<p>Actually, my son had an extensive music background, played four instruments from four years old and composed music actually played by the Curtis Faculty and played at several important local occasions. He did okay in theory, but it was a very difficult course for him because it was mixed with musicianship, which is actually an ear training course. He certainly knew all the fundamentals of music theory having participated in theory courses on weekends at a weekend music institute.</p>
<p>One of his primary music teachers flunked music theory at Juilliard. His world class violin teacher flunked theory at North Carolina School of the Arts. I have no idea what the issues involved are, but the comments that a certain level of preparation insure a fairly easy time in Music Theory are just not true for all at all colleges.</p>
<p>My kid started to falter in theory a bit even though his performance work and music history work were very, very good. It did weed him out as a music major, which was traumatic at the time but for the best. When I asked him if he wanted to transfer, he declined, leaving me to think that music wasn’t important enough to him to make it his life anyway. Might as well find out sooner than later.</p>
<p>But it is not an easy course for everyone.</p>