<p>Im a senior in High School and plan to apply to various college's music programs soon, i have been playing guitar for about 5 years and know a good amount of theory, but I can barely read sheet music. I was planning doing a more music production focused major but still take regular music track courses too. Will my lack of reading be a huge problem?</p>
<p>What do you do when asked to sight read a piece?</p>
<p>Certainly have been successful musicians that could barely read music. But they probably did not have to audition for a music school.</p>
<p>I guess the simple answer is if you are good enough, you might work your way around it.</p>
<p>I took jazz lesson at my local conservatory for about a year, where my teacher really focused on reading, reading chords sheets were never a problem, but for melodies i have to sit down and work each line out, and this is only for very simple jazz standards. I am just worried that if i did get accepted to a music school. i would get into class the first day at be at a major disadvantage.</p>
<p>I think you would. Most music schools require a minimum of 4 semesters theory. Theory involves reading and analyzing music as well as being able to write music that you have heard. I think it will be impossible to take theory classes without knowing how to read music.</p>
<p>I’m with shennie. I would take steps now to improve your ability.</p>
<p>You almost had to be a jazz musician.</p>
<p>It is strange that you say you know theory but can not read music well. Beyond my pay grade to understand how that happened.</p>
<p>I would guess your disadvantage is correctable with some lessons or a course. Even my sons early jazz lessons involved writing down notes, transposing, and later arranging etc.</p>
<p>Work on it the next 3-4 months and you should improve a great deal.</p>
<p>Many music schools have remedial type classes that are called basic musicianship which teach the fundamentals. If you are placed there, you will not take the music sequence that is required beginning in your freshman year. You will first do basic musicianship first and then start the sequence of requirements at a later date.</p>
<p>This is where there are Music Schools and there are Music Schools. For a conservatory or strong music department connected with a university or LAC, I would have to say that not reading music would rule out admittance. Those types of schools do not have remedial classes which would gain you admittance to Bachelors of Music program.
Perhaps a smaller school where the degree would be a BA with a Concentration in Music might be willing to work around this, but as a senior in HS, I can’t see how it would be to the OPs advantage to attempt to apply to a “regular music track” this year. Some fundamentals can not be ignored and reading music, for a would be musician, is a must. This might be one of those special cases where a Gap Year would really be worth looking into.
OP- count me as another one of those who can’t figure out how you can know “a good amount of theory” without being able to read music. I would have to question that also, and it would be to your advantage to find a really good teacher who could evaluate your abilities across the board at this point.
TRIVIA QUESTION- (which will point out how things have changed over the past 40 years). Which famous female opera star entered school without being able to read a note of music? I’ll give you a hint- the school was Mannes!</p>
<p>It seems like a lot of the music schools require basic keyboarding skills for all their music majors. So, I suggest that you start taking piano lessons ASAP. Not only will it help you place ahead in keyboarding, but it will also teach you to read music.</p>
<p>Take the time now to develop music-reading and transcription abilities. It’s worth the investment, otherwise you’ll be paying tuition dollars for basic courses, that would have cost a lot less for a HS student … if you can’t find such classes in your area, do it on your own. Start by transcribing, by hand, guitar solos and the like. </p>
<p>I don’t really understand how you can have a grasp of theory and not be able to read music, though???</p>
<p>One of the basic teaching tools in jazz is transcribing solos. So it does seem rather odd that one would have been studying for years and not have done that enough that reading music is second nature.</p>
<p>You have to learn many “heads” as my son calls them and have to read music to do that. Working on learning more pieces, lessons on piano, theory lessons, transcribing, all should help you overcome your problems reading music and can be done in a few months if you do the work. You should be fine by audition time.</p>
<p>Some schools have a production (recording, industry) track that requires students to audition and be at a similar performance level on their primary instrument as the performance majors and music reading proficient. You may find some difficulty being accepted at these schools. Most will give auditioning students music theory and piano placement tests as part of the audition day. However you still have time to put the work in to improve. Everyone’s advice above – to work over the next 3 - 5 months on your music reading skills, starting piano lessons, transcribing, etc… could help you to be much more competitive at these types of programs.</p>
<p>Some schools do not require music production students to audition and be at performance major level on a primary instrument, musicianship, etc… At some of these schools you may be able to take music classes to improve your musicianship skills.</p>
<p>Some schools will have both options. As an example-- at James Madison University, where I teach in the Theatre area, BM Music Industry students are music majors and must audition and study on a primary instrument (voice counts, of course :)). These students participate in music ensembles, must give a Senior 1/2 recital, etc… JMU also has a music industry minor. Students in the minor program major in a different area (anything, but not music), and do not audition for acceptance to the program. These students may take some additional music courses on a space available basis and participate in ensembles, although I would imagine they are not able to take private lessons for credit.</p>
<p>I would suggest you look for a mix of auditioned based Music Industry (Production, Technology) programs and non-auditioned programs that will allow you to take music classes.</p>