Music!! Music? Music

College Majors Music Major
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<p>Two or maybe three years ago, I heard about and joined this wonderful forum – a place where I could obtain advice on the ins and outs of applying to music school and share in the camaraderie of parents whose children experience life through music. My son is a percussionist whose talents and abilities amaze me. At the time, his career choice was clear. The only question was whether, when the time came, he would prefer to attend a conservatory or a music school (college) housed within a university. We learned about sample lessons, the audition process, scholarships, etc., and felt well prepared. </p>

<p>Then summer came and off he went for his annual visit to heaven. I mean, of course, Interlochen – where he always said that he was more himself than anywhere else in the world. I knew something was up, though, when his customary exuberance was absent during our infrequent phone conversations. Was he enjoying himself? Yes. Was the music great? Of course. Did he have friends? You bet. It turned out that he was busily engaging in some serious soul searching, and decided that he no longer wished to devote himself singlemindedly to his music. </p>

<p>The family conversation was a tough one. My son felt that he was letting us down. My husband and I assured him that he was not, while scenes of his musical life passed before our eyes – attending concerts and recitals, schlepping to and from lessons, turning our schedules upside down to make time for practice. And the money we spent… oy. I think all three of us mourned a bit for what we had thought was going to be.</p>

<p>So I discovered the rest of College Confidential and planned for a conventional college search and application process. I also watched my son expand his interests in the free time that no longer was taken up with hours of practice. He threw himself into varsity sports and theater. He talked nonstop about Physics and Calculus. And more. But he always found his way back to music. He played the piano more, often just sounding out what he’d heard on the radio or television. He took two years of Music Theory at school. And he joined the pit orchestra in his high school’s musical production. He continued his private lessons, but at a relaxed pace, and remained a member of a local youth orchestra.</p>

<p>Despite the excitement of everything else, my son has realized that music is unavoidably at the core of his being. It is the lens or prism through which he sees life. His task is to figure out what role it will play in his future life. He has decided to seek a liberal arts education but to major in music, probably as a double major with Physics. We took the advice and suggestions of many generous and thoughtful participants in this discussion forum, visiting and researching the heck out of several northeastern liberal arts colleges with solid music offerings.</p>

<p>In the end, I am so pleased that my son will attend Williams College, which, I think, is about as good as it gets for a person of his interests and abilities. Where the road will take him is anyone’s guess but I know that in the short term, his musical training will continue and the music in his soul will be nurtured.</p>

<p>Thanks to the participants in this forum for the guidance and advice that you may or may not have known helped my us so tremendously over the last couple of years. If I can return your favors, please don’t hesitate to ask.</p>

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<p>As a senior currently trying to figure out what college I will attend and whether I will pursue the performance-based, music school route or the “liberal arts with a focus on music” route, I really appreciated this post. The past several years of my life have been filled with competitions, summer programs, youth orchestra, and a LOT of practice. For a while it seemed natural that I would pursue a BM at a conservatory or music school within a university, but now I am starting to lean in a different direction and need to make a decision this month as to which option is the best for me.</p>

<p>I applaud your son for taking the initiative to figure out his priorities rather than just feeling locked into music because of the amount of time he had invested in it. And I applaud you for supporting him every step of the way. All the best to the both of you!</p>

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<p>I loved Linde’s post. Such a good story with an important message.</p>

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<p>Thank you, Linde … I also enjoyed this post. You may find that ride is not over yet … my daughter started out as a pre-med major at one school after much debate about where she would pursue music and has since transferred to a music school to finish out her first 4 years. Either way for your son, he sounds very bright and I’m sure his future potential is endless.</p>

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<p>…yeah…I’m another parent with a child who is in the continual dance of music vs. everything else. She chose the Ivy over the dual-degree program, started out a pre-med, and settled into being a music major by the middle of sophomore year. We’ll see what comes next. Meanwhile, she is falling in love with academic music, (history, composition, theory) - areas whose very existence she was pretty much unaware of prior to college. </p>

<p>Great to hear about Linde’s son. Williams is lucky to be getting him!</p>

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<p>Nice post, Linde, thanks for sharing. What Linde’s S is going through with music is what kids go through in college a lot of the time, a lot of kids change their minds about majors and so forth, happens all the time, it is almost expected. </p>

<p>Music is different in one sense because it requires a lot more dedication earlier even to get into music programs. Yes, kids who want to head into engineering or science in college have to work hard, they have to do well in classes and such, take Chemistry and physics and math in HS and so forth, but what they take could apply to any major in college; a kid heading for engineering doesn’t take much different then a kid heading into pre med, chemistry, physics, etc. With music, kids are forced to dedicate a lot more early, long before they get into college they are practicing long hours on their instrument, doing music programs, summer programs and so forth at a high level long before college, it is a different experience. If a kid who thought he wanted to switch from engineering to comp sci, or chemistry to English Lit did so, what they did in the past in terms of courses in school wasn’t ‘wasted’, in that what they took they probably would have done no matter what they majored in. With Music, when you switch, there is dedication from an early age, singlemindedness, not to mention as Linde pointed out, a lot of $$$$ and time driving kids to programs, the recitals, and so forth, and when they switch, it could seem like that is ‘wasted’…</p>

<p>The way I look at it (maybe it is the only way a music parent can keep sane, thinking about how tough music is on both the kid and the parent, how likely it is they may not make it in music, and trying to equate the two) is that it is never lost, that even if they don’t go into music that it is still part of them, that that training, listening to music and so forth will go towards them being a very different person. In some ways I wish that this was the way we treated ‘regular’ college, that the important part is creating a unique adult and that the job prospect piece is de-emphasized a bit, maybe it would take away some of the mania (not likely, but I could wish:).</p>

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<p>Linde, great sentiments. Best of luck to your son.</p>

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<p>Really nice post. Good luck to you all next year.</p>