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Topic: Going on in music for post secondary?  (Read 1300 times)

Offline wotgoplunk

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Going on in music for post secondary?
on: June 14, 2008, 02:44:06 AM
So, to begin with, a bit of background about myself:

I'm currently just finishing up Grade 9, so three more years left until I graduate. And I have no idea exactly what I want to do for post-secondary education. Ideally, my future career would be something in the sciences, medicine eventually possibly, also with an interest in debating and ethics. And I think this would be achievable, currently maintaining a 95 average (of course this will fluctuate). But I'd be incredibly reluctant to drop music.

As for piano background, I've been playing for approximately 5 years now, and am playing roughly at RCM grade 10. I don't have any recordings up, as I have not yet invested in anything to make decent recordings with, so I'm afraid I can't give any qualitative detail. My technical, aural, and sight-reading skills are slightly behind this though, since my teacher decided we could go easier on them as I don't plan to take any exams. It should be added I can't stand scales and arpeggios. I know I need them, but to be honest, practising them drives me insane.

So my dilemma is basically as following, do I buckle down for these next three years, in hope of getting into a decent school of music somewhere? This could of course be at expense of my grades, although having said that I don't really study at all at the moment, but I'd imagine this will change in later years, so balancing social life/studying/practising/extracurriculars will be a problem. Also, if I do get into a school of music for my undergrad, will I be able to also continue with both the sciences and the humanities on the side of that? And what schools is it worth going for, would it even be plausible to audition at a prestigious school with the small amount of time I've been playing? (Though I know that depends on quality too)

Final thing is, I live in Southern Ontario, and I wouldn't particularly like to travel anywhere too far, especially due to financial reasons.

-WGP
Cogito eggo sum. I think, therefore I am a waffle.

Offline popdog

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Re: Going on in music for post secondary?
Reply #1 on: June 14, 2008, 06:08:39 AM
You say that you would like a career in sciences/medicine, so wouldn't you want to study that at university?  I would have thought someone in your position would choose a science course, and study piano privately.  You've still got a fair bit of time on your hands as well.

popdog

Offline quantum

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Re: Going on in music for post secondary?
Reply #2 on: June 14, 2008, 09:56:31 AM
Maybe mix and match courses with ones you know you can get high marks, and ones you would need to continue education in the field you choose.  Unfortunately, admissions usually concentrates on marks rather than actual knowledge so keep up a high average even if it means taking a couple easy courses to boost your GPA.  I wanted to get into the sciences when I was in high school, and took a lot of math and science courses.  I ended up taking music. 

Some schools:
York U (interdisciplinary, no problem mixing concentrations)
U of T (not my cup of tea, but if you like a very concentrated conservatoryish style of school)
Humber (if you like jazz)
W. Laurier (very small classes, nice little city)
Western (heard good things, never been there)

Made a Liszt. Need new Handel's for Soler panel & Alkan foil. Will Faure Stein on the way to pick up Mendels' sohn. Josquin get Wolfgangs Schu with Clara. Gone Chopin, I'll be Bach
 

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