 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
| Printer Friendly Version |
A catalyst for evolution and growth in the training and support of musicians.
The Young Musician's Challenge:
Enter College as an "Expert"
By Janis Weller
Unlike most incoming students, performing arts majors are expected to enter college already somewhat “experts” in their field, with lots of formal training and high skill levels. In music, this often means many years of private instruction in at least one performing medium, acquiring expensive instruments, perhaps traveling to summer festivals, camps and master classes, and regularly attending professional concerts, recitals, operas and other musical events. You may also participate in community music programs like youth orchestras, choruses or preparatory programs (for examples and ideas, see The Prelude Program at MacPhail Center for Music and National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts). You may also study a second instrument, along with music theory or solfege. Considerable resources of time of money may have been invested in your musical training long before you actually enter college.
Think about it: while good grades in the right classes and appropriate scores on standardized tests (SAT or ACT) will basically get you into college as an English, math or psychology major, a strong GPA/SAT alone is not sufficient in the arts. As an incoming freshman musician, you are expected to have a variety of skills already honed to a high level. If you are deficient in one or more areas, you will be expected to take remedial coursework (translation: it’ll cost you in time and money) to catch up. Weak skills in some areas might even keep you out of the school you most want to attend.
So here are some of the skills you’ll want to develop before you go off to music school—
Major performing area: Your college audition will focus primarily on your skills as a performer even if that’s not your intended focus area. To prepare, seek out the best private teachers you can find (look for scholarships and financial aid) as early as you can, then study and practice hard. Look for performing opportunities everywhere—as a soloist, in ensembles, competitions, summer camps and classes. Not every college will require an entrance audition (conservatories definitely will, universities and liberal arts colleges vary in their requirements). Some auditions will also determine scholarships.
Keyboard skills are incredibly useful throughout your life as a musician, so plan to develop expertise beyond what it takes to slip past the piano proficiency exam. Keyboard skills provide harmonic awareness and both an aural and visual understanding of musical architecture that is very helpful in college music theory courses, particularly for musicians who play/sing single line instruments like violin, flute, voice or trumpet. Conductors, voice teachers, choir directors, composers, arrangers, church musicians, classroom music teachers, music therapists, piano tuner/technicians all need and use strong piano skills throughout their musical work on a daily basis. On a practical level, keyboard skills will—
- enhance your harmonic understanding (a huge help on theory, counterpoint and composition assignments – especially if you normally read a single line of music)
- help you read through an accompaniment to a sonata you’re working on
- enable you to harmonize a melody at church or in a teaching situation
- give you skills to arrange a piece for your chamber ensemble
- make it possible for you to play accompaniments for your students
Ideally, start learning piano as early as you can. But if you haven’t started yet as you read this, don’t panic. It’s not too late, just don’t delay. Find a teacher who will understand your goals at the piano. A traditional approach to piano lessons may not be the best approach for the student looking for practical piano skills. Tell the instructor that you’re preparing to be a college music major, and want to work on functional piano skills like music theory, chord progressions, sight-reading, ear-training, improvisation, transposition and more.
Music theory and Ear-Training are core components of every music curriculum and these are the classes that often cause the most anxiety for students. Each college tends to have their own methods and vocabulary for teaching music theory, so at a minimum in high school, get a solid grounding in music fundamentals and elementary analysis, both on paper and by ear. You will then be well prepared to confidently jump into a fast-paced college theory and ear-training curriculum. Here are some ways to work on these basic skills:
- piano lessons (see above)
- computer software programs. Check out MiBac Music Lessons.
- programmed learning texts. A good basic one is Scales, Intervals, Keys, Triads, Rhythm & Meter by John Clough and Joyce Conley. Norton, N.Y. 1983.
- private instruction or classes in theory, solfege and ear-training. Check with local music schools and colleges, your high school teachers and your private teacher for teachers or classes in your area. Here are a couple of links to get you started from Indiana University and Berklee College of Music: Berklee Shares
- Advanced Placement Music Theory provides rigorous preparation for college theory/ear-training
If music theory is a strong interest or you want to study conducting or composition, you will want to enter college with a higher level of understanding. In addition to the list above, you might want to look for college level summer school or correspondence theory courses in your area or via the internet. If your state offers Post Secondary Enrollment Options, you may even be able to enroll in college theory while still in high school.
Finally, music theory is particularly useful to performers and teachers when you learn to apply it to your own music making. Ask your teachers, conductors and other musicians you work with to incorporate music theory into lessons, rehearsals and conversations to help you integrate the basic concepts into your practicing and performing.
The human voice was the very first musical ‘instrument’; gaining some skill and getting comfortable with your own voice is very useful for every musician. Accurately singing a musical line aids music reading and intonation. You will need to sing in theory class and later may need to sing to a classroom of students or sing a phrasing to the orchestra you are conducting. Easy ways to start singing in high school include participating in school or church choirs, or taking a solfege class or a group voice class to learn the basics. You don’t need to have a great voice, just learn to sing accurately. Plus, it’s fun.
Focus areas like composition and conducting will have additional requirements—a portfolio of original works or a video of your conducting may be required, for example. Check the requirements of the schools you are interested in attending, then work with your teachers to prepare appropriately.
As early as possible, review the entrance requirements for schools you have a possible interest in attending. These requirements can be found in their catalogs or websites. Each music school will have their own standards and expectations, but most include:
- Proficiency on a primary instrument/voice demonstrated by audition. Committees look first for potential—those students who are highly teachable and musical. They generally are not looking for already fully polished performers.
- Music theory placement test. Your score will determine whether you are prepared to begin the theory sequence of courses or whether you will need remedial work in music fundamentals. The test is usually for placement only—in general, theory test scores are not used to determine admission to a school.
- Satisfactory SAT/ACT scores. The standard for ‘satisfactory’ varies a great deal between schools—plan ahead.
- Appropriate high school coursework, grade point average (GPA), and class rank. Again, the variations in expectations are wide between schools. Conservatories will often emphasize your audition over high school grades. Universities and liberal arts schools may emphasize academics.
Check out National Association of Schools of Music for some more great prep guidelines for future music majors. Especially notice their emphasis on the benefits of good communication skills and a broad general education.
Copyright 2004 Janis Weller. All Rights Reserved
Return to Considering a Career in Music?