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The Articles
WELCOME to this quiet little corner of the Admissions Website.
Web gurus tell me that no one comes to a web site to read essays. All anyone wants is a quick answer to a specific question. So (he wondered), why is it that when families come to visit us at Peabody we spend so much time discussing issues related to conservatory study and musical careers? For those of you with a little time to sit and ponder, I offer these essays. Please note that they were written at different times and for different audiences—meaning some of the same points are common to all. Still, there should be comfort here for parents and students trying to make sense of the bewildering number of choices out there. I suggest you treat them like magazine articles. Trying to read them all at once will make your eyes buggy.
David Lane
Understanding Music Conservatories
"[Musicians] are incredibly hard-working, intelligent, and focused young people. Yet the choices they face as they ponder the next steps in their musical careers are complex. Most music school web sites focus on the schools themselves; the hopes and dreams behind the creation and the mission of the school. The rest of the Peabody web site can give you that information. However, if you want to explore what makes a given school a good match for a given young musician, it is best instead to start out focusing on the hopes and dreams of prospective students."
What Can You Do With a Music Degree?
"Somewhere along the line, the young musician begins to realize that music performance has become the primary focus of his or her life. The subject of going to a music school comes up, and one of two things happens: Either the family is immediately supportive, or there is a period of adjustment while the parents figure out what such a choice might mean for their children's future (and for their own). After all, what is going to happen if their young musician graduates, and can't make a living as a performer?
"Parents (and students too) worry about these things. So, in this essay, we are going to dig into the issue of the practicality of a Bachelor of Music degree. There are two perspectives to consider. The first is an explanation of the nature of the degree, and how it compares with other types of undergraduate degrees in the job market. The second is a deeper look at the issue, highlighting the elements which give students pursuing a music degree a head start along life's journey."
Music for Accountants
"This essay is my humble attempt at explaining the complexities behind the "simple" enjoyment of music, and how it is that a young person can start blowing, banging, or scraping on an instrument as part of the school music program, and end up at a conservatory in hopes of turning his or her skills into a lifelong career. This is a complex subject, requiring something of an analytical look at the music, the listeners, and the performers. Once these perspectives come together, it will all make sense.
"I hope."
