What instrument for a composition major?

College Majors Music Major
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<p>Hi everyone. I have been lurking for a couple weeks. There is so much great information on this board!</p>

<p>I will introduce myself in the other thread. Here I will only ask my questions for my S.</p>

<p>He is currently a Junior in HS and plays the clarinet and piano. He also composes classical music on the piano (and then puts it on the computer). He wants to study composition on college. The first question is does it matter which instrument he chooses as his main instrument (and ultimately auditions on) either the piano or clarinet? He is very strong on both instruments, but of course he will need to put a lot of effort into preparing audition pieces.</p>

<p>Also any thoughts on whether he should look at universities or conservatories? He knows he wants to study composition but not sure if that means he will ultimately teach on the college level (theory and composition) or to go into film scoring or video game scoring.</p>

<p>Any other tips or suggestions are appreciated! Thanks.</p>

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<p>Which instrument - well, some composition programs do not require one at all, some want you to show a level of proficiency so that you can play in an ensemble, and some require that you formally audition for the performance studio for that instrument. All over the board. Do know that if an audition is required - although the expectations may be lower, the audition material will be identical to one auditioning as a performance major. Also, for the programs with audition on an instrument, they will expect the composition student to continue to take lessons on that instrument. Look at the audition requirements for each instrument and see which one is more comfortable for him - also, which instrument will he want to continue studying?</p>

<p>As for universities vs conservatories - that’s a whole other thread!</p>

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<p>Thanks for the reply. The composition end a little confusing. Some school’s websites are more clear about audition requirements than others. Frankly I find the whole composition aspect of being a musician’s mom difficult - much easier to get piano, clarinet or even oboe lessons. Composition lessons…do they even exist?</p>

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<p>As a junior in high school, your son should start working with a composition teacher asap. I think many others here will agree. Beyond the progress student composers can make with a good teacher, teachers also can advise and help with the selection of schools and the application process, and they can help find ways to get compositions played as well.</p>

<p>Teachers can be found through the nearest conservatory or university, if you have one w/in driving distance. Or through composers groups. I found one for my daughter by making a cold call to a composer someone had mentioned, a very intimidating woman who practically sneered “Noone can teach composition.” I persisted, quaking in my boots, until she finally confessed that she had sent her son to a teacher, and that he was now a conductor in Vienna. She gave me the name of her son’s teacher, who literally changed my daughter’s life. Not by telling her how to write music, but by allowing her the freedom to be herself, musically, an amazing gift for any young person to receive.</p>

<p>Your son might also want to learn some theory, and do some aural training, if he hasn’t already. This can be done in classes or with a teacher, depending on finances. Many composition auditions include placement exams on theory, but no need to worry, they really are placement exams, as far as we could tell. Still, it can be disconcerting if the student has not studied theory at all. (And, again, perhaps your son has, particularly as a pianist.)</p>

<p>My daughter is a classical guitarist, and composer. She applied to both conservatories and colleges for composition. The handful that also required audition on an instrument, did not offer auditions for classical guitar, so she did not apply to the state university, BU or a few others that had the instrument requirement for composers. Your son of course will have more choices and can audition in either. Others have good suggestions on this issue.</p>

<p>Some students apply to both conservatories and colleges, and then make the decision in April of their senior year. The choice can depend on what other interests the student may have. And students are still changing rapidly in senior year. For composers, colleges and universities often offer great courses and opportunities, but studentsmay have to be entrepreneurial to get their music played.There are also schools that offer dual degrees (BM and BA like Bard and Oberlin) or offer the best of two worlds in other ways.</p>

<p>Does your son compose only for piano, and does he play all of his pieces himself?</p>

<p>There are many threads on this, but briefly, the composition portfolios required by conservatories usually would include 3-4 pieces, and the schools like them to be varied. So your son might want to start working on getting that portfolio ready (again, a teacher could help). Summer programs can also be helpful in getting pieces played, and in developing as a composer (see other threads). It is not too late to apply to some, like Walden School in NH, or New York Summer Music Festival. There may be others still open for applications.</p>

<p>For college programs, submitting compositions is optional, usually through an arts supplement, but it can help a lot with admissions.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>My S is also a prospective composition major. We have not received any decisions yet from the 4 schools he applied to, so I can’t tell you yet if our approach was successful. He decided very late on studying composition instead of performance, and plays only electric guitar, so that narrowed down our list of schools considerably. He never had a private composition teacher, though his guitar teacher is a composer and gave him some valuable feedback on a piece he wrote for guitar and used for his portfolio and auditions.</p>

<p>I can tell you that Temple does not require any instrumental audition for composition majors. NYU does, and also expects you to play one of your compositions in your audition. Most schools require three pieces of varying styles and instrumentation. Many schools we visited assume that composers play and compose on the piano, but on the other hand they see a LOT of pianists, so if your student plays a more unusual instrument very well and can write for it, he might “stand out” more in auditions and interviews. </p>

<p>Compmom has some great advice for younger students. I only wish my son had discovered his composition talents and interests sooner, so he could have taken advantage of some of these summer programs and gotten a private instructor. I think his music is fantastic, but he has never played it for a professional or academic composer, so we are anxiously awaiting results of all of his auditions to see how good he really is.</p>

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<p>Mom2Winds, I do not intend to prejudice instruments in my post in any way and ultimately your son can choose as he pleases, but I personally feel that at the end of the day piano is a bit more practical pursuit in terms of composition (and live performance of compositions, and video game or film scoring) from the very simple standpoint that much of midi-related sequencing/input, synth, workstation composition etc. requires absolute facility/dexterity/speed on keyboard. I also feel that mastery of piano facilitates theory and can make one a more prolific songwriter.</p>

<p>My son was/is a trumpet player who attends a university conservatory in the specialized discipline of “performing arts technology - music comp/recording”, but picked up piano late in the game and still to this day wishes he had started piano earlier. While he obviously writes for and with multiple instruments (eg. recent fetish for viola and accordion :wink: ) his work ends up being processed through a work station at some point or another. </p>

<p>A third advantage, to my mind, flows from the Lady GaGa concert we attended earlier this week. (I know, not classical…) On the upper riser they had a workstation/synth set up that was carrying about 40% of the big sound instrumentation. Live drums, live guitar, live violin, but a LOT of enhancement via keyboard/synth. Lady GaGa herself (who formerly had a background as a production songwriter in New York before commoditizing pop :wink: ) had keyboards “buried” in different locations on stage (one under the hood of a car) to solo on at key points. It drove home to me the complete flexibility of strong, early piano skills (she had piano lessons from age 4).</p>

<p>At any rate, that’s my .02 but I could be woefully misinformed and just regretful that I myself didn’t stay with piano as a child ;)</p>

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<p>My son is waiting to hear back from colleges (he wants to major in composition). I, too, highly recommend hiring a composition person (perhaps a professor or graduate student at a nearby university). A monthly meeting is probably all that is needed in terms of helping your son prepare a portfolio and music resume. I so much wish we had done this. My son sort of stumbled into it. He applied to both conservatories and regular schools with a music program. There are advantages to both. Some of the really small schools (which he favors) have only a single professor for music and composition, so he took the time to meet with these individuals since it’s critical for him to feel comfortable with them. I recommend using the college confidential search engine to find schools that teach theory/composition and narrow it down to a couple dozen choices. Then have him read over the programs. Some are quite in-depth, leaving only room to fill the general requirements and no more. He will have to ask himself if he wants that intensive a program. Also, I think he will have an advantage with piano since most composition is written for the piano and schools will want as much proficiency as possible. I would recommend that he audition for both instruments if he can (my son did this at some schools). Good luck!</p>

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<p>Composition teachers - my son started working on music theory and simple composition once a week for half an hour starting when he was eight. When he was ten he moved to a professional composer for one hour lessons every two weeks. Then hour and a half. We spaced them every two weeks so he would have plenty of time to compose. When he was in high school he joined a pre-college young composers program where he added a weekly musicology class. This was in addition to his weekly cello and piano lessons. By the end of high school he was either having weekly hour composition lessons, or bi-weekly two hour lessons. The last year of high school he did change teachers to a professor from the local university music department - not because his previous teacher no longer had anything to teach him - but just because it was time for a change in his musical and personal development. He did attend one summer composition program, but usually worked at home with his private teachers.</p>

<p>My son is not the norm - but he is not alone either. There is a significant group of young composers who have all studied composition this intensely before college. This is not to say a student cannot come later to composition. But when you’re competing at the top programs for limited spots and scholarships - know that these other composition students are out there.</p>

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<p>Wow. That is intimidating. What college did your son attend, SpiritManager?</p>

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<p>Wow! You guys are great. You have given me (and my S and H) a lot to think about. </p>

<p>I will have S read this thread. We will give very careful consideration to all of it. </p>

<p>He is more than proficient on the piano, but certainly not at the level of concert pianist. He has taken theory at school and next year will take AP theory. He has shared his work three college professors (composition professors) and has gotten some support and feedback from all three. But I can certainly see where having him work some more with professional/grad students would be a plus. </p>

<p>Thank you also for your thoughts about piano vs clarinet. The input you gave me was exactly the sort of feedback I was looking for.</p>

<p>I think we are on the right track…now we need to fine tune the the specific plan.</p>

<p>All other thoughts and input is always appreciated.</p>

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<p>I like your plan, mom2winds. A professional will also help your son develop his portfolio. I’m glad you’re getting an early start. We didn’t figure most of this out till fall of this year.</p>

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<p>Wow, Kmcmom13 sees it EXACTLY how I do. I would really think that piano would be the best instrument for a comp major.</p>

<p>Maybe the fact that her son’s situation is almost identical to my son’s, as far as being a trumpet player who “picked up piano late in the game and still to this day wishes he had started piano earlier.”</p>

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<p>I bet many musicians would say they wish they picked up the piano earlier. I think both of my kids would say that…</p>

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<p>I’m also a junior in hs and am a clarinetist/pianist/composer.</p>

<p>I wouldn’t worry so much with regard to instrument. For me, I realized that, while I am a very capable pianist, I am not quite at the level I’d need to be to get a performance degree considering the immense competition. However, I am going to keep studying and playing on the side though because it is a great skill to have. Being able to read through scores, play my own compositions, and just learn music because I genuinely enjoy it is something that I am really grateful for. I will be able to test out of any required keyboard classes and free up time in my schedule for clarinet/composition, which are what I want to focus on. </p>

<p>I personally would vouch for continuing clarinet if he could. Many modern composers do not understand wind instruments and areas like breathing, things that are just incredibly awkward, et cetera. Not to mention that getting to play in an ensemble allows you to really listen to how different parts fit in and makes you more aware of counterpoint, blend, and moving lines. Also, just because you aren’t studying something as a primary interest doesn’t mean you have to stop all together! </p>

<p>I’m not sure if this is the case, but if he’s applying as a composition major, would the instrumental audition be held to as high of a level as performance majors? Maybe ask schools their policy on this.</p>

<p>This is where it gets tricky…
I want to study both clarinet and composition at a high level. I have been told that I could do a double degree; I’ve also been told that it’s better to put more time into one or the other. At the very least, I will be majoring in one and continuing the other actively on the side. I’m trying to figure it out too! PM if you want, mom2winds.</p>

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<p>@Musician34 there is a wonderful composer at Bard Conservatory graduating this year who is doing a triple degree - he is getting a BM in Clarinet Performance, BM in Composition, and BA in Dance. So it is possible - although, at Bard it’s actually harder to meet the requirements if the BA is in the arts arena.</p>

<p>I agree with you about Clarinet and ensemble playing. Btw. John Adams is a clarinetist and played with the Boston Symphony during college…</p>

<p>As a composer in college you will have lots of opportunities to play music, as well as write it. As for the level expected during auditions - my guess is generally the standards are lower - unless you’re also applying for a performance major. But that will definitely depend on the college. At Northwestern my son would have studied cello with a grad student - at Michigan he would have been in one of the major studios. At USC he wouldn’t have had lessons at all, but was expected to perform in an ensemble…</p>

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<p>I’m not sure that I need to/feasibly could study all three in college- piano on the side would be best because I know that ‘just’ clarinet/comp. would be very time consuming as it is! In all honestly, I don’t really see myself stopping composing or playing clarinet (or at least picking a front runner in high school). That being said… I’m not entirely sure on the logistics of doing two music majors. Plus, I’ve realized that a school that’s good for one might not necessarily be good for the other. Composition is something that is more independent by nature (apart from the performance side) so I could always just find a mentor for that and continue outside.</p>

<p>Come to think of it, I remember Adams mentioning his clarinet playing from in his blog & book. Although most of the time when he mentioned them (apart from in his youth), there were references to them gathering dust in the corner of his apartment. :)</p>

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<p>This may or may not be helpful, but at my son’s last college audition, all the potential trumpet students had the opportunity to meet with the trumpet professor. He had all the “performance” majors raise their hands, and then all the other music majors. One guy said that he was a conducting major and asked if he would still be taking trumpet lessons. </p>

<p>The professor explained that it really didn’t matter what their specialty was because in all music careers, even if they didn’t perform for a living, they had to be musicians first.</p>

<p>He then went on to tell them how much he expected ALL of them to practice, I think that he was expecting to hear a gasp from the non-performance majors. He didn’t get one, seems that everyone in that particular group already understood that.</p>

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<p>Musician34, indeed many do not know how to write for winds and indeed ensemble experience is highly valuable. At some schools (like my son’s), you would be in an ensemble regardless of your selected studio (required of any students who receive ANY talent scholarship at all). The question would be what studio you wanted to take to advance your principal performance (it would have to be the one you auditioned in on for the BMus performance…but in this school’s case, you would also be in a major studio for your instrument as a composition student (UMich)). You could also major in clarinet performance and take a non-principal studio in piano if one desired to advance piano skills without the degree per se or need for a triple degree. My son did this with a vocal studio. So it’s quite possible to serve all your interests.
Good luck in your search!</p>

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<p>For others reading this, it is possible to study composition and not play any instrument at all at a college or conservatory. Some of the best conservatories do not require that a composer play an instrument (the composition students can do chorus instead, for instance at NEC).</p>

<p>My daughter does not compose with an instrument at all. She has played clarinet, a little piano, and the classical guitar (but has never written for guitar). Every composer’s process is different, but many of the conservatories (and colleges) do honor the type of composer who hears the music and writes it down w/out a piano or any other instrument in the process.</p>

<p>However, that does mean getting someone to play pieces once written, which can be a pain if at a college and not conservatory, or maybe even at conservatory!</p>

<p>Another thing, to be reassuring maybe, our daughter started composing in junior year, went to one summer program, and for her junior year studied only once/month with a composition professor at a college. So not that much background. She tried to play catchup in senior year with a theory class at conservatory prep, but other students had been there for years and solfege, in particular, was difficult for her. However, I would say she did very well with admissions. Composers often start later than other musicians, and at a certain age can develop very quickly.</p>

<p>We hired a local musician to play her first well-recorded piece, a clarinet trio. That’s all we could think of to do. He was a clarinetist, and ended up volunteering, and also got two others to play for very low pay. So it cost little and they snuck her into a local college’s recording studio one Sunday morning! Then they “commissioned her” for a concert at the same college, and paid her $300! Honestly, they were taking her under their wing the way that people do for young people.</p>

<p>So good things can come from seeking musicians, and while students are still in high school, it seems that there are many people who want to help young composers out. So going outside of pieces that are played on one’s own instrument can result in that kind of involvement by others, which is always nice.</p>