<p>I am quite leery of teachers who tell you how it was when they were in school, unless it’s presented in the context of “it’s not this way anymore”. Even back in the '70s, it was possible to gain admission to excellent conservatories without even being able to read music (at least for VP majors) and many, many of those who were instrumental majors wouldn’t even be able to cut it in the upper levels of the top Pre-College programs today.
Violin is one of the most competitive instruments on which to audition and your work load as a performance major will be heavy and your time filled with orchestra, small ensembles, chamber music, etc. It’s great that you’re looking at this now though because you have time to investigate schools and compile a good list of places that would suit your needs.
Good luck and keep asking questions here because you’ll find a lot of knowledge and people willing to help!</p>
<p>Mezzo’s Mom hit the nail on the head, the world of music has changed a lot and your teacher probably reflects what was true a generation ago. One of my S’s teachers was a casual player in high school, got into a top conservatory, and right out of school got into a well known full time orchestra that pays decently and is still there decades later, plus teaches. They probably wouldn’t be able to get into the pre college program my S went to, and it is doubtful they would get into a strong conservatory program. The level is so high and the demands are so high that doing a dual major is a long stretch, and while kids do it, I often wonder if you stacked up the kid who double majors against a kid who played the same instrument in a BM program in a conservatory, in general the relative levels (and obviously, such an experiment would be next to impossible to do in the field, since measuring things like relative levels of ability going in, the work ethic of the kids, to try and factor out any variables like that, would be difficult) they achieve after 4 years. I can only speak of my S’s experience, and that is that the work load on paper may not look all that daunting, but it is, that there is always that chamber rehearsal or chamber coaching, or someone asks you to read a piece they wrote, or in practicing, and it is likely that the work load on the academic side will probably seem to intensify just as the music side is going nuts (and unwritten version of Murphy’s law, music craziness increases at the same time general craziness is).</p>
<p>One thing I cannot highly recommend enough is to find a teacher at a relatively well respected program and seek them out for an evaluation (or if this is someone else in your area that people recommend). This isn’t a knock on your teacher, but an outside set of ears will have a different perspective, and between what they tell you and your teacher tells you it gives a more informed view. I don’t know your teacher, but another problem is as with the teacher I mentioned above, if they aren’t that well connected to the current music world, if they don’t keep in touch with teachers or had students get into high level programs, they may not realize how crazy it is, especially on the violin. </p>
<p>There are many paths to take after majoring in music. The biggest decision you have is BM versus BA. You can apply to both and decide later. If you do a BA in music you will be able to take plenty of courses in other subjects. There are musicians who get a BA who go on to an MM, but it is most likely true that BM’s have a better background for that specialized direction or for orchestra spots etc. With some exceptions (we know a young man who got a BA in something else and did concert tours while an undergrad for instance).</p>
<p>Our high school music teacher got a BA in music at a well-known liberal arts college and music is his life but in a different way than some might imagine. He teaches and organizes inspiring trips for students. He plays in a cabaret/indierock band that puts out its own CD’s and gets good gigs. He plays in the regional orchestra. He has a full life, lives in the town where he teaches, and just got married. </p>
<p>We know another musician who homeschooled during high school, did conservatory early and spends her life traveling with a well-known ensemble.</p>
<p>One of the best physicians in my town got a BM in a conservatory.</p>
<p>That’s why I like the Peabody admissions essay entitled “double degree dilemma” which really covers so much more. It really is important to figure out your vision for yourself, and that takes time and maturity. The problem with music of course, especially these days, is that you have to decide pretty early how intense and how purely you are going to pursue it.</p>
<p>I think covering all options until you can discard one, to the extent possible, is the best course of action, so if you are still not sure by the fall, apply to conservatories, colleges, music schools, universities and then hope the auditioning and visiting and time itself will clarify your final choice :)</p>