, even if I have little chance of becoming a professional. My undergraduate degree was also unrelated to music (astrophysics), and all my experience with singing comes from taking lessons since high school and performing in college opera productions. Another issue is I will be pretty old by the time I get my PhD (at least 26 or 27). I am a mezzo soprano, and I’m somewhat worried about starting serious training too late. Have any of you ever applied to grad school in singing in your late 20s? Also, please share any advice you have on preparing for the application.
Thanks!
You are not too old. Many MM students take a year or two or more off prior to applying. The voice takes time to mature so older students aren’t uncommon and can have an advantage.
Your main concern should be assuring you can competitively audition. An experienced teacher should be able to help with this.
Thank you @bridgenail. It’s reassuring to know. Are there any schools you recommend? I think I’d prefer the more affordable public schools for this purpose.
You’ll be asked why you’re making such a radical change at that time in your life because you’ll be at the point where you’re looking at a tenure track position as a professor or going into research. If you leave that field, you’ll get behind and then you’ll lose ground there.
Are you comfortable paying more money to remain in school getting yet another masters degree which will probably not lead to gainful employment because you will be too old for the Young Artist Programs by the time you would get said degree? To be admitted to a MM VP program, you have to have the pre-requisite Music Theory and Music History classes as well as the language and diction classes and you have to pass exams in all of those beforehand. The grad school classes expect you to be able to think and function at high levels in those areas and although there are remedial classes offered for those who don’t pass the exams, those tests assume that the students have had coursework in those areas beforehand.
Yes, there are stories of students with undergrad degrees in other areas going to grad school in VP, but most of those were from a while ago- things have changed as the curriculum has changed and become harder. Not every school will consider you for a MM in VP without an undergrad degree in VP; I know students who have done it, but they have struggled and have been low B and C students and the latter have failed out (you have to maintain a B to remain). It would be like a VP undergrad wanting to get an MS in Astrophysics- the prereqs might be too much to handle or it might be impossible to pass the GREs.
I don’t want to discourage you, but if you enjoy singing , you might just want to continue taking lessons and participate in community productions. Funding is very tight for MM programs, again, not like it use to be and you can’t borrow money if you already have an advanced degree. There are hundreds of singers applying for each space in a masters program these days, so you have to go into an audition as well prepared as you possibly can be so look at it from all angles before making your decision.
@Mezzo’sMama You raise some good points. I’ll write in more detail in my reply to your PM. But for the record, I’m planning to use my PhD in an industry job, so I have no concerns about keeping up with academia. I speak Italian and French, and I have taken courses in music theory and composition (I’ve been a violinist for many years before this). I don’t really expect to pursue a career in voice performance, though if I somehow do land a job, I’ll happily take it.
I just wanted to encourage you, Lizzylyu. You’re obviously quite accomplished in your field, which speaks to the discipline and intelligence required of a successful opera singer. There are many, diverse paths to a vocal career, and some of the greatest voices were late bloomers. In fact, it is unfortunate to see many of our young singers suffer burnout through overuse or sometimes disillusionment with the conservatory process. An older singer has added life experience which can help temper the emotions and impatience that so often plague young singers. If you’re near a good music conservatory or university music dept., you might try studying with the best teacher you can find. They would be able to help direct you on a course which may or may not include a graduate degree. Best of luck! If you’re meant to sing, nothing can hold you back!
If you are serious about this, in my opinion, the best thing you can do is work with an experienced teacher. By experienced, I mean a teacher who works with young adult classical vocalists.
I tend to be a moderate on this - mainly bc I don’t know you. Acceptance into an MM program is not easy nor inexpensive. So yes, you should know that. Spending a lot of money on an education for a career that you state you “don’t expect to pursue” … gives me pause. If you have deep pockets…fine. But it raises questions in my mind. And makes me think too…hey how about community theater or church singing? You could fulfill that musical urge deep down without going into debt.
You may have a great deal of talent. And yes, the sky is the limit for anyone with ability and perseverance…to a point … bc then you need…luck. So, if you understand all this, sure you should go for it. You could be a late bloomer. And if you enter it with your eyes wide open, then that’s fine.
Still, it all comes down to talent…and then luck…so if you are serious, I would suggest getting a good assessment of you talent level by an experienced teacher. Then you would truly know if this is a serious endeavor for you. That teacher could then steer you in the right direction.
Not to discourage your music interest, but to share an opinion of the working world: You said you “don’t need to keep up with academia because you are going for an industry job”. In my experience, you are never done keeping up in your field, especially in technical areas and hard sciences like physics. The playing field changes lightning fast and those employed in industry have to keep pace or “else”. Your employer will expect you to bring your A game, and be able to relearn and change focus as the field shifts. Don’t fool yourself into thinking your industry job will be a easy ride giving you copious free time. FWIW, I have a PhD in a “hard science” and worked in industry for many years, until having children kept me from keeping abreast of new developments in my field and I realized that I could not be a part time scientist (at least, not a good one).