academic struggle

Parent Cafe
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<p>db61- If she was home schooled for high school, what was her experience with music regarding private teacher, orchestral/ensemble/youth orchestras, maybe a pre-college music performance major?</p>

<p>I ask because my son is a Hartt '07 viola performance grad who had very strong skills in theory and music history prior to entering college, most of which were self taught.</p>

<p>He had the benefits of an exceptional public school music experience with great teachers (who were more like mentors), a very high quality youth symphony that allowed him to play with equally talented peers, and tremendous exposure and participation in a number of high level string quartet experiences.</p>

<p>His peer group was from various local high schools, most of whom went on to study music at conservatory level programs in college. Some had pre-college programs; others, including my son did not. In remembering the interactions between these “kids” during high school years, their lives revolved around music: practices, gigs, orchestral and ensemble play and even social functions. I recall many conversations among the kids when the pieces played were dissected from historical perspectives… composer’s life and relationships, mindset and circumstance when written, comparison with other pieces/different composer’s, etc.</p>

<p>My son always had a passion for history and political science and was a voracious reader, and amassed a trendous library of music history and theory books that he had read cover to cover prior to entering college; a few of these even were the actual texts he ended up using in college level music history and theory courses later. </p>

<p>He has always viewed the performance of a piece as being incomplete unless he has a thorough knowledge and understanding of the background and circumstances from which the piece sprung. Without knowing the historic context, it’s relationship in the musical “chain”, the composer’s mindset, he feels he can not fullly understand the work to play it properly, convey the true meaning so to speak. For him, it’s not just the notes on the page, but a lot of the “why” and “how” from which it sprang.</p>

<p>As a layman, what I wrote may make no sense to a true musician, as I don’t have the right nomenclature to express my thoughts here. But it is my observation of his (and most of his peers) development as musicians/performers that it is extremely difficult to seperate the piece from the composer, his training and influences, and historical time period when composing. </p>

<p>Is your daughter trying to seperate the performance from the historical context? They are interdependent. I’m pretty confident that she knows that. :)</p>

<p>Having said that, there are professors and TA’s that can make the most interesting coursework far more boring and or complicated than anyone thought was humanly possible. </p>

<p>How did she fare last year? Did she have similar problems with theory and/or music history? </p>

<p>It sounds like she is in a non competitve environment, and she should be able to find some like minded peers who would be willing and able to help her through these rough spots. It’s been my observations that most musicians will go out of their way to help a colleague.</p>

<p>Just be aware that most performance concentrations have a large number of courses both in history and theory, many at the “upper” levels. This is true of BM as well as Performance Certificate programs. </p>

<p>Here’s a link to music careers from Rice. <a href=“R-3 Repository :: Home”>R-3 Repository :: Home; You may find some info there.</p>

<p>Here’s a link to the Music Management curriculum from Hartt. <a href=“The Hartt School - University of Hartford”>The Hartt School - University of Hartford;
It requires 12 credits of music history, 16 of theory out of the 140 required to complete the degree. There are other programs out there, but I would assume the requirements would be similar.</p>

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<p>db61 - I encourage you to read through the music forum on this site. (I think you’ve already been there?) </p>

<p>Two of my kids are performance majors. One knew early on that was what he would do. Therefore, he took HS AP music theory, years and years of piano (as well as his primary instrument), and knew so much music going in that he was way ahead on theory and history, etc. [Edit: cross-posted with violadad. My S’s approach to music is much as he describes.]</p>

<p>My second kid, a violinist like yours, decided at the last minute. She is doing well in her classes, but she calls her brother for help now and then. Her theory teacher is not good at explaining things; her brother is. She has her own private “tutor” through him. (Perhaps your D can find a student in the class who is doing well, who would work with her. ) </p>

<p>My D is definitely at a disadvantage because she came so late to it. She does not have performance as a goal. She can see perhaps being involved in the music business in some other way, and/or giving private lessons. </p>

<p>We have noticed that every time Juilliard hires someone new, whether it be in the admissions department, or housing, or student affairs, it is often someone with a performance degree. The coordinator of my S’s youth orchestra was a performance major. Many orchestra personnel have music backgrounds, even if they aren’t employed to play their instrument. My D can also see herself employed in some other field completely, while performing with a small town orchestra at the same time.</p>

<p>She is planning a second degree in German and hopes that will open more doors for her.</p>

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<p>How is your daughter’s study habit? It is very important that she sets aside time to review the material covered in class everyday. D is a freshman double performance major who studies everyday. Even she complained that there was so much material to review for her musicology test. </p>

<p>Music history and theory are integral parts of performance. They make one a better musician. In almost all of the masterclasses I attended, there were always some critiques based on music history and/or theory.</p>

<p>Anyway, my suggestion for your D is that she study the material covered in class everyday while the memory is still fresh. There is only so much you can practice on your instrument a day. If my D is able to find time to study everyday, I am sure your daughter can too if she is willing.</p>

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<p>db
if your D did “okay” in her other classes, and can pull an A in some part of theory and a B in another part, then I would put aside the “learning disability” angle of her complaint. I really would look further into perhaps her being resistant to the idea that theory and history must be a component of a performance majors life. Another idea that has sprung to mind…is your D a perfectionist type? Perhaps these are the first less than perfect grades she is receiving and that has her running scared. Getting a “B” is okay, its nit enough to make her dash the dream of performing/having music be her lifes work.</p>