| Most music schools have ongoing "barrier" exams, meaning that the jury held at the end of the year is determinate as to whether the musician can continue in the applied area degree program, whether it be music education, church music, or performance. Some happen every year, some are determined at the end of the sophmore year. Further, most schools have pre-recital juries to determine if the musician is ready for prime time, i.e. does he/she know the music and can the perform it? Most often a delay is nothing more than a rude awakening to a student and they go on to a successful degree recital. Additionally some schools have an ongoing repertory list which must be satisfied before the student can achieve the degree. So, while your list of schools may publish that a decision is made at the end of the freshman or sophmore year as to whether the student can continue to get private lessons, it is also the case that almost every music degree program has that process.
Unfortunately, it happens than students can be tossed from their program at the end of the sophmore year, not allowed to even continue in music. Some students simply do not make the necessary progress and/or sometimes there almost seems to be a physical deterioration of the technique which is evidenced in the performance. It is extraordinarily painful for everyone involved, but it happens fairly often. Some schools may disguise by yanking the scholarships, others will just deny continuation in the degree program. Most will allow one other attempt, but it is not encouraged, thought to be more time and educational money spent and/or wasted. |