Music school recommendations?

You guys seriously drop the best advice ever!!🙂

What’s the actual breakdown between hard work and raw talent if you want to make it in classical music? Personally, I think it’s 100% work. Talent should just be a given at this level. 🙂

Could anyone point me toward a solid music school in New York City?

My daughter is really interested in learning the violin—she’ll be turning nine this fall—but I just read somewhere that some programs have a cutoff age of nine for enrollment. Is that actually true?

I happen to know of a decent music school, though they don't offer violin; instead, they focus on guitar and keyboards...
If that's something you're interested in, I suppose. There aren't any age restrictions either, and the curriculum isn't quite as traditional,
since my boys are actually enrolled in the synthesizer program (though, naturally, they are still studying music theory),

Greetings to the esteemed group...

Does anyone here have experience with this specific school? It’s located in Cleveland. My little girl attended some kind of musical gallery last year, but she’s starting first grade this term...
After much deliberation, we settled on voice lessons. However, I was quite surprised when, following her audition—which went well—she received a document stating that students choosing voice must own an instrument (or a piano), or provide proof of rental. Apparently, digital keyboards aren't even an option. Why on earth is that the case? I can't seem to find any logical explanation for such a rule.🤷

It’s one of those classic parental traps where a kid signs up for music lessons, and Mom makes this grand promise that a real piano will be sitting in the living room by some arbitrary deadline—let's call it a dead day—but then the kid cruises through first grade without ever touching an actual instrument, and the cycle just repeats year after year, an endless loop of broken promises.
If you’re looking at cheap electronic keyboards, specifically those basic plastic things rather than a high-end hybrid like a Clavinova, they are absolutely useless for a beginner because you can't actually develop any real technique or learn how to properly "produce" a tone.
I’m talking about serious, one-on-one instruction here, not those cash-grab group classes designed just to pad someone's bank account.
Sure, a Clavinova might work as a decent backup if you need to practice during a rainy season or something, but that's about it.

Thanks for the reply. In the meantime, I’ve actually figured out what the issue is myself. I spent some time digging through threads on a music forum and even chatted with some piano tuners who work with Steinway & Sons (they handle upright rentals 😁 too) ...
Since I'm a total novice, this whole thing caught me off guard, and now I have to decide how to proceed ...
Buying an entire piano feels like overkill, especially since I haven't even determined if my kid has any actual talent or a sense for music yet—he's only 8, after all ...

If you’re looking to pick up a used upright piano, my advice is simple: stay away from the big-name brands like Steinway if you're just trying to save a buck—it's better to buy from a family that actually cared about their instrument rather than some house that just had a kid who never bothered to practice 😁. Just make sure you bring a professional along to poke around under the hood before you hand over any cash.
Besides, you can always flip an upright pretty easily when you're done with it.

That’s probably exactly what I’ll end up doing...

I was wondering if any of your kids are planning to start playing an instrument at the local musical gallery?
My boys just finished their first level of synthesizer training, and I suppose we’re quite pleased with how dedicated they've been to the process... they even performed a little concert over at the Getty 😍

fadedtrucker8, I spent seven years at that musical gallery, finally wrapped things up about three years ago, and honestly, I can’t complain. The faculty was a bit of a revolving door—different teachers every year, some were absolute legends and others, well, not so much—but looking back, it was totally worth it because I actually got what I needed out of it. These days I'm playing in two different bands and even writing my own tracks. And man, don't even get me started on those concerts over at the Getty 🙂. Those were easily the highlights of my time there, even if the stage fright absolutely wrecked me during those first couple of shows 😁.
I just hope they keep sending students there 😉

Karen Peterson11 said:fadedtrucker8, I spent seven years at that musical gallery, finally wrapped things up about three years ago, and honestly, I can’t complain. The faculty was a bit of a revolving door—different teachers every year, some were absolute legends and others, well, not so much—but looking back, it was totally worth it because I actually got what I needed out of it. These days I'm playing in two different bands and even writing my own tracks. And man, don't even get me started on those concerts over at the Getty 🙂. Those were easily the highlights of my time there, even if the stage fright absolutely wrecked me during those first couple of shows 😁.
I just hope they keep sending students there 😉

Well, it is quite nice to finally hear from someone who actually attended... they just enrolled in the advanced program... and I might add, I can already sight-read a piece perfectly fine without any issues 😁.

I see everyone’s buzzing about getting their kids enrolled in music school. Is there actually anything out there for older folks? I’m 21 and really want to pick up the violin and/or piano. What kind of options am I looking at here? And more importantly, what's the damage to my wallet?🙂Thanks in advance for the help.

Greetings. If anyone is interested in purchasing a flute, feel free to contact me.

Here’s my situation:
I’m 15 years old, and I’ve been wondering if it’s too late for me to enroll in music school.
I know I probably should have thought about this sooner, but the passion just hit me out of nowhere.
Specifically, I want to learn guitar, but I’d love to hear from anyone who can tell me—is starting at this age actually a smart move? If you have any solid advice, please reach out. Thanks! 😁

Betty Kelly3 said:Here’s my situation:
I’m 15 years old, and I’ve been wondering if it’s too late for me to enroll in music school.
I know I probably should have thought about this sooner, but the passion just hit me out of nowhere.
Specifically, I want to learn guitar, but I’d love to hear from anyone who can tell me—is starting at this age actually a smart move? If you have any solid advice, please reach out. Thanks! 😁

Of course you can. Why wouldn't you?
😉

When it comes to music school, I honestly can't find a single thing to complain about... my two sisters and I all went through the program, learning the accordion, and even though I finished my music degree over thirteen years ago, I still play to this day, which brings me such immense joy! My instructor was actually my DAD, and he was the only one who ever gave me anything less than an A—I had straight As in every other subject, but he refused to give me an A just so the other teachers wouldn't think he was playing favorites! Hahaha...
And to top it all off, having that musical background actually earned me some extra credit during the college admissions process.

You can always sign up for guitar lessons...
There are all sorts of different courses out there...
Then you’ve got the formal music academies—where it isn't just about playing an instrument, but also diving into theory and things like choir or ensemble work. Usually, you have to pass an audition or a placement test first to get in...
Enrollment typically happens in June, and classes kick off right when the school year starts in the fall...
Once you tell them which instrument you're interested in and your parents take care of the registration fees, you're set to start in the autumn. You'll usually spend about two hours on instrument practice and another two hours working through music theory...🙂

northernrider14 said:When it comes to music school, I honestly can't find a single thing to complain about... my two sisters and I all went through the program, learning the accordion, and even though I finished my music degree over thirteen years ago, I still play to this day, which brings me such immense joy! My instructor was actually my DAD, and he was the only one who ever gave me anything less than an A—I had straight As in every other subject, but he refused to give me an A just so the other teachers wouldn't think he was playing favorites! Hahaha...
And to top it all off, having that musical background actually earned me some extra credit during the college admissions process.

My sister used to play the accordion, too. When I look back on those days, the one thing that really sticks in my mind is the old folk music we used to play to help rebuild the Midwest. 😂😂😂 She used to drag things out late into the evening whenever she was practicing her bass. It was a total circus. She finished high school, and I finished high school right alongside the Green Bay Packers' alumni. The only difference was that I was playing the flute. People love to preach about how we need to listen to what children actually want. And sure, they should—because I wanted to play the guitar. But when I went to enroll, they lied straight to my face, telling me there wasn't any room left. So, instead of getting what I actually cared about, I ended up stuck with a flute that I hated from day one. 😠 The Prof was decent enough, I suppose, but I sold my flute the second I walked across that graduation stage. 😂😂 That was an absolute grind. ☕ Everything else involving the Green Bay Packers was absolutely top-tier. From the actual performances to the rehearsals, the team bonding, and all the travel—it was nothing short of phenomenal.

Could someone give me some insight into what attending music school is actually like? I’m curious about the curriculum and how everything flows...
To be honest, my family is fully behind me enrolling, but I do wish they had asked if I even wanted to play anything when I was younger. Because of that, I'll probably be the oldest person in a class full of ten-year-olds, but at least I'm doing this because I actually want to, not because I'm being forced.
A few specific questions: 1. Roughly how much are the monthly tuition fees? 2. How many times a week are classes held, and are there any other little details you think I should know before diving in?
I’m looking at applying to the Juilliard School, so if anyone here has experience there, please drop some advice! I would truly appreciate it since enrollment starts in just nine days, and I really want to go in knowing what to expect. Thanks in advance 👍