The Path to Peabody
If you are reading this, you must be looking at music schools...
It is also likely you have visited web sites and collected literature from other colleges, conservatories and universities. College publications and web sites can be pretty formidable, with blazing full-color photographs of intense students making beautiful music on gorgeous campuses. It's easy to imagine that everyone gets along with their teachers. No one ever has scheduling problems. All the students are incredibly talented. No one has to pay for anything. You just sit under a tree and practice for a few hours at twilight on a beautiful Spring evening and before you know it you are making your debut in Carnegie Hall. Sigh! I wish life were that easy.
Before you can put yourself into one of those photographs, you must decide where to go to school, and that is what this part of the web site is about. We want you to know something about Peabody Conservatory—what it is, and what it is not—so you can decide if you wish to apply. I am the Director of Admissions; the official Peabody "matchmaker," so to speak. If you and I do our jobs well, it is likely you will be happy with the school you choose. So, let's talk about Peabody and see if what we offer fits your needs. I promise to be brief.
David Lane
Director of Admissions
A Little History
Peabody was founded in 1857, but didn't actually open its doors until 1866. The delay was caused by the Civil War, a particularly hard time for the State of Maryland, which was located on the dividing line between the North and South. Some of our students appreciate the classic architecture of the campus, others hardly notice it. The advantage of being...well...old is that Peabody has been turning out top quality musicians for over a century and a half, and the music world has come to assume that anyone who graduates from Peabody is a good performer. It takes a long time for an assumption like that to spread worldwide. When I started working here, I did a little survey asking where those calling us learned about Peabody. The answer most often given was, "I don't know. I think I've always known about Peabody."
Focus
With only 650 students or so, we can't be everything to everybody. Other schools have music therapy, musical theater, music management, etc.. Peabody focuses on "classical" music and jazz. All Peabody undergraduates—even the ones majoring in Music Education or Recording Arts and Sciences—must complete the same performance curriculum as those majoring in performance. However, within the fields of classical music and jazz, Peabody is actually quite diverse. We can explore Peabody's available programs and majors later.
A Division of the Johns Hopkins University
Peabody is one of the schools of The Johns Hopkins University. Thus, Peabody students have access to the resources of the University. You can even take an official "concentration" of courses there as part of your Peabody degree. A shuttle bus runs hourly between campuses. Double degrees, music minors, etc. can be shared with the Schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering. Peabody graduates are simultaneously graduates of JHU. If the Carnegie Hall fantasy doesn't work out, a Peabody/Hopkins diploma is a powerful credential to have on a resume.
Philosophy #1: Peabody believes in liberal arts for musicians.
Some music schools feel the best way to develop musicians is to direct all their energy into practice, practice, practice. Practice alone is not enough. The world (according to a former Dean) already has a surplus of musicians with fast fingers. It takes a broader knowledge of culture, art and philosophy to really understand what you are doing. That is one of the reasons Peabody includes liberal arts courses in its programs. Even better, all required courses are taught at Peabody so we can tailor them to the needs of serious musicians. If you have an interest in math, science or other subjects not taught at Peabody, you can cross-register to Hopkins and take them.
Philosophy #2: Peabody does not promote cut-throat competition.
Occasionally we hear about music conservatories being nasty places--students fighting over practice rooms and trying to "psych" each other out at auditions. Schools sometimes promote this kind of atmosphere, hoping to prepare students for a "dog-eat-dog" world. You may be the kind of person who thrives in a competitive atmosphere like that. Peabody has a different philosophy. Maybe it is our location but we don't see things that way here. Certainly we have auditions and competitions, and the record of national and international prizewinners shows that Peabody does very well in the "real world." But we think each student has his or her own unique musical gift to develop. We believe it will develop better in an atmosphere that promotes cooperation and growth. Sometimes, you might even see one participant accompanying another at a competition. We're exceptionally proud of that.
Career Development
A career in music is the goal of every student at Peabody. It would be great if hard work alone were enough to reach that goal, but there is more to it than that. Musical talent does not always correlate with marketing skills, so to help you along, Peabody offers elective classes, seminars, and individual assistance.
Peabody's Profile
Peabody's student body is approximately half undergraduate and half graduate. About 95% attend school full-time. A bit more than half are female. Our students come from all over the United States, and almost one third of our student body is international. Faculty size is about 150, making the student/faculty ratio less than five to one. Actually, this is misleading since many of our faculty are private teachers, but the average class size is still in the seven to eighteen range. With about 26 major fields (clarinet, voice, etc.) divided over six degree and diploma levels (Bachelor's, Master's, etc.) it's easy to understand why Peabody is oriented toward working with students as individuals.
The Campus
If you are looking for tree-lined paths and rows of neatly manicured red brick buildings, the Peabody campus will not fill the bill. You can take the shuttle bus to Hopkins for that. Peabody has its own charm, peacefully nestled in Mount Vernon Place, the historic heart of Baltimore. The main campus takes up an entire block, with picnic tables and flowering plants—quite beautiful in the spring. One side of the courtyard has the residence hall, cafeteria and student center. The other side has the rehearsal, practice and performance facilities.
Even though it is in one of the nicest parts of Baltimore, cities are cities, so Peabody's entrances are monitored by security guards. There is also an escort van service available in the evening.
We are especially proud of our practice rooms. Our students spend hours in them, so we avoid those little cubicles that make you feel like cotton is stuffed in your ears. Practice rooms are open from 6 AM to 2 AM.
Beyond the Campus
Mount Vernon Place, a charming 19th-century square with small parks and fountains, borders Peabody to the North. The Mount Vernon neighborhood abounds in ethnic restaurants. Other major cultural institutions located on and around the square include the Walters Art Museum, Center Stage (one of America’s best repertory theaters), the Garret-Jacobs Mansion, and the Maryland Historical Society. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (where the Baltimore Symphony plays), the Lyric Opera House, and the Hippodrome Theater (featuring Broadway shows) are a short walk or shuttle ride away.
When students need a change of scene, they most often walk to Harbor Place and browse the shops, restaurants and markets. In addition, Harbor Place has broad promenades connecting the Maryland Science Center, the Constellation (the last all-sail warship built by the U.S. Navy) and the National Aquarium with its tropical rain forest and marine mammal exhibits. There is an Amtrak station a few blocks from the school. Trains can get you to Washington D.C. in forty-five minutes, Philadelphia in about an hour, and New York in two and a half hours.
Money
Peabody's financial assistance program has two components; merit (sometimes called "talent") and "need." When you audition at Peabody, the faculty will rate your performance for merit. The information will then be evaluated by the school in light of your financial circumstances. Your acceptance materials will include a link to the web were you can learn the results--a package made up of Peabody funds, plus funds from various governmental programs. Some of it may be grants which do not have to be repaid. Other parts may be loans or work/study.
A Personal Note
In the Admissions Office we learn a lot from applicants who choose to go to other schools. One young woman said she was going to a State University because she wanted to be one of the "thirty-thousand screaming fans in the stadium every Saturday." A young guitarist with a strong interest in "pop" music thought Peabody was a little too conservative. Some people don't want to go to school in a city; others want to be closer to home or farther away. Then there are those who want to study with a particular teacher and will go wherever s/he teaches. It is a complex process.
If Peabody is right for you, I have some good news. This is a highly selective school, but historically, about half of those who feel comfortable with the audition repertoire and complete the application process are accepted (see note below).Aboutforty percent ofthosewe accept decide to attend. We are very proud of that since most of our applicants have applied to four or more schools. I hope this brief introduction, combined with other information in this web site gives you the information you need to determine if Peabody is a good fit for you. If so, we stand ready to help guide you through the admissions process. In any case, if you have questions, feel free to call us. The number for the Admissions Office is 1-(800)-368-2521, or (410) 234-4848 in Maryland.
NOTE: Obviously, these general percentages can vary greatly fromyear-to-year and frommajor-to-major. Also, our numbers are based on applicants who completed the audition/interview process, as opposed to being based on a gross count of all applicants. If we were to base our acceptance statistics on the gross application count, it would becloserto 38%. Comparing statistics from school to school can be tricky, since schools do not all define the term "applicant" the same way.
