Picking an instrument

College Majors Music Major
1

<p>Hi!</p>

<p>Hope you guys can help me out here...</p>

<p>I intend to apply for the dual-degree BA and BMus programs at Oberlin, Harvard/NEC (unrealistic but worth a shot, right? ), Bard, Peabody/JHS, Northwestern, Boston University and Eastman/Rochester. </p>

<p>I play the violin, viola and piano. I study privately on the violin and piano, but picked up viola solely for the purposes of orchestra and chamber music playing. I'm a fairly good pianist, with lots of accompanying and chamber music experience and I recently got my ARCT - however, I know that piano as a major is probably far too competitive for someone who realistically is not an amazing pianist.</p>

<p>I am also a capable violinist (similar level to piano), and I have audition-suitable repertoire basically prepared for violin, however I am faced with the same dilemma again - violin might be too competitive for someone who is serious but not outstanding.</p>

<p>My third option is the viola, on which I have extensive orchestral and chamber music experience - however, I would be starting basically from scratch on the repertoire (I have played some of the Cello Suites on my own but have never had a private lesson or properly learned a concerto or sonata). However, the upside of viola is that it is (I assume) far less competitive than violin or piano. </p>

<p>Should I hurry off to a viola teacher and learn rep for auditions this year? Or should I stick with violin? Or piano? Help please! </p>

<p>Thank you so much :)</p>

2

<p>Have you considered looking at less competitive programs if you truly are ‘serious but not outstanding?’ Your list is very top-heavy. Have you considered getting a BA in music instead - in which case you could pursue both academics and music, without the conservatory admissions competition? There are lots of wonderful music programs, with great teachers, in regular BA programs.</p>

3

<p>Oh, that’s what I forgot to mention! I’m Canadian, so all of my sensible, regular BA program schools are in Canada (cheaper tuition!) - McGill and Toronto. </p>

<p>I’m only looking in the US for schools that offer something Canada doesn’t (to wit, a dual degree program). Hope that clarifies things…sorry I forgot to mention that, my choices must have seemed awfully unrealistic haha</p>

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<p>My youngest daughter was headed for a violin performance major when she fell in love with the viola junior year of high school, so your dilemma resonates here! Certainly, much violin technique is transferrable to viola, but viola does have unique technical requirements and (as you note) rep. If you’re serious about auditioning on viola as your primary instrument, you need to find a quality viola teacher asap.</p>

<p>Another option might be to audition with violin as your primary with a notation that you are also a strong ensemble violist. That could be a real advantage, especially in some smaller programs.</p>

<p>By the way, anyone who has been telling you that viola is less competitive than violin or that auditioning violists don’t have the same chops as their treble clef colleagues has been feeding you outdated information. Things have really changed in the last several years.</p>

5

<p>I think you should first figure out two things 1) which instrument you are the most passionate, and go with that, and 2) what is it you really think you want to do post-college or post-conservatory?</p>

<p>These top programs are super competitive, so your drive and passion will have to get you through the auditions first and then coursework and projects later, not just your fear of whether you are better than someone else.</p>

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<p>anniejumpcannon, I can I think of a handful of students who did exactly what you are thinking about, switching to viola very late-ish in the process, and they are all at top-tier conservatories. (Which is just anecdotal-- thousands more may have tried this and failed :wink: </p>

<p>But what I am hearing you say is that you love music and want to study and perform, but you are not wedded to a particular instrument. That kind of flexibility is valuable. I do know of violinists who switched at the beginning of their senior year.</p>

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<p>The other thing to think about is scholarship money. If you get a scholarship for playing a particular instrument, then you will probably need to study and play that instrument in order to maintain your scholarship.</p>

<p>My son had a couple options for his main instruments - piano, bass voice and clarinet. Since he is a Composition major chose piano because it seemed to make the most sense for his future. Who knows if there would have been better scholarship opportunities on the bass voice (in particular).</p>

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<p>Thank you so much for the input! I will take all this awesome advice to heart as I try and pick between my three loves…</p>

<p>stradmom, I’ve heard a lot of conflicting information about that - some people tell me viola is far less competitive than violin (which at least in Canada is almost invariably the case) and others (you included!) have told me that viola is just as competitive…I guess it depends on the school?</p>

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<p>Remember that there are half the number of violists in an orchestra (or less) than violinists, so even though there are fewer violists, there are also fewer spots. So “competitive” in terms of potential jobs or admissions is a relative term. Viola solo gigs are almost unheard-of. But for ensemble playing, you’ll never be more popular than as a violist!</p>

<p>Another way of looking at competitiveness is with personality of the players. One complicating factor is that (in my family’s experience), violists as a group are much more laid-back and supportive of one another than violinists. (Yes, I’m generalizing. There are perfectly nice violinists out there!) So they are “less competitive” than violinists in the sense that the atmosphere in the viola section/studio is less concerned with who’s on the top of the pyramid this week.</p>

<p>Competitiveness, in the sense of teachers holding high standards and demanding excellence of their students, is about equivalent across the two instruments, in my experience.</p>

<hr>

<p>Besides Bach, have you thought about what sonata/concerto you might audition with on viola? </p>

<p>Also, take a look at Lawrence University in Wisconsin. They have a conservatory/college double degree program, and you might be able to play multiple instruments there.</p>

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<p>We also find this to be true. :)</p>

<p>My daughter, a violinist, has also given thought to studying viola for her master’s degree (she is near the end of a violin performance degree.) She really likes viola, but has baredly studied it formally and needs to give some thought about what she wants most. It would be best for her to spend serious time with both instruments, perhaps in the form of a gap hear between college and grad school. My thought is that if she goes to grad school for violin only she will further push off the possibility of serious viola study. </p>

<p>“Less competition” is not her reason for considering viola, but she has remarked that it this is a strongly held perception in the strings community.</p>

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<p>Glassharmonica, tell her to join us over here on the dark side. We have cookies!</p>

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<p>I am pretty sure she will, if there are cookies!</p>

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<p>I too have noticed that about violists…not that violinists aren’t lovely, but they tend to be a tiny bit more uh, cutthroat haha. </p>

<p>Thanks for the tip on Lawrence, I will look into it! I’m thinking of learning Bartok for my concerto…it’s not exactly easy but I lovelovelovelove it, especially the third movement. But I really have no idea about viola sonatas, any recommendations would be appreciated (although of course I will ask my very-soon-to-be-obtained viola teacher)!</p>

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<p>The programs you mention are all at the upper end of the competitive tiers (BU depending on the instrument may not be quite the level of some of those programs, but it still pretty competitive). Piano and Violin are uber competitive, in large part because they are solo instruments, and at those schools you are talking serious competition, and the odds at this point of catching up is pretty small IMO. The levels are simply staggering, and you are talking about students from all over the world competing for a relatively few spots.</p>

<p>Would it be any easier on viola? With the viola, because it is not a solo instrument primarily, there tends to be less interest in it, and even though there are less slots in an orchestra for a viola (which in turn often determines slots in a music program), there also tend to be a lot less kids auditioning for those slots on viola, and from less numbers being interested, the competitive level tends to be less IME. That said, despite the jokes, you can count on the viola being competitive as heck to get into a program on. One of the reasons that is changing is that kids, especially from Asia, who would want to be on violin because it is a solo instrument, started realizing there is a world of music out there, that being in an orchestra or chamber group or other ensemble is the way most musicians work, and as a result a lot more students are studying the viola seriously, and instead of being the stereotype of ‘failed violinist’ switching cause it is ‘easier’ to audition on, they are seriously studying the instrument for itself, so it isn’t likely to get any easier. To be honest, on any of those three instruments you should be at the top of your game, whatever the relative levels of difficulty are, to have any hope of getting into highly competitive programs (and to be honest, the joint NEC/Harvard program is not competitive, it is practically non existent, they take maybe 1 or 2 kids each year, friend of my S, who academically was out there and got into Harvard, and also was someone literally at the top on their instrument, couldn’t get into the joint program, I think they got into Harvard and NEC but not the joint program) </p>

<p>I agree with others, I think if you want to do a BM with something else, you need to be realistic. The first thing I would do is get an evaluation if you can from someone who teaches at one of the competitive programs or has placed kids in those programs recently, and see what they think. </p>

<p>The problem I suspect you will face is you probably haven’t worked on putting together audition repertoire, and if so there isn’t a lot of time. If you are a senior, most pre screens have to be in by December 1st and the auditions will be in jan-march of next year, which isn’t a lot of time, most people spend a whole year getting their rep ready, so you are probably way behind to be honest.</p>

<p>There are options, you could do a BA in music with something else, BA’s usually are less competitive with auditions (if they require them), or you could set your sights on less competitive music programs and then try to get into a good grad program.</p>

<p>The other option you have if you really feel passionate about music, would be to take a gap year. If you feel you need to go to one of the top tier music schools, that would be more realistic then trying to do it this year on any of the instruments you mention, it would give you more time to get your playing in shape and put together your repertoire. Rather than focus on which is easier, focus on the one you have passion for, going on an instrument that is ‘easier’ but you don’t like would not be very pleasurable. </p>

<p>The other thing to keep in mind is that a BM program is intensive, a lot of people who have never been around it think it is like high school orchestra or something, that you do the BM for fun, and it isn’t, there is a lot of work with it, on top of ensemble and lessons and orchestra, you also do music theory and ear training and electives, plus a lot of hours of practicing, so it won’t be like “Okay, I’ll do a BA/BS in something useful, and the BM will be fun”, it doesn’t work like that and kids trying to double major or dual degree find out how tough that is pretty fast. The other thing to understand is even for kids who have been focusing on this for years, been drilled at the highest level, focused on this almost exclusively, auditions can be a crapshoot, and know that likely you could face rejection from all the schools on your list, it is the nature of the beast…basically, however tough you think it is to get in, multiply it by 10, and you probably would be getting close:).</p>

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<p>You haven’t mentioned why you would want a double degree, rather than a BM only (or BA only). What other major would you do? What are your admissions chances besides music?</p>

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<p>Try thinking about what you’ll do AFTER college. If you aren’t in a huge city and there aren’t as many really good musicians around, consider keeping up with all three instruments. You’ll have a much better chance getting amateur professional gigs if you have more options! Same goes for a range of styles, too.</p>

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<p>musicprnt: that post gave me heart palpitations…mind you I am pretty aware of the intensity, I have many friends who are studying at top music schools (Colburn, Eastman, Peabody, Julliard, NEC, Indiana, Northwestern) so I have a decent idea of the work they put in. But thank you for the dose of realism! </p>

<p>compmom: I love music, and I love English and science (my planned major is History and Philosophy of Science). My admissions chances academically are quite good (I think/hope)…2340 SAT, 800 790 and 780 SAT IIs, 3.96 GPA, school newspaper editor. I want to keep both of them going at a serious level, because I cannot imagine my life without a high calibre university orchestra and many chamber music opportunities, as well as personal practice and lessons of course. If there is a way to combine all my passions, I would jump at the chance. While I look for one, I don’t want to sacrifice either of my loves. </p>

<p>hepcatbassist: thanks so much! That’s definitely true, as I’ve found in my wedding-gig experience haha</p>

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<p>annie-</p>

<p>You also don’t have to major in music performance to play music in school, a lot of schools have decent orchestra programs and you can take private lessons and play in ensembles. I can tell you that the ivies in particular put an emphasis on their music groups/orchestras, and playing an instrument seems to help with getting into these programs. It all depends on where you see yourself in 4 years, some people go to university, get an academic degree, and take private lessons, then get into a grad school for an MM, so there are paths open to you and a BM is not the be all and end all.</p>