Music school recommendations?

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I’ll say it again: having a solid professor like Dr. Miller makes all the difference. 👍

Sadly, I never had anyone like that. 🙂 😢

gentlecanyon92 said:🤣
I’m telling you, seriously, Professor Zlata is absolutely worth it 👍

haha. My theory teacher was a complete disaster, and I actually went through four different flute instructors...
And honestly, even this one top-tier soloist who performs at Carnegie Hall? Definitely one of the worst experiences I've ever had 😬

Melissa Price6 said:haha. my music theory instructor was a complete disaster, and I went through four different flute teachers myself..

😲 Are you my alter ego? 😬 😲

I know exactly how it used to be 😲 😳

gentlecanyon92 said:🤣

I’ll say it again: having a truly great instructor is worth every penny. 👍

Sadly, I never had someone like that. 🙂 😢

My nephew started music school at eleven—a complete outlier—simply because his older brother ended up with a piano through some weird family arrangement, and they didn't know what else to do with the kid. It seemed logical enough to put him on the keys. 🤣

Fast forward: he skips a grade, finishes four years of lessons in less than two, and what happens? He gets stuck with a teacher who was so unhinged that she practically broke his hand! She’d scream at him to stretch his fingers further over the keys—"YOU CAN DO IT! PUSH HARDER!!"—until he actually injured himself. He messed up his hand, his ligaments 😕, God knows what else, but he couldn't even move his arm properly for a while. To make matters worse, his parents completely bought into this drill sergeant's nonsense, pushing him just as hard to be "the best." By the time he finished middle school, he swore off the instrument forever. The trauma was just too much.

That is exactly what happens when you have a toxic teacher paired with enabling parents.

😲 That’s just sick...

Sure, except for the kid who actually puts in the work. And like I said, why shouldn't they try? If they see they have a knack for it, they'll want to be the best, right?
The key is having a teacher who actually knows how to coach them and pushes them toward competitions and all that stuff.

Like anything else, you have to find a middle ground. Extremism is out. 🙂

My folks kept trying to push me into these competitions and promotional gigs, for God's sake, just because I played exceptionally well. Honestly, though? I don't think even the Lord Himself would force me to perform at something so beneath my dignity. I’d be absolutely mortified. 😳

Look, you’ve got it wrong 😳 public speaking can actually help you in a dozen different ways 😳

I don't get how they didn't force you into it 😁 It's not really a choice when your professor is pushing you and the senior partners are encouraging it 😁

See, my supervisor (and the rest of us on rotation) never sent me to any competitions, even though I can say with some confidence everyone agreed I was the best in my class and beyond 😬 .. and that's where the interest just died out.. because under a different professor, everyone else was still getting opportunities for awards and credits... it's a shame

mistypanther said:My folks kept trying to push me into these competitions and promo gigs, and honestly, it was driving me nuts, because I actually played pretty damn well, but I don't think even God Himself could force me to play at something like that. I’d have been way too embarrassed. 😳

haha..
man, I thought that stuff was awesome.
it's how you learn to handle yourself when you're playing for a crowd..😬

Quincy:>

gentlecanyon92 says: Look, you're dead wrong here. 😳 Public performances can open so many doors for you. 😳 I honestly don't get how they didn't force you to participate. 😁 It's not a matter of choice when your teacher is pushing you and the older faculty are all rooting for you. 😁> See, my instructor (and the other substitutes back then) never sent me to competitions, even though everyone openly admitted I was the best in my grade and beyond. 😬 .. and that's where the interest just died out. Because under a different teacher, those same kids were getting all the awards and the credits... what a waste.

Oh, believe me, there was plenty. Do you have any idea how much drama I used to cause over this? I’d swear that if they actually sent me, I’d just climb onto the stage and sing nothing but classic country ballads instead of playing my instrument. 🤣, I’d even quit music entirely! My God, I was absolutely INSANE—a total drama king.😁>

Melissa Price6 said:haha..
I thought it was great.
It's how you learn to carry yourself in public...😬

Oh, so I'm the one who doesn't know how to act in public? 🤣Is that what we're doing now?

mistypanther said:Oh, it happened alright. I made such a massive scene about it back then. I told them if they sent me, I’d just climb on stage and sing old-school country ballads instead of playing my instrument. I even threatened to quit music entirely—good grief, I was a total drama king🤣 😁

Barking dogs... 😳 😁

Would you actually have done that? 😁 😁

What, so even bribing you with ice cream didn't work? 🤣

mistypanther said:Wait, you're telling me I don't know how to carry myself in public? 🤣

Honestly, man, I’m having such a hard time picturing you ever being anything other than this loud, outgoing person—there's just no way you were some shy little kid growing up! 😬

gottcha said:Yeah, right... just another barking dog. 😳 😁

Would he actually go through with it? 😁 😁

What, was even bribing him with ice cream not enough? 🤣

Oh, he’d absolutely do it. There was no bribing involved. If I didn't want to do something, I simply refused until they finally left me alone. It wasn't about some elaborate scheme to mess with anyone.

I wasn't being shy—not by a long shot. It was just that my teachers kept insisting I was the top student in the whole district, and honestly, I hated that pressure. Once they started telling me I could be a world-class prodigy if I just put in the work, I decided right then that I wasn't going to make the mistake of being "the best" in front of everyone. Why? Because then I'd actually have to justify it by working harder. Not to mention all the extra practice required for competitions and publicity stunts. No way. 😬

🤣
Here is another perspective for the OP 🤣

Hopefully we were of some assistance 🤣 😁

Daisy said:I’m planning on applying to the conservatory, but from what I hear, they’re adding harmony to the entrance exams—up until now, it was just ear training and instrument proficiency. And I know for a fact that with the "knowledge" we've been given, none of us will even pass our classes. It’s not just me; it’s everyone under this professor. The woman simply doesn't know how to explain things... she moves way too fast... she'll scribble down three bars of music while the rest of us are still trying to draw a treble clef...
And of course, when we tell her to slow down, she gives us that polite, empty nod saying there's no problem, and then she just keeps doing the exact same thing! 😕 Everyone is struggling with harmony solely because of her. Naturally, for the kids who don't actually care about getting into the conservatory, everything is just fine... 👎
Maybe some people here know exactly who I'm talking about, so they get why I'm feeling this way... 😬

Daisy, if the whole class is in the same boat, you should go straight to the dean and demand a teacher change for next school year. A teacher like that will absolutely wreck your future 👎. It won't be long before half a class of theory students ends up transferring to another school out of pure protest and desperation. I know how this works because I see it happening in institutions all over Chicago. Unfortunately, in situations like this, the school itself doesn't have much leverage because in America, it's nearly impossible to actually fire someone—not if they aren't performing, not if they're incompetent, not if they're clearly having a mental breakdown, not if they miss classes constantly, or if they're perpetually late. You can't touch them! The only way things shift is if you have an uncompromising principal willing to deal with the mess (though most principals avoid the headache because once their term is up, they usually have to reintegrate into the general faculty anyway...), or even better, if you have uncompromising parents demanding a competent instructor for their child (after all, you're paying for music lessons, after all). So, band together and call out those who aren't doing their jobs! Get the parents involved, push hard... these kinds of teachers usually defend themselves by pointing to the "success" of the class, which is why everyone is getting straight As! 😠

By the way, switching instructors for private lessons is a totally normal thing to do, and nobody should feel awkward about it. Sometimes it's purely a clash of personalities and might not even have anything to do with technical skill or lack thereof.
I think even younger kids realize pretty early on whether their teacher actually knows their stuff or if they have any actual passion left in them, because at that age, kids are mostly working to please their teacher and earn that bit of praise.

Direct Hit said:If you actually have talent, don't bother with music school. They'll just strip away whatever tiny bit of passion or drive you have left after years of soul-crushing training.

That's an interesting take, but where are you even getting that from? 🙄 I should probably tell my brother that—he’s clearly not "talented" then, since he managed to get into and graduate from Juilliard despite having zero formal training beforehand (aside from maybe some elementary school music class or something like that). 😬
As far as I know, he just finished his degree recently and he's still playing 🙏 . Every single day 🙏 .
Jesus, I live with a genius! 🙄 😲 😬

zakan14 said:Yeah, that’s something I’d be curious about too. Is it really a failure if they don't go on to a specialized high school—basically, if they stop right after finishing middle school?
If they aren't incredibly gifted, I'd say maybe six years of music education is perfectly fine for building some core competencies, testing the waters, establishing standards, and even just developing good listening habits... What does the rest of you think?

In my opinion, it isn't a failure if someone decides not to enroll in a performing arts high school after middle school, but it *is* a failure if they stop engaging with music altogether—even if it's just through listening—because that means they didn't actually love the music, they just found those early classes to be a chore.

To give you an example from my own life, I did graduate from a specialized music high school, but during graduation, I had this massive falling out with my clarinet instructor. He was really pushing me to head straight to a conservatory, acting like because I was talented and played so well, I absolutely *had* to pursue a formal degree. But all I wanted was to play jazz. Don't get me wrong, classical is great, and Bach and Mozart were absolute geniuses, but jazz is where my heart is. So, instead of going the conservatory route, I earned my bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering. At the same time, I kept playing sax at home just for the pure joy of it, teaching myself how to transcribe solos and how to improvise (which is honestly a disaster how much classical education in the States neglects the art of improvisation, especially considering Bach and Mozart were master improvisers themselves). I ended up ordering a few top-tier books online on how to practice improvisation, including some used in courses at Berkley, the most famous jazz academy, and I even subscribed to email lists where world-class musicians discuss all sorts of nuances regarding improv....

About six years ago, I met a few like-minded people and we started a quartet. Two of the guys in the band actually graduated from a conservatory, but it turned out that I actually had way more practical experience and knowledge regarding jazz than they did (simply because of how much the formal academic path missed the stuff I was actually interested in).

Fast forward to today: I have a wife, a kid, and a pretty solid, well-paying career. I've been setting money aside and I've taught myself quite a bit about investing in stocks. My plan is to set things up over the next decade so that I can eventually focus entirely on music. If everything goes according to plan, I won't have to play for a paycheck like 99% of professional musicians do—which, in most cases, is exactly what kills the passion—but instead, I'll be able to play purely for the love of it (with the money coming in from dividends and other 😬 ).

So, looking back, was it a failure that I didn't go to a conservatory? 🙂

bluemaker said:In my view, it isn't a failure if someone decides not to enroll in a specialized music high school after middle school. However, it is a failure if they stop engaging with music entirely—even just listening—because that suggests they never actually loved the art; they were just going through the motions because they had to.

I completely agree.
Think about all the subjects kids are forced to study in public school. Nobody expects them to win a Nobel Prize in literature or chemistry, and nobody cares about how much money they might make studying history or civics. For some, it might work out, but that isn't the primary objective.
So, here is the question: What is the actual goal of attending music school, or rather, what is the purpose of music education?

😁 Let’s be realistic: people graduating from conservatories aren't exactly raking in the dough, and the vast majority never actually make it as soloists. Most graduates end up playing in orchestras, teaching at schools, or working as accompanists—which, if you ask me, are all perfectly decent, respectable ways to make a living. Perhaps we should consider that when we enroll our children in music school, we aren't forcing a specific destiny on them, but rather providing them with the mere possibility of pursuing music professionally one day. I’m not talking about chasing stardom; I mean giving them the option to choose an instrument and a college based on a foundation that allows for a steady career in the field.

beryozinka said:Interesting. What on earth makes you think that? 🙄 I really should tell my brother—who is clearly talented, since he managed to get through conservatory despite having zero formal musical training (besides maybe a few years of elementary school music class or whatever) 😬 that he’s an outlier.
As far as I know, he just graduated and still plays 🙏. Every single day 🙏.
Jesus, I’m living with a genius here! 🙄 😲 😬

Wow, look at you growing up to be all sarcastic. I might just go bash my head against a wall. 😲
I said there are exceptions. From what I've seen, most classically trained musicians lose any actual sense of rhythm or soul once they hit conservatory. Just because your brother plays
every day doesn't mean he's actually good; likewise, someone who skips the academy and just practices their instrument constantly isn't automatically a great musician either.
I've jammed with classical players a billion times, and most of them have this specific 😲 look on their faces the moment they realize they're playing ad-lib and nobody is going to hand them a sheet of music.