<p>Flute students are in a world of their own. I should know, because my wife teaches flute at a local college. It seems like every third kid in elementary school band wants to play flute and you only get three of them in a typical orchestra, so that particular funnel has a very wide mouth and a very narrow business end.</p>
<p>There is certainly a big difference between the more and the less competitive instruments up through the undergrad years, with possible exceptions at a few top conservatories where there is extreme competition for every opening. Once you get to a top graduate program, I think it levels out somewhat because the third chair flute, the eighth chair bass, the twentieth chair second violin and that lone tuba player are all going to be amazing. </p>
<p>The law of diminishing returns applies to musical practice sessions just as it does to any sort of physical activity involving repetitive motion. According to both Hal Robinson and Edgar Meyer, anything over about five hours a day of practicing is not likely to be productive on bass because of the physical demands of playing the instrument. From my own experience, I would say that the amount of time is probably a little less than that for singers. Perhaps it is possible to be productive longer than that on other instruments; I wouldn't know for sure. Kim Fisher, the principal second violin of the Philadelphia orchestra, says she gets only two hours of practice on many days because of family demands, yet she has been able to maintain her skills with a very focused and planned practice regimen. </p>
<p>Another thing to consider is that double degree programs are typically spread over five years. The extra year to work on orchestral rep and audition material can partially compensate for not spending 100% of the time on music, particularly so if the coursework is front-loaded to leave almost full time for music in the last year. Also, the college year is relatively short, leaving the serious double degree student the same amount of practice time as the conservatory student for at least four months of every year. If you look at total productive time spent with the instrument, I would think it possible for a dedicated double degree student to log as many hours in five years as a conservatory student does in four. In some cases, more. Instead of that 150 yard slice into the woods, I think we are talking about a 280 yard drive that is shaded to one side of the fairway a little. That second shot may want an eight iron instead of a pitching wedge, but the birdie is still possible.</p>
<p>Ultimately, music is about communication between performer and audience. In my experience, the best musical communicators are the ones whose studies and life experiences have given them some perspective of their own to add to their music. I think it is a healthy thing to get out of the practice room every now and again. Working toward a liberal arts degree is not necessarily a bad way to use that time, even for someone who aspires to earn a living as a professional musician.</p>
<p>I guess my point is still that the best path to an objective can be different for different people. For some, their best shot at a musical career will be through a conservatory with nothing to distract them from music. For others, that would be a sure recipe for burnout by age 21. When it comes to symphony orchestra positions, the odds do favor the conservatory grads but, if everyone always played the odds, we would have no professional musicians to begin with.</p>