<p>Hi my dream is to major in piano in college. I know i am not on the level to get into juliard or eastman or some conservatory, but there is nothing i like to do more than major in piano. I am scared that I won't be able to do that. I am talented and work hard but I am not one of those kids who practices 5-6 hours a day. I have a couple of questions. Is it much harder for piano majors to get into a school of music than those of less popular instruemnts such as the viola? Do schools also factor in your potential and talent as well as how good you are at the moment? and 3 schools in particular i am looking at are BU Ithaca and NYU. How difficult is it to get a piano major in those specific colleges? </p>
<p>I don’t know about Ithaca and BU, but I know NYU is very difficult for piano majors. Have you looked at the audition requirements for the 3 schools? Can you play the required repertoire? Have you placed in any competitions? </p>
<p>If you look into a state school that has a good music department, you may have more success. It is really hard to predict without knowing how you play. I do think that it is harder for piano than some more obscure instruments like the bassoon, oboe, etc. </p>
<p>Piano is one of the most competitive instruments and the schools you have listed are very hard to get into. Anne poses good questions- schools list their audition requirements on their web sites, so start looking. What year are you in HS, how much longer do you have to prepare? You say that you’re talented and work hard but you know that you don’t practice as much as is needed to get into a good school- if that’s what you want, then you’ll have to change your habits now and work harder to get where you want to be.
What is it you want to do with a degree in piano performance?</p>
<p>There are many, many places you can major in piano, and many good teachers are at smaller institutions. There are big name conservatories and smaller conservatories. There are schools which request for auditions two contrasting pieces, and schools which request an entire classical sonata, two virtuosic etudes, a major Romantic piece, a modern piece, and a Baroque prelude and fugue – all memorized. Think about what you are playing now. Which kind of school matches your repertoire? Are you playing what BU and NYU and Ithaca want to hear for auditions? How much time do you have before you apply to college and can you get everything in place by then?
I do think most programs consider your potential. Try having a lesson at a school you are interested in. Go in with a couple of pieces that are fairly well polished. You can then ask the professor if he/she thinks that this school is an appropriate one for you to apply to. That will give you an idea if you are in the right ballpark or not.</p>
<p>And don’t forget one of your greatest resources: your current piano instructor. Ask him/her what they think–they should be able to give you a good idea on whether or not you would be ready for college auditions and give you some suggestions for possible colleges. </p>
<p>With the Piano, you are on one of the most competitive instruments, the piano is flooded with top level students, many of whom have been playing since they were 4 or 5, practicing a lot of hours a day. With all the piano students and the relatively high level, there are a lot of kids who don’t get into the ‘big’ programs who nonetheless are highly skilled, and they end up at other programs, so it is extremely competitive in the ‘2nd’ tier schools. On top of everything else the competition is global, China and Korea are turning out students heading to schools in the US and Europe that are way up there…</p>
<p>I don’t know what grade you are in, but if you are in high school and just now thinking of getting serious, you face very, very daunting odds, I am not going to sugar coat it. Have you talked to your teacher about this? More importantly, has your teacher ever gotten students into performance programs on piano at a decent program? One of the best tools to evaluate yourself is to find the nearest school (collect, conservatory) that has a reputedly good piano department, and ask one of the teachers if they will do an evaluation. It will cost you but they can give you a realistic assessment. </p>
<p>Also as others suggested look at the kind of repertoire the school requires and see if you are anywhere near that level of playing, if not, it may be a warning sign if you aren’t there, if you for example have never attempted a concerto from memory and they require it, you may just not be there. </p>
<p>I know I sound like I am trying to throw a wet blanket on it, but you also need to be realistic, piano is difficult to get into a good program on and even harder to be a performer, whether soloist, accompanyist or as a chamber player. </p>
<p>That said by all means get the evaluation, maybe with what you did you are at a good level, I obviously don’t know how good you are, even if I met you in person, not a piano teacher (thank the stars for that!). </p>
<p>Keep in mind if you love the piano, you can always at college take lessons, and probably get the chance to perform, even though you aren’t a major. A lot of people play music for the joy of it, do ensembles, you name it, while having ‘regular’ jobs,so it doesn’t have to be given up if you can’t major in it. The key is knowing where you are right now and seeing if there is a realistic chance of doing performance, if not, then find a way to keep going, if there is something else that interests you, find a program that is good for that but also has a music program that would allow you to keep up with the piano, doing lessons and such; keep the music, but also do so in a way that is realtistic for who you are:).</p>
<p>I wish you luck. </p>