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< Singers, Teachers & Voice ~ Grad Programs: Majors vs AAA |
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| LurkerJoined: 09:22, Thu 11 Mar 2010Posts: 1 |
What are your experiences/feelings about attending a graduate voice program at a renowned institution (AVA, Julliard, MSM, etc.) where you are likely to get less "face time" vs a smaller institution (pick one) where you are likely to receive more attention?
Ultimately, I believe that it all comes down to the teacher and the individual. I know that you are supposed to go to a voice teacher and not an institution, but I'd just like to hear what you all have to say about it. Some of my thoughts- Premier Institution: Good: -Reputations are earned. The teachers probably know what they're doing. -Other students of extremely high caliber in your voice type make for good motivation to be all that you can be. -Excellent opportunities for exposure in major markets. -Access to resources of institution. -Political connections Bad: -Less time spent w/ teacher than may otherwise be possible. -Voice is not a competition, it is understanding oneself. If it becomes a competition against another it is likely to end poorly. -If your star is eclipsed by another then they are the ones getting the gigs, recognition, exposure, etc. Smaller Institution: Good: -Significantly more face time w/ teacher. -Less competition for roles, recommendations, gigs, etc. Bad: -Potentially less exposure -Higher likelihood of working w/ the wrong teacher. Please feel free to brutalize the points that I have made if'n you feel that it is pertinent. This is a topic that I have been thinking on recently (since lunch) and w/ my long-time membership in the Grandi Tenori community (about an hour) figured that I would just throw some the bait that was at hand onto the hook and toss it into the water. Mahalo |
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| Pianissimo Member (100+)Joined: 18:24, Sat 07 Jul 2007Posts: 161Location: Sweden |
Either way you look at it you have to get yourself a teacher that is great; beyond the subjective nature of that word. Proven as an adept pedagogue, if you will.
I think, like you, that it is all about the teacher and the student and not to forget; the presence of practice rooms and pianos! Regardless of how prestigious a school you study at you have to separate yourself from those around you to make the progress that you would benefit most from. Being in the company of great singers can both motivate and kill your ambition - be sure that you are ready to glean the profits from being an underdog (if that's the likely case), otherwise you might walk away with a wounded ambition... How do the qualifications work for schools in the states? In Sweden practically all schools have auditions which are practically the sole ground on which you are admitted or not. If your system works similarly; where do you think you have a chance of getting a spot? |
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| Pianissimo Member (100+)Joined: 21:29, Wed 02 Apr 2008Posts: 162Location: boston |
Your questions and assessments bear discussion. Having spent 3 decades running programs in three different conservatories (two of them considered "premier institutions worldwide) I can say the answers are not easy or necessarily obvious.
I don't think anyone would argue that a successful match with the right voice teacher is key to the education. Two things cannot be assumed: 1. that you get more "face time" with a teacher in a smaller institution (and if you did, that has to be weighed against whether or not the time you get is of significant greater value and 2. that the reputations, while worthy, necessarily make them the right teacher for you. What you CAN assume is that the overall quality of musicianship (accompanists, orchestra, and peers) will be superior at the "premier" institutions. You are not studying in a vacuum, and the inspiration to be gotten from wonderful musicians is immeasurable. I wouldn't count on "politics" to help or hurt anyone in a conservatory. (Speaking from the "inside", there isn't as much of it as people assume.) Same with exposure/opportunity. Something you didn't consider is environs. A school in a city where the arts are prevalent and/or excellent has much more to offer than one in a culture-starved are. The bottom line is: understand what you need, and who you are. |
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| Pianissimo Member (100+)Joined: 04:01, Sat 04 Aug 2007Posts: 196Location: Chicago |
Maholo--I remember when I first looked in the Chicago Yellow Pages for a voice teacher (age 16)—page after page after page of voice teaches. My 1st thought: if they know how to teach singing, why aren’t they singing? What singer in their right mind would prefer to teach than to sing? Well, maybe they all had a career (fat chance). (You know, trying to give them the benefit of the doubt.) But I had a feeling—I think I can safely call it an instinct—“I wonder if the teacher I choose will know how to teach.” I say instinct, because I don’t think my suspicion is mine alone. I also know what I knew when I began my search. You can’t possibly know what you are up against; but you can trust that instinct. Never lose sight of it. That’s how scared I am for every young singer who doesn’t know that his life, as a singer, is in jeopardy because of the state of the art of teaching. Robert Merrill got lucky. His mother went to the Met (I think she knew some one there) and inquired with whom her son might study. Maybe my doom and gloom is over the top, but I feel safer working with the worst possible scenario (keep my instinct in tacked while I audition teachers) while hoping for the best. But to audition for a “school” and not know with whom you are to study if accepted tells me you’re a virgin and there’s a good chance you’ll get raped. (You did say “Please feel free to brutalize the points.”)
 Thank you. The source of that statement is my life, and I’m not going there. But know the success or failure of a singer’s life is in the hands of his teacher. Some teachers know more than others; it’s your job to find the one who knows the most. And trust your instincts. If you are a singer, sir, I suggest you get a little more involved with your life. Welcome to G-T. Bob
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