Does a gap year between undergrad and grad studies affect admissions?

Musicaspirant
Fri, 17 Apr 2020 17:38:59 +0000

Cherry - The audition will be, by far, the most important data point in getting into a program. “Resume” will have nothing to do with entrance (at least for the “better” schools) - poor grades can get you rejected (even if a top instructor wants you. I’ve seen it happen to stunning players.). Gap year will not matter.

The height comment is loopy. Ignore it. Coincidently, my kids grew up with a 4 foot 8 string player who went to conservatory BM, did a second degree BS in Music Ed and is now a HS orchestra instructor. There are other short conductors, I’m sure.

It is not simple to get a teaching certificate after graduating. You will probably need additional coursework and to pass State teacher exams at a minimum. Most states have an “alternative route” to certifications, but this may require that you are first offered a teaching job - Catch 22. Take a look at your states requirements - they vary.

Re the festival bit, your teacher may have not “understood”, or may have actually understood well what can happen. My kids’ conservatories (going back 10+ years) had statements in the policy books, paraphrasing - if your studio teacher did not want you to attend a particular summer program or study short term with a particular teacher, you were to follow their instruction.

There are reasons - I only know violin/viola here. For instance, some teachers insist on re-making the set-up of students, even with short term, very advanced, very capable students who are not struggling with set-up problems. Luckily, these die hards are dying out (literally), but this can still be a problem. Students generally want to listen to and respect their instructors and in trying to follow instructions for changing their basic playing habits can get really messed up - and then they return to school in the fall with no new, improved set-up and a screwed up version of how they have been playing.

One of “mine” studied a standard Mozart concerto one summer with a Baroque specialist. What a mess! Luckily, kid knew to listen and basically ignore. I later heard one of the graduates of this instructor perform the same concerto with a professional orchestra. Performance was reviewed - and panned. It was truly a bad performance (although true to the instructor’s mentoring) from a performer I have heard in stunning performances of other works.

One of our good friends (a “known” teacher, now retired) did allow students to attend orchestra based festivals - but noted that frequently the students came back playing with a small, undistinguished sound.

Cherry, do you plan on a DMA following the MM? You do know that “teaching violin at a university/college” is extremely unlikely to happen unless you have a DMA or a background as a renowned soloist? Certainly not something to be expected immediately on completing an MM. Even getting very limited adjunct positions without someone knowing you and you having an already established presence in the area is unlikely.