<p>my D is interested in this program and any information from students, parents, teachers would be appreciated:</p>
<p>how big is piano performance program</p>
<p>any personal contact or knowledge of the teachers (Dr. Logan for example)</p>
<p>facility comments including availablity of practice rooms and piano quality</p>
<p>chamber music emphasis and opportunities</p>
<p>non music program requirements and difficulty of courses and ability to place out with AP credits</p>
<p>friendliness/competitiveness of program</p>
<p>living arrangements re: dorms and kind of students in dorms (just music or not)</p>
<p>any other comments especially from current students would be great</p>
<p>my D would like to attend a program for piano performance but does not want to be at a solely arts/drama/music location such as juilliard/mannes/curtis/NEC/peabody recognizing that some of these have associations with colleges but still the living situation tends to be segregated by major.</p>
<p>Oberlin is too small and isolated for her. She enjoys the collective campus community with sports teams and large university setting; she herself is an all sectional soccer player who wants the chance to play in a good intramural program (the varsity programs are too tme consuming).</p>
<p>How do other schools such as Indiana univ, NW, U of Minnesota compare for piano (recognizing that the teacher is by far the most important)</p>
<p>We are beginning to arrange lessons at the possible places. D is currently in 11th grade. </p>
<p>I spent several hours reading through the forum yesterday and am very grateful to all the information</p>
<p>I can't comment on UM. However, she might want to look at Wisconsin. It has a lot of the things she is looking for. They have an excellent collaborative piano program. The top teacher here is Christopher Taylor. Google him and you can read all about him. It was quite a coup for UW to get him. UW also has a pretty strong chamber music program due to having the Pro Arte Quartet in residence. Of all the Big 10 schools, I think that Indiana and NW would be the strongest over all in music. Michigan is strong in some areas, but I don't know about piano. Wisconsin and Iowa would be next from an overall music department stand point. You are right to be looking for teachers and you are asking the right questions.</p>
<p>I can answer some of your questions. D is a Michigan freshman in the winds program and LOVES it. The music school is extremely friendly, and also competitive but in a healthy, good way: D would say that one of the most exciting things for her is being surrounded by so many other great musicians. We have been uniforomly i
She is also a double dempressed by all we have seen and heard, including some great pianists.D says the piano program at UMich is quite extraordinary, but it may be difficult to get in.
She is a double degree candidate in LSA honors, and ALL of her AP credits were automatically awarded immediately, so that was nice. You can find a lot of information on the website about course requirements, Try this for a sample piano degree program:
<a href="http://www.music.umich.edu/departments/piano/bm_curr_a.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.music.umich.edu/departments/piano/bm_curr_a.htm</a></p>
<p>Dorm life is fine and students are definitely mixed, not music only, but many students seem to move off campus after freshman year to apartments that might as well be dorms; Ann Arbor is great, lots to do.
You are right in saying that the teacher is the most important part of the decision. We don't know much about the piano dept. at NW, but that was another school D really loved.
good luck.</p>
<p>sorry for some garbled words in my post. It should read: "We have been uniformly impressed by all we have seen and heard..." (sorry...somehow the "double degree" part was typed over twice)</p>
<p>My son is also a music major (jazz) at Michigan. He, too, didn't want a stand alone conservatory. He couldn't be happier with his choice and his has a mix of friends..from engineering, LSA, to other music majors.</p>
<p>D is just accepted to Piano performance major. She took a lesson with Dr. Skelton and likes him a lot. Her friend from summer piano camp took a lesson with Greene and likes him too. Both of them audtioned on the same date. I assumed it will be difficult to get into either studio. Another former camper is currently a freshman. She did not get into Skelton's studio at first. Then someone in his studio left and she got the spot. Both D and her friend know Harding through the piano camp and he still remembered them well. D ran into Harding during her UM visit last April and a conference last August. He is a very good teacher too. As for AP credits, it is the same for all majors. UM Music majors are required to take 30 non-music electives which can be anything. The full load for a piano performance teacher is 18 students. If the teacher teaches other course, then he or she will have less students in his studio.</p>