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gale,

wow, I am surprised to hear that you practice that much.. if that's the case you'll probably fit right in. A lot of people don't go far with the music degree because of time commitment.. not only do you have to practice, you have to do ensembles classes.. etc. I think it's do-able as long as you are patient.

Could you tell me how the performance expectations might differ in a B.A. program? Do you mean less technical skill or less demanding repertoire (maybe that's really the same thing??) I'm new to how this all works. Thanks.

[quote=Kreisler]
That being said, I'd also suggest a Bachelor of Arts program. Although it's not a performance degree, a BA would still provide you with a credential, and BA programs are often very flexible - the performance expectation is not as high on the audition, but you can still tailor the degree to include most of the same coursework as a performance degree. Add in a couple of elective recitals, and the only difference between the two is the letters on the diploma.

I did a BA in Piano at a state uni. Typically your "group ensemble" requirements are a bit less than for the BM performance degree. Also, your "senior project" can be a recital or a thesis project on paper, you get to pick.

Also, when you audition (atleast at state schools) you are usually auditioning to get accepted and to receive "state paid lessons." Otherwise you pay for your lessons outside of your tuition costs. For us, the BA majors only got 30 min lessons per week, whereas the BM majors got an hour.

~Jennifer Eklund

I think it depends on the school. I went to a small liberal arts college and got my BA. It didn't make any difference if you were a major or a minor, you got the same length of lesson. Every music major had the same ensemble requirement and, while there was an option for a senior project, only the "lazy" people took it.

At my university, BA students also normally get 1/2 hour lessons, which I found ridiculous. You can barely get started the lesson before it's over, and my piano instruction is more important to me than the other coursework. I only got hour lessons after fighting for them. The BA degree also only requires 2 years of lessons.

Thanks for the info. I am several years away from being skilled enough to qualify for admission, but it's really motivating to think about the possibilities!

Gale

I say go for it! When I did my Masters in piano performance, I was the youngest and I was 31!...ages ranged up to 50 in my Masters group.

gale ~ I've always been curious, so I'm glad that you asked this question! I've always wondered about Julliard (fascination only) and this is what I found:

"The Juilliard School seeks students whose talent and commitment to excellence promise future achievement in their chosen areas of major study. The Committee on Admissions selects students primarily on the basis of their performance at competitive auditions held at The Juilliard School and in selected cities around the country. All auditions are evaluated by members of the faculty.

The School does not set a minimum or maximum age limit. In general, however, the faculty and the Committee on Admissions will give preference to students in the formative stages of their artistic development who will benefit most from the type of training available at Juilliard."

So they'll favor the youngsters but wouldn't rule out an exceptionally talented older person. And some of us are late bloomers. Also, we're all living so much longer, so say you started playing at 40, put in the requisite 15,000 hours of practice to reach competency (say 7.5 years practicing 5.5 hours a day, less years if you're not a beginner) -- you'd be 48 when applying for programs. If you die at 88, you'll have played competitively for 40 years!

Keep those dreams alive!

Susan

Except the brain works a lot differently at 40 than it does at 8.

I've been on internet forums for over a decade, and I still haven't found anyone who's gone from scratch to mastery as an adult. (Nor have I found anyone who will actually admit it's not possible.)

I haven't read Gladwell's study, but I'd be very interested in what he has to say about when those 10,000 hours happen. (Can anyone who's read it comment?)

What about the guy (NY surgeon?) who was struck by lightning via a pay phone and became obsessed by classical piano. I believe he went from scratch to mastery as an adult.

That's quite interesting about Julliard. My dream cetainly doesn't extend THAT far, but a small, local college would be a wonderful place for me to grow.

And I would like to say that I wholeheartedly agree that an adult brain works much differently that a child's brain. All those neural pathways take longer to develop, but many of them can develop with persistance. I don't really think the sky is the limit anymore, but it doesn't stop me from working and dreaming about reality-based (I hope) possibilities.

I spent the last hour listening to Anne-Marie McDermott's CD titled Bach. I love the Menuet I from Partita No. 1 in B flat BWV825. It's on youtube if you want to see a sample. Oh my goodness--the joy, depth and inspiration of her playing will fuel me for days!

Gale Welden
a very adult student

Wouldn't that be a cool reality show for PBS? 40 or 50 or 60-something auditions for Julliard? And wouldn't it be cool and if he or she was selected and to watch the freshman year with all the brilliant youngsters? I'd watch it.

There was a guy I knew in college. As a freshman, he took the beginning piano class. By the time he graduated (with a chemistry/pre-med major), he was playing good literature (Mozart sonatas, Debussy preludes). I thought that was incredible.

This is something I also keep wondering about.

I am 51 years old and have a DMA in cello from a good conservatory. I've also played the piano on and off most of my life. My current working situation (not in music) is not very rewarding, but I don't really want to delve back into playing the cello professionally again (talk about a youth-oriented world ... string playing is it). I do like playing the cello, but the piano is musically more interesting for various reasons. I've wondered if I could possibly teach piano.

I've had glimmers of that feeling of fluency you have when things are working, but they are hard-won and fleeting. I haven't even been taking lessons and know I need to make more of a commitment if I ever want to get better.

Sigh.

gale, I know what you mean about wanting a structured situation. I've thought about applying to get into the local community college just to give it a try. But there are so many -- well, mean (for lack of a better word) teachers out there who will belittle anyone who is not a 10-year-old prodigy. It sounds like you have found someone who inspires you. I hope you continue to find joy in the process and meet encouraging people.