Help choosing future...

[taygunov]

Hey everyone. So heres the deal. I'm a sophmore in high school and I've been playing for almost 3 years. And I won't get into details but after months and months of thought, I've realized that music is what I wan't to do with my life. So onto the questions:

I currently go to an average school that doesn't really specialize in music, will this really hinder my chances of applying or getting accepted to a music college, or do they give equal oppertunities for auditions and such to each school? Grades aren't an issue here as I am an A student, but I'd really like to start planning my future. I still have a long way to go but I just wan't to be prepared..

[fdeck]

I think it might be worth signing up with a private teacher. It should be someone with a music degree who is willing to provide some rather formal instruction, advise you on your prospects for college, how the auditioning process works, and what the good programs are.

[SoonerMatt]

Your high school's music program will not have much of an impact on your prospects because let's face it - most high school music programs are notoriously underfunded and not that great. It's like any other audition; they look at your talent and capabilities, not your high school.

Massive +1 on fdeck's suggestion about signing up with a private teacher.

[MarkTAW]

Music colleges are like any other colleges - they accept you based on two criteria:

1. Can you pay for the education you get there.
2. Are you likely to raise the prestige of the school once you graduate.

Some schools emphasize one more than the other - you want to go to one that emphasizes the latter.

A private teacher will help, but don't let them determine your fate. Make sure you're learning everything you need to. Not just for music school, but for life.

- Get college applications NOW and talk to people who have been through it. Find out what the need in the entrance exams and start preparing.

- Learn to play "arranger's piano" - enough to arrange, but not enough to perform.

- Learn to sing - enough to hit the right pitches, but not enough to perform.

- Learn to sing solfege.

- Learn to read music.

- Learn some standards. Pick a jazz singer & get a few greatest hits albums, and learn some of the chord progressions.

- Read theory books. I recommend the Tchaikovsky book as a good place to start, it's a brief & thorough treatment of traditional harmony & will ground you for the jazz stuff that's a whole new ballgame on top of that.

The open source programs Jalmus and GNU Solfege will help with some of your ear training & reading/piano training.

If you've already got some of the above, kudos. If not, get cracking.