<p>I know that Yale School of Music is a grad school. I'm not particularly interested in the academic (history and theory) degrees offered in the undergrad Department of Music; if I attended Yale, I would most likely pursue an English or History major while taking as many performance classes and opportunities as possible. How is the quality of the performance training/environment for undergrads?</p>
<p>I am also quite interested about Yale’s opportunities for undergraduate musical training and performance opportunity, ESPECIALLY for a non-Music major.</p>
<p>There are multiple high level orchestras and world class teachers. One of the best violinists we know attended Yale as a science major and took advantage of their musical opportunities to great success.</p>
<p>The Halloween orchestra concert is worth attending, even if you don’t end up participating!</p>
<p>There are many threads specific to Yale, and lots within other threads with posts concerning Yale. But here’s one older thread which, in Post 6 links to a number of the other threads about studying music as an undergraduate at Yale: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/684160-music-performance-yale-undergraduate.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/684160-music-performance-yale-undergraduate.html</a></p>
<p>And stringkeymom’s son is at Yale and can give some in depth answers, I’m sure.</p>
<p>I can also give more info regarding music at Yale, having had 2 sons there. Both have been quite involved in performance groups. The Yale Symphony has students of conservatory level, but many are not music majors. Feel free to p.m. If you have questions.</p>
<p>S1 and I heard the Yale Concert Band 4 years ago in a rehearsal and they were awesome. the trumpet parts in the piece they were playing were extremely difficult and they were played well. I think you will enjoy the music atmosphere at Yale as an undergrad. The students were extremely friendly and the band director spent an hour talking to us.</p>
<p>VC, feel free to PM me if you like. My son is a senior at Yale this year (where he has studied violin, composing, piano, conducting and choral music, but is not a music major, at least not this week) and I’m happy to answer any of your questions. Being a music major is not at all a requirement. In fact, some of the strongest musicians at Yale are there because they didn’t just want to do music–many were also accepted to conservatories, or even transferred to Yale from conservatories, precisely because they were seeking the strongest possible musical performance context within which to study another subject they were passionate about. So I would say a majority of the musicians are majoring in an academic subject.</p>
<p>Yale undergraduate musicians may audition to take lessons for credit with School of Music faculty if they fulfill the music theory pre-requisites, either through course work or placing out via testing. This is regardless of whether or not they are majoring in music. There is also an auditioned Chamber Ensemble course that grants credit, as well as many auditioned ensembles. The Yale Symphony Orchestra numbers many members who chose Yale over Juilliard, NEC, etc. making it a very strong ensemble. There are sufficient musical competitions to make life interesting. There are also the Residential College orchestras (Berkely Symphony, Saybrook, Jonathan Edwards Philharmonic, Davenport Pops, etc.) which are quite good. Many of the YSO members also play in a college ensembles. </p>
<p>Worth noting is the five year degree, which allows a Yale undergraduate to begin the M.M. at the School of Music in their senior year of college. It is not necessary to major in music to do this.</p>
<p>Even if you aren’t interested in the academic side (theory, analysis, music history), you might find attractive the courses in advanced ear training (comparable to a conservatory course), conducting, and the auditioned performance seminars for credit that focus on a particular composer (for example, the Brahms Performance Seminar).</p>
<p>Many of the faculty teach both at the School of Music and in the Yale College Music Department.</p>
<p>"Yale undergraduate musicians may audition to take lessons for credit with School of Music faculty if they fulfill the music theory pre-requisites, either through course work or placing out via testing. This is regardless of whether or not they are majoring in music. "
This depends very much on your instrument. Many/most of the School of Music Faculty do not live in New Haven and are not able to teach both grad students and undergrads. Grad student do teach undergrads, however, and some are excellent musicians.
Now that the School of Music is entirely tuition free, there are very few Yale college student who are able to do the 5 year BA-MM program (in fact it may even be phasing out)</p>
<p>Where did you hear that it may be phasing out? S has friends who just entered the BA-MM program last year and S is thinking about it. We have not heard anything about it not continuing.</p>
<p>Heard from current grad students (including D) but this may depend entirely on the individual instrumental teachers. Just meant this as a warning that it’s not necessarily a sure bet for undergrads who want to continue in music performance.</p>
<p>I now have a visit and a lesson scheduled later this fall. Any suggestions on what I should do/see while I’m there to get a real sense of the school?</p>
<p>Try to arrange to sit in on a Yale Symphony Orchestra rehearsal, and possibly even play for the conductor, Maestro Shimada (who might be the person reviewing your arts supplement) Visit the School of Music and try to meet some of the students in the cello studio (I am assuming you are a cellist) Ask the teacher about his/her schedule and whether you will be able to have lessons with him (her) or with grad students. Look carefully at BA degree requirements and find out how many credits might be earned in music performance activities.</p>
<p>I also suggest that you check out distribution requirements at various schools, course load, and other factors related to academics that might or might not affect your time for music.</p>
<p>In addition to the Halloween Show (which you might have trouble getting tickets to) the fall YSO concerts are Oct. 6 and Nov. 10. Both feature the concerto competition winners. I’m especially looking forward to the Oct concert :)</p>
<p>nyc, not sure where you are getting your information, but we know a couple of kids in the 5 year program right now, and I don’t believe it’s being phased out. What we hear from the undergrads is that most enjoy Yale so much, they decide to do four years and then apply for the 2 year MM. My son has 2 friends who just did this.</p>
<p>Also, yes, it is competitive to get the lessons with Yale School of Music faculty. Some instruments are more difficult than others, and I fear cello is one of the toughest (because of Aldo Parisot). </p>
<p>The first stands of YSO are studying at SOM, as well as a few pianists we know. One area where that is apparently never an option (formally) is in composition.</p>
<p>Violincellist: PM me if you like and I can introduce you to my son if you’d like to talk to someone while you’re on campus. You might like to visit Prof. Wendy Sharp’s chamber music class if possible and I would definitely encourage you to contact Prof. Sharp. You might also like to contact Prof. Michael Friedmann to see if you could sit in on his advanced musicianship class.</p>
<p>Definitely visit a YSO rehearsal or see a concert. I’m not sure if it’s really necessary to meet Maestro Toshi right now or audition for him. BTW, an additional perk is that YSO does tour and went to Turkey year before last and is going to Brazil this summer. You might also be interested to note that Yale musicians often sub with the New Haven Symphony.</p>
<p>I think you will enjoy visiting Stoeckel hall and the practice rooms there, and Woolsey Hall (where YSO performs–check out the organ)</p>