hummylover
Apprentice
28 points
53/F/Temple, Texas
Join Date: Aug 2008 | I have a degree in music -- an under graduate degree. I grew up in a house that was filled with music all the time. My dad was a professional musician who played in several major U.S. orchestras, toured with one of them and played in several summer music festivals. He was an outstanding musician....I think that on some level, I wanted to follow in his foot steps. I studied piano from a very young age. I didn't get a performance degree, however. My degree is in Music History, Literature and Theory. I have two minors -- one in piano and the other in harpsichord. I did have to audition to get into music school. I also had to take some theory exams. If I had to do it all over again, to tell you the truth, I might think twice about getting a degree in music. Why? For one thing, it's not the sort of degree that would get me a job....Secondly, it's very discouraging to think that something you've worked so hard for and worked so hard to finish is essentially so worthless.
If you really love music, my advice to you would be to look at colleges that have active music programs that allow people to participate even as non-majors....Take some classes just for fun to see how you like it.....take lessons, if you want to do that and get a feel for the whole atmosphere. I had a really hard time doing juries. They are basically a performance based final exam where you perform for faculty members and your entire semester grade pretty much hinges on how well you perform....That kind of pressure was miserable for me.
You're still young and don't have to make decisions about the direction of your life and future yet....I'd recommend that you just try to get yourself into a good college -- one where you can be happy. Take your required classes as you'd have to do anyway...But throw a fun elective in there so that you have something that provides you with an outlet for expression....Then some time down the pike, if you still feel like you really want to major in music, then you can make a more informed decision. If you audition now, and you go in with the mindset that this is what you want to do and you're not open to anything else, you're probably setting yourself up for a great deal of disappointment.
When I was young, my dad gave me some great advice. He told me that piano players were a dime a dozen....So for that matter are string players. He played viola. To find great ones is another matter altogether. There are very few great piano players in the world.....and their careers probably didn't fall into their lap. They just happened to be blessed with enormous talents. As for string players, being able to play in an orchestra is a huge asset. Being able to site read with the utmost ease is vital....being able to work as part of an ensemble and make yourself blend with the rest of the musicians so you sound like one is also a must......
I once asked him why he never told me that I'd never make it as a career pianist. He replied by telling me that he knew he didn't need to tell me....he knew that some day, when the time was right, I'd figure it out for myself.
You will know in your heart whether this is right for you or not. But jumping into something and making a decision that could determine the course of your future isn't such a wise idea. Chill out and allow things to fall in place. If you really really want to major in music, you'll figure it out -- probably after your freshman year. |
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May 09, 2008 @ 00:00:26
