So You Want To Be Music Major - One Family's Experience

<p>lorelei; Thanks for the input. I'm getting the picture that there is no one path.As for the difficulty in playing a string instrument and singing , she is aware of the problem and usually adjusts well(good instruction helps). She's not planning on studying violin at conservatory.
She's already well into the application process, narrowing choices a little too much in my opinion. She's applied to 3 conservatories(already in 1) affiliated with university dual BA/BM programs(Northwestern, Peabody/Hopkins, BU), 3 Ivy league institutions, one of which her present teacher that she loves is on faculty, and one other University with a good applied music program. She may very well have several choices to make.
I'm getting the impression that for voice at the age of 16-17, the teacher is most important,rather than the institution. thanks for your help.</p>

<p>"she is aware of the problem and usually adjusts well" </p>

<p>It is good to be aware, but that does not change the issue of muscle imbalance, which develops because of use for durations of time. She can pay attention to things while she sings, but the muscles are already strengthened in different ways. Continuing to play reinforces this. I have a mature student who does musical theater work, and she was trained as a violinist. She gets many opportunities because of her joint skills...many road productions require multi-skilled musicians. However, there is a constant tugging of arms and shoulders as she sustains and supports...it is an ongoing battle. Any disadvantage to the technique can be a real problem. </p>

<p>Hopefully she will have terrific academic choices and wherever she chooses, there will be a fine voice teacher. She will find her way. Keep us posted.</p>

<p>I know that her auditions and choices are pretty much set, but if she is ever in So Cal, she might want to consult with Juliana Gondek at UCLA who began her career as a violinist. Juliana</a> Gondek Online
Prof Gondek also teaches at a very good summer program for young vocalists.
(in Hawaii!) Home</a> - Hawaii Performing Arts Festival</p>

<p>musica Thanks for the info</p>

<p>I’ve been a silent observer on this site for two years, and have come to feel as if I know many of you. </p>

<p>I thought it was high time I signed on to say “Thanks”. </p>

<p>Your site, this string in particular, has been a Godsend. Wouldn’t have known where to begin without it. (Sadly, what information we received from the high school college counselor was useless.) </p>

<p>We are from an area of the country far removed from East Coast conservatories. There are no music camps, festivals or contests for several thousands of miles. </p>

<p>I had no way of knowing whether my student had a snowball’s chance of getting into a music program. It was reassuring to learn that other parents gnawed their fingernails with worry. I cheered for those whose children were offered scholarships on the spot. And the good news is that, while I didn’t give birth to a prodigy, my student was accepted to, and given a modest amount of aid to, one of her top choices. We are very grateful.</p>

<p>If I had to do it all over again?</p>

<p>I would have taken the summer music camp scene more seriously. We ended up scrambling at the last minute. It turned out to be a wonderful experience that cemented my child’s commitment. It is also a great way to take a closer look at a potential college / conservatory.</p>

<p>I would have taken the time to re-do the screening CD. My student was sick when she made her recording and it was not good enough to get her an audition at most schools that pre-screened. Since the audition is the single most influential component of the application, your student should make every effort to get the very best recording of which he or she is capable. </p>

<p>I would have pushed my student harder to arrange a private lesson and a master class at every college she visited. The lessons boosted her confidence and comfort level, gave her the opportunity to test-drive a teacher as I’m sure it gave the instructors an opportunity to audition an applicant. </p>

<p>If a school offers an early action option, take advantage of it. What a relief to have at least one acceptance in December!</p>

<p>It’s been quite an adventure. Thank you all so much and best of luck along your own paths!</p>

<p>Calita-</p>

<p>Happy to hear all has worked out for your student!
I have been 'here' for a few years and agree that this site is so valuable for the music applicant and his/her family. Thanks for sharing your ideas.</p>

<p>You might find this forum a bit addictive, some of us have!
Consider staying around awhile to 'pay it forward'.
You obviously have some wisdom to share.</p>

<p>Calita,</p>

<p>thank you for the kind words. I am glad that you found this forum and this thread in particular of use. If your first post is also to be your last, then I hope things work out well for you and your child(ren). As musicmom says, though, it is a good place to hang around and help the next set of newbies if you have the time and desire to do so.</p>

<p>Dear Musicmom and Bassdad,</p>

<p>Thank you, you are very kind, as well as generous. I felt presumptuous adding to your thorough string, to tell the truth. But, yes, I'll stick around and add my two cents worth if it might be of help.</p>

<p>As this thread (thanks to BassDad) is often the first many posters are directed to, I thought I’d link this useful thread here as well: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/608305-useful-music-links.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/608305-useful-music-links.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Here comes the dumb question, and please forgive me. I am not a musician (although I’ve apparently given birth to one). I have a BA in poli sci and an MA in journalism, and after all that, I make a nice living as a writer (so far be it from me to dissuade any artistic dreams). So here it comes. Don’t make fun of me:</p>

<p>What is the difference between a BA and a BM? One is bachelor of arts and one bachelor of music. I know that. So what’s the big deal? Is a BM not considered a liberal arts college degree? Is it more of a (for lack of a better term, because I know we are talking about accomplished musicians) trade school degree?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance.</p>

<p>The simple answer is that BM’s spend more of their credit hours on music related stuff than BA’s. So if your kid is really, really into music then a BM makes sense. Otherwise, if they are more eclectic and undecided on focus, a BA may work better. Generally admissions for a BM involve screening CD’s and auditons. For a BA, you can contribute CD’s showing off musical skills, but the academics, test scores, recommendations, application etc. will rule.</p>

<p>A bit more detail in here <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/561184-help-understanding-ba-vs-bfa-vs-bm.html?highlight=Understanding[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/561184-help-understanding-ba-vs-bfa-vs-bm.html?highlight=Understanding&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>While BM is much more focused on music related classes, both are liberal arts degrees in a fashion. Either can get you into graduate schools. People do go from a BM into law, medicine, business, etc. BM are still usually required to take additional courses. How many and what type will depend on the school. A BA will have more of them. It is one thing to check when looking at schools. The more traditional stand alone conservatory, it seems the fewer liberal arts distributions are required. So I think if you consider things like a BS or engineering, finance, etc as trade school degrees, you might consider a BM to be one. It is really about the amount of focus in the subject area.</p>

<p>The 75%-25% split that Peabody describes is about right, in determining the difference between the two degrees. BM students spend three quarters (or more) of their time doing music related coursework and a quarter on non-music related, whereas the BA student might spend one quarter the time on music, and three quarters on other subject matter. Performance degrees are almost always the BMus.</p>

<p>Hello everyone,
My son is embarking on the application process for 2010. He is serious about composition and plays both piano and french horn well, but we all know I am prejudiced. Thanks to this forum and other fortuitous blunders he was able to participate at NHSMI last summer and came out with an audition tape of the compostition he wrote and was performed at the final concert. We have looked at many schools together. We visited and liked: CIM; NEC; BC; and NWU (nice and close for us
 too close for him?). We visited over the summer but were not able to talk to anyone in the music program at Julliard; Manhatten; Mannes. Though he is still considering them. We visited IU but my husband has reservations about that school as it may be too conservative of atmosphere, my son is anything but conservative. They didn’t seem willing to allow him to talk to a composition professor before auditions, which turned me off. We even visited Longy in Cambridge where the professor was very nice and as much as said he probably would be admitted, but I thought it was too small, mostly graduate, and lacking adequate facilities. My son likes everything, the smaller the better, he thought Longy reminded him of Hogwarts. We need help. We have Oct. 12 and 13 to explore one or two final schools advantitiously during the school year. Liking the possibility of having him in a real college atmosphere I have suggested U. of Michigan ( at least drivable from Chicagoland) and U. of Rochester/Eastman. He seems drawn to the conservatories and smaller facilities, but I’m not sure that would be best. At 17 even knowing you want to major in music composition is a leap, what if he changed his mind? Any suggestions out there?</p>

<p>I don’t know too much about composition. I do know that at IU you can contact composition professors by email and I’m sure, make arrangements to speak with them in person if you choose. And I don’t know that IU is any more conservative than, say, CIM or even UM. At least, my very liberal daughter is at JSOM at IU and doesn’t feel it is conservative!</p>

<p>I am going to suggest Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh. My husband has a degree in composition from there and his main teacher was Leonardo Ballada, a Spanish Composer. His music is wonderful and he is a generous and genuine man who also is a very effective teacher for composition.</p>

<p>National? High? School? Music? I?</p>

<p>Never heard of that one. What do they do there? Is it for composers?</p>

<p>One thing to think of with schools might not just be the program and its teachers, but of access to other things, like master classes,that can make a big difference in the course of study. For example, some programs bring in working composers (outside the faculty, I mean) to do seminars/master classes (whatever they call it in composition). Likewise, the faculty at a particular school might have contacts with outside groups in an area where a composition student might be able to get a new piece played. </p>

<p>Here in NYC, if a student went to a Julliard, Mannes or MSM (or NYU, etc), or went to a school not too far away (ex: Yale), they could have access to the New York Youth Symphony making score program, which is open to kids interested in composition up until age 23. In this program, kids get to work with some really top level composers and performers on the like of Reich,Glass,Corrigliano, Laurie Anderson and so forth in a series of workshops, as one example of what I mean by access.</p>

<p>It is just something to think about, not just curricula and faculty but also in access to the other things that help form a composition (or any) student.</p>

<p>Hi Trumpet57,</p>

<p>NHSMI - a summer program for pre-college age students at Northwestern University:</p>

<p>[NHSMI</a>, Pre-college and Community, Bienen School of Music, Northwestern University](<a href=“http://www.music.northwestern.edu/precollegecommunity/nhsmi/index.html]NHSMI”>http://www.music.northwestern.edu/precollegecommunity/nhsmi/index.html)</p>

<p>If you search this forum, you’ll find posts from some who have attended.</p>