<p>could anyone give us some info about this school..my daughter is a violinist.</p>
<p>I believe it used to be called the Peabody Conservatory of Music. Its in Baltimore. It has a relationship with Johns Hopkins and is now the Peabody Institute. It is one of the top Conservatories in the country. Its HIGHLY competitive. Its in the same class as Juilliard School (New York), Curtiss Institute (Philadelphia), New England Conservatory (Boston), Oberlin Conservatory (Oberlin-Cleveland), Eastman School of Music (Rochester), UNC School of the Arts (North Carolina). There are many outstanding schools of music at many public and private universities as well. A conservatory is essentially a stand alone institution and focuses solely on musical performance, conducting and composing. If she can get admitted, then by all means go. But it certainly means that she is going to pick music as a career which is highly competitive. Its not for the shy and meek. What I mean by that is, that the field of professional musicians is extremely competitive and requires an enormous committment of time and energy your entire life, which is stressful and fraught with disappointments. But it can also be highly rewarding. </p>
<p>My D is a violist. She could have chosen to attend a conservatory or a school of music at a prestigious college, but opted instead to make music a hobby, not a career. Thus, she continues her musical experience at college by playing in an orchestra and other "gigs" on campus, like a school musical etc, but is not a music performance major. While that means not receiving a music scholarship, we believe longer term it means she will be better prepared for the working world and everyday life. Musicians are notoriously "different" (some would say neurotic and emotional). They are all highly gifted and highly intelligent, but not often practical. (We have regular contact with professional musicians through my spouse's interests and career.) Of course, that is my bias. I am not putting down musicians. I am just letting you know ahead of time that its a tough road to hoe. And violin (as well as piano) are two of the most heavily "populated" skills in the music world. I have seen extraordinarily gifted violinists seated 15th Chair in Second Violin sections. Back of the bus. Its that tough out there.</p>
<p>So make sure she knows that going in, and has a real heart to heart with you about her ambitions and skillset. If she makes it, great! Good luck.</p>