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Just curious... As I complete my ridiculously boring homework for my general subjects (high school), I can only wonder if conservatory life will be different. For those of you who have entered conservatory, how much time do you get to practice? Is practicing the bulk of your time, or do the other various subjects take away from the practice room? As I get closer to college, I become more and more anxious to be able to practice all day! 
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That really depends on where you intend to study.
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That really depends on where you intend to study. Well, assuming I am (fingers-crossed big time) accepted into one of the best (these are all stretches, of course, but: Oberlin, NEC, Royal Academy, Juilliard, etc.).
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What about Curtis? In my opinion better than Juilliard.
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Polyphonist
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As I get closer to college, I become more and more anxious to be able to practice all day! You won't get to do that until grad school. For most undergrad schools, you'll spend lots of time the first two years on your music core (theory, aural skills, history, and ensembles) and your academic core (English and electives). Coupled with lessons, homework, concert attendance, and accompanying, it can be hard to find a solid stretch of practice time other than the weekends. The most important skill you'll need to learn in the first two years is time management - it's not how much you practice, but what you can accomplish in only an hour or two. Things get easier in the third year once you finish the history and theory sequences (and academics), but it can all feel pretty overwhelming at first!
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That really depends on where you intend to study. Well, assuming I am (fingers-crossed big time) accepted into one of the best (these are all stretches, of course, but: Oberlin, NEC, Royal Academy, Juilliard, etc.). Why are these particular schools - "stretches" - of such importance to you? What plans do you have if you do not get into one of these schools? Even more important : What are your long-term goals and how does Conservatory training fit into those goals as opposed to a degree from a liberal arts college? Regards,
BruceD
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What about Curtis? In my opinion better than Juilliard. Because the acceptance rate is the lowest in the world, five Yuja Wang's could apply and only one would get in  For this reason, it is my oddball one-in-a-million (or, 4 in 100, I suppose) chance school. But, hey- it's free(ish)!!
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That really depends on where you intend to study. Well, assuming I am (fingers-crossed big time) accepted into one of the best (these are all stretches, of course, but: Oberlin, NEC, Royal Academy, Juilliard, etc.). Why are these particular schools - "stretches" - of such importance to you? What plans do you have if you do not get into one of these schools? Even more important : What are your long-term goals and how does Conservatory training fit into those goals as opposed to a degree from a liberal arts college? Regards, Well, I typed out a post, but it deleted itself, so: I say "stretch" because of music's subjectivity! Because auditions can vary from place to place, as can politics, it is hard to gauge the possibility of acceptance. Conversely, for academic institutions, one can better judge the likelihood of acceptance based on SATs, GPA, and other such factors. For this reason, though some of the above are "easier" to get into, my auditions could land me a spot at Juilliard but not at a local music school at which my audition did not go well. These schools are important to me because they are places at which I can cultivate my love for music. Music is so personal to me that I could not begin to explain my longing for it in real words. If I do not get in? Well, I hope it does not come to that, though it is a possibility, of course. My grades are actually really good right now, so I'd have as good a chance as any (within reason) at decently selective universities. However, I cannot picture NOT studying music, so I will not allow my brain to conjure images of failure. Conservatory fits my needs because I need rigorous music competition and performance at my fingertips. It will also tell me if my life will be a life of performance, teaching, or something else entirely. I cannot fathom doing anything but music (and enjoying it). Is that a decent reply?
Last edited by pianorigami; 01/06/14 12:59 AM.
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Thank-you, Brendan, for this great post
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Just curious... As I complete my ridiculously boring homework for my general subjects (high school), I can only wonder if conservatory life will be different. For those of you who have entered conservatory, how much time do you get to practice? Is practicing the bulk of your time, or do the other various subjects take away from the practice room? As I get closer to college, I become more and more anxious to be able to practice all day! Yes, it will be different, very much so (That is if you go to an actual conservatory..some universities will have harder academic reqs) I'm actually going to disagree with Brendan. I did my undergrad in a conservatory where I had a LOT of time to practice. A few hours classes a day at most, and light homework. (The first two years were busier than the last two). My grad was at a university, but they had substantial academics there (many, unfortunately pointless). I also had to do a ton of accompanying in a less-than-inspiring way. (i.e. a Saxaphone player will email you and require that you accompany their lesson in three days, or whatever. Yeah, you'll definitely be practicing, but your plans of making progress on your Chopin Ballade during the weekend will go out the window!)
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My view on the subject is really that you should not look at your education in terms of institutions but rather - who do you want to be studying with? In other words, I'd rate the importance of who's your piano professor higher than which conservatory you're studying in. Being as self-taught as possible is the single best way for becoming a great artist in the modern world, in my opinion. (Having said all that, you should not assume that music theory and other disciplines are not of importance to study, quite the opposite.)
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Being as self-taught as possible is the single best way for becoming a great artist in the modern world, in my opinion. (Having said all that, you should not assume that music theory and other disciplines are not of importance to study, quite the opposite.) In a way, almost everything you learn is self-taught, so you might as well get good at it. Like you said, stuff like theory matters. You do teach yourself that, too, for the most part, but taking courses provides structure and materials. And, if you have good teachers, inspiration and encouragement.
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The other thing that happens is you begin learning to juggle responsibilities given limited time. Some students do their academic work first and then practice for whatever time they have left (if they can find an open practice room). Some practice 8 hours a day no matter what and then fit in academic homework here and there, only completing enough of the assignments to not fail the classes. You get better at what you do the most. In college you do best if you think of yourself as an adult, who does not "get" certain amounts of time to do this or that, but makes a plan for the semester and allocates time due to what his/her own priorities are.
Last edited by hreichgott; 01/06/14 09:41 AM.
Heather Reichgott, piano
Working on:
Mel (Mélanie) Bonis - Sevillana, La cathédrale blessée
William Grant Still - Three Visions
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All of this sounds like the most amazing thing EVER. *sigh* it makes me really regret having not made it to that level when I was younger. I began to move up the ladder in terms of instruction and ended up at age 14 with a teacher who was only taking advancing students and I was shocked with the kind of work I was expected to do and quit a year or so later.
Only now, as an adult, I utterly long for the ability to do just that. I have to stop practicing after several hours by choice, and would kill for a structured way to just delve into music for four years. And as an attorney I have had my fair share of drudgery and I find I like assimilating detail for detail's sake, so I'm pretty sure I would have found even the most arcane theory course interesting.
Anyway, sounds like you and conservatory are a good match. You'll get in somewhere and you'll love it. Consider yourself lucky that you discovered maturity and priorities early enough to go with it.
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pianorigami :
Do keep in mind - from all that I have read (some of it here, on Piano World) - that Conservatory training is a considerably narrower field of career preparation than what a liberal arts degree might provide. There are more Conservatory graduates than music positions available, and while the competition to get in is difficult, once the degree is completed it is even more difficult to find work that will sustain a modest life style as a musician. That is true in many disciplines, alas - more so now than in the past - but I do think you have to temper your idealism
([...]- places at which I can cultivate my love for music.
- Music is so personal to me [...]
- my longing for it[...]
- I cannot picture NOT studying music, [...]
- I need rigorous music competition and performance at my fingertips.[...]
- I cannot fathom doing anything but music [...])
with some more practical plans that will give you independence and a roof over your head.
Speaking of the competition to even get into a Conservatory reminds me to ask you : What is your performance experience? That often - depending upon the Conservatory - is a factor used to determine a candidate's eligibility for admission, I believe.
It is hoped that you have discussed your plans with a guidance counsellor; someone who has evidence of your skills and abilities, your potential and the future possibilities for you after your Conservatory studies.
This is not to discourage you and your plans, but as I read what you have written it verges more on idealism than practicality. Unfortunately, without independent resources that allow us to do what we want - and you may have such resources - we may have to make compromises on the idealistic and plan for the more practical.
Regards,
BruceD
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pianorigami :
Do keep in mind - from all that I have read (some of it here, on Piano World) - that Conservatory training is a considerably narrower field of career preparation than what a liberal arts degree might provide. There are more Conservatory graduates than music positions available, and while the competition to get in is difficult, once the degree is completed it is even more difficult to find work that will sustain a modest life style as a musician. That is true in many disciplines, alas - more so now than in the past - but I do think you have to temper your idealism
([...]- places at which I can cultivate my love for music.
- Music is so personal to me [...]
- my longing for it[...]
- I cannot picture NOT studying music, [...]
- I need rigorous music competition and performance at my fingertips.[...]
- I cannot fathom doing anything but music [...])
with some more practical plans that will give you independence and a roof over your head.
Speaking of the competition to even get into a Conservatory reminds me to ask you : What is your performance experience? That often - depending upon the Conservatory - is a factor used to determine a candidate's eligibility for admission, I believe.
It is hoped that you have discussed your plans with a guidance counsellor; someone who has evidence of your skills and abilities, your potential and the future possibilities for you after your Conservatory studies.
This is not to discourage you and your plans, but as I read what you have written it verges more on idealism than practicality. Unfortunately, without independent resources that allow us to do what we want - and you may have such resources - we may have to make compromises on the idealistic and plan for the more practical.
Regards, I understand your premise, but alas, I must disagree. Music as a profession is EXTREMELY impractical. I get that. But so are so many professions in the arts. But because we might fail, we might end up poor and hungry- does that mean we give up on our passion to find something "practical," instead? In my opinion, no. I "could" study bio-engineering and make tens of thousands of dollars or more a year, but I don't want to. That's not for me. And until the day when music doesn't work out as I hoped, only then can I just give up on what the years preceding taught me.
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I think it is ok to major in music and go to a conservatory as long as you have a backup plan. Why not take pre med classes just in case while you're doing music since you have good grades? You can even take most of them at a community college.
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Just curious... As I complete my ridiculously boring homework for my general subjects (high school), I can only wonder if conservatory life will be different. For those of you who have entered conservatory, how much time do you get to practice? Is practicing the bulk of your time, or do the other various subjects take away from the practice room? As I get closer to college, I become more and more anxious to be able to practice all day! Yes, it will be different, very much so (That is if you go to an actual conservatory..some universities will have harder academic reqs) I'm actually going to disagree with Brendan. I did my undergrad in a conservatory where I had a LOT of time to practice. A few hours classes a day at most, and light homework. (The first two years were busier than the last two). My grad was at a university, but they had substantial academics there (many, unfortunately pointless). I also had to do a ton of accompanying in a less-than-inspiring way. (i.e. a Saxaphone player will email you and require that you accompany their lesson in three days, or whatever. Yeah, you'll definitely be practicing, but your plans of making progress on your Chopin Ballade during the weekend will go out the window!) Yeah, a lot depends on where you go. Since my case was a conservatory within a big public university, there were lots of academic requirements in addition to music stuff. I think I had to take freshman English and two additional academic classes my first semester. That might be less of an issue at Juilliard (unless you're dual-enrolled at Columbia for a double major) or NEC (ditto Harvard), but for most schools it's safe to plan for additional requirements.
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Brendan makes a very good point, and it all depends on how narrowly you define "Conservatory." Often, in common usage, it equates to "school of music" or "music department." A true Conservatory is much more narrow in approach, and for the most part, that means performance at the highest level. An academic degree is not the consideration, but a diploma or artist certificate is.
Whether you are in a degree program, or not, at an institution like Curtis, becomes relevant to your personal requirements and expectations. However, the "award" upon completion can become important in the future.
If you want to be a teacher, a Bachelor/Master of Music becomes and important consideration. If, however, your goal is to be a member of the Chicago Symphony, or a performing soloist with the CSO, a diploma in performance from Juilliard or Curtis might have better set you on the path to achieve your goal.
Either way, at a good school of music/conservatory, even attached to a college or university, you will be immersed in music if music is your "major." Time juggling becomes very important if you have selected "applied performance" as your major and sufficient practice time is expected for that curriculum. As an undergrad at the UW-Madison School of Music, that was interpreted to be a minimum of 4 hours a day of dedicated practice time.
Marty in Minnesota
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So much of what's being discussed depends on the student, not the college.
If you're the kind of person who has to spend two hours a night on math homework, then that's two hours you won't have to practice. But if you can get your math done in 15 minutes, then that gives you more time to practice.
Also, there are a lot of students who feel pressured into taking a 19 or 20 hour course load when only 12 to 15 are required. Every extra class equals less time for practicing.
I was able to practice a lot in undergrad because I entered undergrad with 15 credit hours from AP and dual-enrollment classes. My undergrad also took 5 years to complete because I refused to go beyond a 15 hour course load. (And a few semesters, I was at the minimum requirement to keep my scholarships - 12 hours.) I also had good music theory training in high school so I never really had to study for college level theory.
When I see music majors getting overwhelmed these days, it's usually because they overload themselves or come in unprepared for everything that isn't practicing - music theory and musicology courses, as well as core curriculum classes. If you suck at math and can't write, then those basics are going to eat up a lot of time that you could be practicing.
"If we continually try to force a child to do what he is afraid to do, he will become more timid, and will use his brains and energy, not to explore the unknown, but to find ways to avoid the pressures we put on him." (John Holt) www.pianoped.comwww.youtube.com/user/UIPianoPed
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