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Topic: Is going to a music school where you can get a major degree important if ...?  (Read 1231 times)

Offline faa2010

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Is going to a music school where you can get a major degree important if ... you only want to improve your playing, your technique, going from basic to advance level, playing more difficult pieces?

Offline chopinlover01

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It would certainly help, as you would be assisted by the professors there, who are probably great teachers, even if not as great players.
However, is it vital to improve? No. But if you plan to get a job in the piano performance world, a degree will make you look better (often times) if I understand right.

Offline verqueue

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Going to music school is important when you want to receive full education. You will get all necessary tools to play music in one package. I don't believe that someone can be at advanced level without knowledge of music styles, harmony, music history background. Of course you can learn piano without those things, but I think you'll hit a interpretation wall sooner or later. It's very hard to get those things without school. Of course it also depends what you mean by "advanced" level. For me advanced pianist is pianist who can learn almost all pieces at avarange level (he can play them for public without shame).

Degree is not important but knowlegde is.

Offline faulty_damper

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It's been mentioned here a few times by aspiring students at certain prestigious music schools: don't go for the school, go for the teacher.

That said, there are very few piano teachers anywhere in the world that will independently improve your movements by leaps and bounds.  This is because there are very few pianists in the world that understand how the body moves.  Even fewer who understand how it moves in relationship to creating musical ideas.

However, if you have musical issues that are independent of piano playing issues, then any musician can help since music is independent of the instruments that create it; i.e. the language is the same, only the instruments change.  So if you need help expressing the language, a violinist can help with teaching you how to best express the music.  However, many musical issues are directly tied to movement issues.

Offline chopincat

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Is going to a music school where you can get a major degree important if ... you only want to improve your playing, your technique, going from basic to advance level, playing more difficult pieces?

I'm not entirely sure I understand the question. A school where you can get a major degree? Are you referring to a conservatory or university? If so, the answer is definitely no. Most people who go to conservatories do it because they hope to pursue their instrument professionally. If you're just trying to improve your playing and technique, it would neither be necessary nor appropriate. A regular community music school, though, would probably be a great place to learn and improve and you would get some interesting opportunities that you wouldn't necessarily get by studying privately. It's still not a necessity though; I don't go to music school and I get by alright.
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