Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner A few questions about majoring in Music in college

First of all, hello! I'm new to this forum but plan on coming here fairly often. I'm in need of some advice.

I have my mind (and heart!) set on majoring in Music in college (I am about to enter my senior year of high school). I'm probably going to major in something like Composition/Songwriting, Sound Recording/Technology, or Film Scoring/Music for Visual Media. So I'm definitely not going to be majoring in Piano performance. But what one of my music teachers told me is that any music major, no matter what the focus/specialty is, needs to "declare an instrument." That leads me to my first question: What exactly does it mean to "declare an instrument"?

You might be wondering how in the world I will be majoring in Music in college if I'm not already, by the age of 17, fairly proficient at any single instrument. Well, I've never been in any school music ensemble to speak of (although, looking back, I wish I had joined one). Since I was a little kid, I've loved to sing, I took drum lessons for a while, I took guitar lessons for several years, and I've picked up a little bit of piano in the past year. So I'm halfway decent at playing a bunch of different instruments, but not particularly proficient at any single one of them. I figure Piano would be the most useful instrument to play, seeing as it is so versatile, and I love the way it sounds.

My problem is, I'm supposed to start applying to colleges within the next 6-7 months. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I assume this also means I will be auditioning my piano skills in 6-7 months. I'm relatively short on time, and I have only rudimentary piano skills. I can read music notation (although I am completely unable to sight-read), and I'm almost finished learning how to play a piece solely from sheet music (To Zanarkand, by Nobuo Uematsu). But I know that, as things stand right now, I would certainly not be able to pass a piano audition of any sort.

My main question is: What would be the best way to prepare my piano skills for a college music major audition, preferably without taking professional lessons? Due to my family's financial situation, I really can't afford to take lessons right now. I was hoping perhaps someone here knew of a high-quality, indepth book/software/internet course on piano training. But any other advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance,

Danny

How about declaring "voice" as your instrument? You say you like to sing. Very few male singers your age have developed any real skill at singing, as their voices have only recently changed. It wouldn't at all be like competing against pianists who have been working at it since they were six or seven. It may be all you would have to do is prepare a few classically oriented songs with a pianist, and go ahead and audition. You may have to take some voice lessons, and who knows, singing may be what you want to do. If not, it will give you some time to work on piano, music theory, and just generally orient yourself as a serious music student, with the intent of declaring a different instrument later on.

Tomasino

I would say to contact the colleges you are interested in. Tell them your choices of majors and ask what they advise. If you are "behind" according to their expected time table, you can still move forward with your plans. It may be possible to attend the college as an undeclared major while taking classes to prepare you for entrance in the music school/department.

"Declaring an instrument" means indicating which instrument you will take lessons on as your applied instrument. Depending on the school, and program, composition, music history, sound recording, etc. majors would have to take lessons for at least part of their time in school - for example, two years.

The auditions for majoring in those areas could be less strict, and acceptence would not be weighted as much on how you do on the audition as - say - someone auditioning to be a piano performance major.

Also, you say you have your "heart set" on being a music major, but don't seem to mind if that is in composition, sounds recording, visual media... So, what do you want to do with that major when you leave school?

Having raised a son who is a singer let me assure you that there are boys who have been honing their singing skills since early childhood. They can claim to have attended various honor choirs and achieved superior ratings in "contest."

Danny is in a similar position to where I was as a high school senior, except that I was proficient at an instrument, electric guitar (not exactly conservatory material). Berklee was a relatively new school back then and I was dissuaded from applying there. I did get a music education, but don't expect that to lead to a job. Danny suggests majoring in composition or music production and that's a reasonable possibility, but both businesses are very competitive. In fact recording studios have been closing for about a decade because it's cheaper and easier to buy some equipment and record on your own. I know a bit about being a composer and this is much easier if you have an academic job. That will mean eventually getting a PhD and teaching other kids how to be a musician. Even so you'll still need an entrepreneurial spirit to succeed as a composer, film scorer, recording engineer or music producer.

Here's my advice, find a way to take piano lessons. If that means getting a part time job in order to pay for them they'll mean that much more to you. Consider taking a year off to hone your skills and work and save money. In your senior year participate in choir and drill solfegge on your own as well as in class (there's nothing better for ear training). You have a lot of catching up to do and the only cure is to immerse yourself in developing your musicianship. One thing you have going for you is the expectation that composers don't have to be particularly good players, but as a composer I'll tell you that being skilled at piano REALLY helps, but you've got the rest of your life to to improve. It can be done, but it won't be easy. You can get ahead of the pack by starting to study music theory now and incorporating that into your piano practice. Knowing the keys, scales, arpeggios and getting a start on 4 part harmony will only help you as a composer or film scorer.

One last thing. You might look for a quality music business program. Check out what they offer for summer internships, who they're connected with in the industry and what their business course requirements are (the more the better). Having studied both music and business there are 4 business courses I'd consider absolutely crucial, accounting (both financial and managerial), marketing, and financial management. There should also be a full year music business course that covers fundamentals of copyright, licensing, artist management and event production.

Making a living in the music industry is a big world and there are many ways for those with less musical ability/training to be involved. It has aspects that resemble the famous Hunter Thompson quote (which originally related to the TV industry), but it doesn't have to.

"Consider taking a year off to hone your skills and work and save money."

I question that. Probability is you will most likely never start up again. May be the only way to get the job done but do that as a last resort. Secondary paths often lead to a very different destination.

My two cents.

James

If someone were truly intent on and dedicated to pursuing a music career, then taking a year off to get good enough to be accepted somewhere is not an issue. If he finds he gets sidetracked during that year off, then he didn't want it badly enough, and in that case a music career isn't the right choice.

On the other hand I don't suppose there would be any harm in applying next year to see what happens. If he doesn't get accepted because of lack of proficiency on an instrument, then he can take the year off and apply again.

Depends what school you goto obviously. I attend a community college, and 90% of the students here are just as bad as I am at piano, after only a year of formal training (not counting the few years I studied as a child). I suppose it's a different situation but you might want to consider going to community college where they dont expect much proficiency at an instrument should you get advice from someone who knows about colleges and says you need to have a decent audtion.

I personally am majoring in vocal performance and will have to audition to get accepted to another college when I transfer, but I had no skills when I started here.

Declaring an instrument is not the same as declaring your major. Everyone has to take private lessons and participate in ensembles, so they just need to know numbers - how many people will they have in band, orchestra, chorus, jazz band, etc. I majored in technology and due to my assistantship, my "declared instrument" was trombone (I [used to] play piano and trombone equally well). So essentially, I played trombone in concert band, brass ensemble, and trombone lessons.

If your grades are good the schools probably won't turn you away, they will just make you take some remedial classes first so you can catch up (watch out for this - it may end up taking 5 years to finish college). I wouldn't worry about it overmuch, but you should still practice some. I would start out with a book like Bastien's Piano for the Older Beginner, and go through and teach yourself as much as you can. And maybe your family can find a teacher who is willing to meet with you once a month or something.

Best of luck!

Bastien books:
http://www.allegromusiconline.com/M...amp;Store_Code=AMO&Category_Code=BOB

I also want to major in music in college, but I'm not sure what exactly I want to major in. Besides music I'm also interested in psychology. So I've thought about music ed. or becoming a psychologist. But what I would really like is some way to combine the two (not music therapy please)... or some other way to major in music without it being music perf. (which is much too hard to actually be successful in) or "music industry".

Any ideas?
(sorry to sort of hi-jack the thread... but it goes along with the thread title!)

If there is any way you can get a teacher, do so because it is very difficult to prepare an audition on your own. Maybe a teacher from your school can help you out.

I know, I've read up on college music auditions and I have a couple of teachers to help me prepare. But I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for what to major in. Or just information on majors involving music (and music with psychology if possible).

There are three majors that commonly involve music - a BM (Bachelor of Music), a BS in Ed (Bachelor of Science in Education), and a BA (Bachelor of Arts.)

The BM is a music-intensive degree in performance, composition, or theory.

The BS in Ed. prepares someone for teaching and certification in the K-12 public schools.

The BA is a more generalized liberal arts degree that carries some coursework in music.


The only one of these degrees with a clear vocational path is the BS in Ed. A BM is usually followed by graduate study in music, and a BA degree can go pretty much anywhere. (I've known people with BA degrees end up in music publishing, sound design, non-profit administration or grant work, or in completely unrelated fields like medicine, law, or selling used cars.)

The only field that really combines music with psychology is Music Therapy, although there are several areas that involve both fields - performance psychology, educational psychology, and music perception. None of these areas is a degree unto itself, and work in these areas is typically done at the graduate level and depends on the specific interests of one's thesis or dissertation adviser.

Also be aware that there are slight differences between schools. Not all schools offer a BA, and some careers in the arts are best served by having a degree in something other than music. (For example, someone interested in music journalism might be better suited in a Journalism program, while someone interested in non-profit work may seek a business degree that's tailored to that industry instead.)

Thanks for the info, Kreisler. It stinks that there aren't somehow more options... I just know I really want to continue music and don't want to stop in college. And I don't feel like I could be the kind of person to keep my flute and piano around the house "in case I feel like it". That would be a sad, sad place to be in .

I think I'd really like to study the effect music has on people. Something like the psychology of music? I guess once I actually get to a college things will become a bit more clearer.

...Or I could always run away and become a gypsy...

At some universities, there's always the option of a minor. Not all departments offer a music minor, and not all degrees allow for a minor, but it's another possibility worth considering.

And, especially for flute, wind ensembles and bands always have open auditions - they're not just for majors.

My nephew went to music school, somewhere in Colorado.

He couldn't read music when he entered. Nor could he play an instrument, but he fancied himself a talented singer.

He's 30 now and makes his living as a rap DJ.

Unfortunately, the field of psychology is traditionally carved up into distinct sub-areas, and the psychology of music is not one of them. To expand on what Kreisler said earlier, in addition to fields like educational psychology, you'll find people conducting research on music-related issues in cognitive psychology and neuroscience. (Daniel Levitin, for example, the author of "This is your brain on music," is a cognitive neuroscientist.) But Kreisler is correct that this kind of study generally takes place at the graduate level, and you'd have to find a graduate school where there was a faculty member conducting research you were interested in... and there aren't that many faculty members out there doing that kind of research. This is good news for people who want to be innovative and make their mark on a field but bad news for prospective students trying to decide where to go to school.

Good luck!!

Probably not undergrads who are thinking of grad school have the same problem.

I have seen people come into grad school thinking they would combine something else they love with a field of study (in my case, anthropology)...the problem is, that's going at it backwards.

To study the psychology of music successfully, you would be a psychologist, and not a musician. The fact that you were studying music, instead of dog ownership or skydiving, wouldn't matter much. You'd have to be deeply involved in and fascinated with psychology itself, not as a means to study music. Music would be a convenient vehicle to study something that deeply interests you in psychology, not because you care at all about music. In fact, the fact that you're a musician yourself might actually be a hindrance as you have lots of preconceived notions about music.

Some music departments might have combined majors in "music and _____" or some colleges have interdisciplinary degrees, where you can combine 2 different fields and explore your options for careers. Even if you don't want to be a music therapist, per say, there might be study programs in music therapy that study why this type of therapy is valuable for people with mental disorders, or something (to throw in the psychology aspect), you could study music therapy without being a music therapist yourself?

I don't know if I'm being clear, this is kind of hard to explain in writing.

I wouldn't be too concerned if you don't know exactly what you want to do with music. Just get into a school in any way you can, and I believe, if you really want to, you'll be able to find your way, and you'll find lots of people who will help you.

On my first day of college way back in 1963, there were two fellows sitting on either side of me in music theory who were seriously wondering what the black dots were doing all over the music. I'm not kidding. They didn't know. They said they wanted to major in music because they really liked music. That's all they had. Somehow they found their place. They worked hard. They participated, tried out for choir, took lessons on the flute and class piano. Other students helped them, and professors, seeing their serious intent, made some necessary exceptions on their behalf.

One of them just retired from a career lasting more than forty years as one of the best high school choir directors in the state of Minnesota. I attended his retirement dinner last June, and heard many of his former students stand up and tell of how he had inspired them with his first class musicianship and character. The other eventually took a PhD in music education, and the last I heard, decades ago, was on a tenure track at a college in Missouri.

Not bad. Not bad at all for a couple of guys who couldn't read music the first day of theory, but just knew they really liked music.

Tomasino