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Topic: transfering to a conservatory?  (Read 1275 times)

Offline bachfan87

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transfering to a conservatory?
on: September 26, 2006, 10:20:46 PM
Ok, so right now I'm a piano major at a university that i really don't like. My teacher is good and really is committed to making me a better pianist (she gives me extra lessons every week), but I can't stand her personally. That and I really just don't like it here, so I'm going to transfer. (Oh, I'm a college sophomore right now, I want to go to a new school my junior year)
The thing is, I really want to transfer to Manhattan school of music or Mannes, but I have no idea if they are out of my league. Well, right now I'm working on Beethoven Tempest Sonata, Chopin ocean etude, Bach prelude and fugue in C# major book II, Ravel tombeau de couperin...some other things. I know I could never get into a place like Juilliard, but if Manhattan or Mannes are not as difficult, I think I could give it a shot. After my senior year of high school I was accepted at a few not so good conservatories like san francisco and cincinnati, but I have improved since then.
Does anyone have any advice about how difficult it is to get into these places and what sort of repertoire I should play? I would be so grateful if you could help.

Offline bachfan87

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Re: transfering to a conservatory?
Reply #1 on: October 02, 2006, 04:44:38 AM
yeah so i thought i would bring this back to see if anyone could help...

Offline pianowelsh

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Re: transfering to a conservatory?
Reply #2 on: October 02, 2006, 09:42:51 AM
If your really not happy then maybe to move would be a good plan. Just be warned conservatory departments can have stinky teachers that you dont get on with too and they can be very lonely places if you get boxed out so I would suggest trying to arrange some lessons perhaps over the summer with some of the faculty of the places youd like to try for. Dont go unless you have a really good connection with one of the teachers because to be stuck in Manhatten with an unsupportive teacher in a competitive environment cant be fun. Consider it long and hard. Having said that you repertoire looks fine.  How well do you play it though?? You may find that these institutions may want you to do a kind of gap year to catch up with the other piano major students.. not so much maybe in quality but perhaps in terms of the ammount of repertoire studied. Both colleges are pretty strong for piano with Mannes I think being arguably tougher but im sure both could train you well. What you dont want is to transfer to a teacher who has a very different style who will deconstruct your playing as ontop of playing catch up you will allso have the added demoralising factor of taking your playing back to the bones and starting again...seen it ..done it! There were no t-shirts available.
 

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