<p>Hello, I am a senior planning to double major in biochemistry and music at either Yale or Harvard. At Harvard, I was wondering what are the advantages of studying music at the Harvard music department vs. double enrolling at the New England Conservatory. I'm a pianist. Does anyone know how the Harvard piano professors are? Thanks, this is my first posting!</p>
<p>Sorry, actually I posted the previous message. I forgot I was experimenting with a friend's CC account.</p>
<p>Harvard, as far as I know, doesn't offer performance degrees; their music program is theoretical. I think you can take lessons, but it's not a full music performance program. If you want to do music, go to NEC.</p>
<p>The Harvard-NEC program is realllllllllllly competitive, from what I hear.</p>
<p>they accepted 6 violinists for the Harvard/NEC program this year i think or wat ive heard</p>
<p>Regarding double majors (music and academics): does anyone else ever feel like the entire world takes pleasure in thwarting anyone who wants to be interested in more than one thing? Especially the music world: you're not serious enough if you don't go to a conservatory, it seems like they're saying. Then again, maybe that's true. What do you think?</p>
<p>kitkattail: I agree with you. But I think it's also because it is extraordinarily difficult to major in music and something else, especially biochem or the likes (what I'm interested in). I'm also considering the Juilliard/Columbia program. That just seems impossible! I am curious for someone who is in the Harvard/NEC program, do you have enough time to practice? Isn't it very inconvenient to have to go between the two schools on a daily basis? This is random, but is anyone else competing in the Blount-Slawson competition this weekend? I'm just curious...</p>
<p>Isn't the Harvard/NEC program new next year? I don't think anyone's in it yet. You'll have to wait a few months for answers to that question.</p>
<p>Ohhh, I wasn't aware of that. Is there someone who is currently attending a joint program (music and another major) who can share how problematic the transporation is and if it's too overwhelming? Examples: Peabody/JHU, Juilliard/Columbia, Curtis/U.Philadelphia</p>
<p>Im pretty sure Peabody/JHU has a shuttle service running between them, or at least they did when I attended a summer program at Hopkins. Juilliard/Columbia might be a pain, just cuz its NYC and I have no idea about Curtis/U. Philiadelphia. Have you ever thought about CIM/Case Western?</p>
<p>CIM/CWRU is nice because the campuses are actually adjacent. Curtis/Penn only really helps Curtis students, and it's only I think 1 class/semester max.
Harvard/NEC isn't accepting 6 violinists-- it's accepting 6 STUDENTS!</p>
<p>Wow, only 6 students for all instruments? How do you know for sure? Does anyone know about the possibility of audition for the Harvard/NEC after fall term starts? I forgot to apply to NEC...</p>
<p>amypianist my son is in the same position. Last year he visited a friend who is at H now. There is a piano society- can't remember what it is called exactly- but thru that you can get piano teachers, participate in concerts and master classes. It's very active and also has funding. It's outside of the academic curriculum but it's a great way to continue with your music. You can select a teacher from the Boston area who is on a list that they have. There are many very good teachers. It's true that the 05-06 year will be the first year of the joint H- NEC program and we know someone who has already auditioned for it. I would imagine that next fall would be too late. However, I think that the piano society would be preferable and more fun in many ways.</p>
<p>The joint program is much more benificial (it seems to me) if you play an orchestral instrument or sing, because then you get to play in NEC ensembles. To answer your other questions, the articles announcing the founding of the program state that it will accept around 4-6 students max per year. It's definitely too late to apply to NEC-- auditions are already over. You might call them over the summer, though, in case an opening appears. Also, you might (you should really call H or NEC and ask) be able to join the joint program after your first year at Harvard.
All this said, if I were you, I'd just go to Harvard. I don't really see how the joint program would benefit you, and it would commit you to NEC grad school way in advance. For me, that's not such a problem, since NEC is the top place for violin study in the country, and I love the teachers there, but I don't really see the point for you since ensembles aren't an issue for you anyway. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>Thank you, andi and fiddlefrog, that does help a lot!! Andi, about the piano society, is that is a part of Harvard and is available to pianists once they enroll at Harvard? Is there is an audition process involved?</p>
<p>Good luck doing a double concentration with biochem and music. Remember that one of the graduation requirements is to write a thesis connecting the two.</p>
<p>amypianist you can access the Harvard Piano Society thru the H web site if you go to arts and then on the right side of the page under Visual Arts there is a link to student run activities. I'm going to try to post the link to the Piano Society web page here but don't know if it will work. And yes, I'm sure anyone can join it. Since one of the leaders of it is a friend of s's and I also know him, I can tell you that he's a fantastic pianist and also a wonderful person. hcs.harvard.edu/~piano/ well I guess this link won't work but that's roughly where you can find it! sorry I have minimal computer skills.</p>
<p>btw fiddlefrog I hope your audition in Boston went well. The program for S had to be cancelled because of the blizzard that weekend-- we got stranded at the hotel by the NEC. But, it's rescheduled for April. Hopefully you left before the storm.</p>