Major/minor?

[pianowelsh]

Hi can someone please explain to me the US system of being a piano major or piano minor what is the difference and for example can you study 'minor' in a conservatory? The system is quite confusing for outsiders!

[Hmoll]

Hi can someone please explain to me the US system of being a piano major or piano minor what is the difference and for example can you study 'minor' in a conservatory? The system is quite confusing for outsiders!

When you study a subject in college/university, you are said to be "majoring" in that subject. That can be piano perfomance, music history, composition, music education, accounting, finance, biology, physics, mathematics, etc. While you major in one subject, you can take  enough course work in another to be "minoring" in that subject. In other words, a math major might take piano and other music courses, so he is also minoring in piano.  A further distinction is what's known as a "double major" taking enough course work in more than one subject where you satisfy the graduation requirements of both as a major. I was a double major in piano performance and music history, for example.

[galonia]

At my university (in Australia), each subject you take is worth a number of credit points, and belongs to a certain "level".  To major in an area, you need to have taken a certain number of credit points worth of subjects in that area, at a certain level.  Then to minor in something, you need a lesser number of credit points at a certain level in that area.

e.g. I majored in Pure Maths, so I had to take at least 42 credits of Level II and III pure maths subjects, including at least 18 credits of level III pure maths subjects.  Then I could choose either another major, or what I did was choose a minor in Applied Maths (I had a varied life) and that required at least 42 credits of Level II or III applied maths subjects.

This would apply to music majors/minors, too.

[pianowelsh]

Ok so its like either 'double major' essentially studying two degree programmes simultaneously OR major (degree programme) with a portion of it in another subject - to add breadth?

HMoll when you say you did a performance major does that mean ONLY performance or do you do harmony history analysis etc as part of the performance part and then more History of music in the 'history of music major'?   

I am used to a course structure that opperates on 2 years involving: Harmony, analysis, composition, aural sightreading, pedagogy, etc with electives of your choice too. then in a further final two years you have more specific subjects, performance anaylsis, advanced aural, substancial dissertation etc alongside performance and modules in career managements etc. Performance runs through all 4 years with 3 major performance exams per year.

University courses are different to this though they are largely academic with only a few (optional) modules in performance throughout the 3 (not 4) years a friend of mine studys music at a university in the same city and only plays 12 mins exam over three years but have tons of essays and course work and exams every year. They also do one third of their course in a complimentary subject but you couldnt do Music history and music performance as separate it would have to be like Music with one third maths or geography or something like that.