Colleges…..for majoring in Harp Performance

[marguerite-lynn-williams]

Liz-

Congrats on pursuing the harp on so few years! I also went to school to major in harp with only about 4 years of harp study.

When you are considering schools, you should also think about what method the teacher follows…since you haven’t been playing for a huge amount of time, it may hold you back to change techniques of playing at this point.

I would suggest adding Chicago College of Performing Arts(Sarah Bullen) and Northwestern University (Elizabeth Cifani) to your list of options.

Good luck with your search for a school!

[unknown-user]

Hello,
My name is Alizabeth, and I have been playing the harp for 4 years.
I am a very serious harpist, and I am advanced for playing only 4
years.

[unknown-user]

There are many more good schools, some much better than some you have listed, in my thinking. It depends on what you want and what you are prepared for.

What is your best repertoire? Are you a junior or senior?
You should add the Curtis Institute of Music, Ball State University, Boston University, the other Michigan universities, Skidmore College, Temple University, Rutgers or University of Pennsylvania if you want to study with me, San Francisco Conservatory and SF State University, and so many more. Check the ads in the American Harp Journal, and I’m sure there are some directories of college programs with harp majors. Aside from being able to study with Nancy Allen, is Juilliard such an obvious choice? Do you want to be in an atmosphere in which competition is reputed to be the main element? How about art or musicality, or gaining knowledge? Where do you want to be after you finish? What kind of life do you want? These are all part of your decision. Are you going to return home to play and teach? Do you only want an orchestra position (good luck)? Do you love opera or ballet? Are you into popular music, weddings, or entertainment? Since you mention academics, which take a lot of time away from practicing, then you should be looking more at the universities and colleges than the conservatories, unless they are linked with an academic school like Curtis is, and Manhattan School of Music was when I attended there. If you are thinking you may go on to something else like medicine, then you want a different kind of school.
How far from home do you want to be? Can you have lessons only every two weeks, or do you want them weekly or more?
I went to Macalester College first, then M.S.M. for my graduate studies. I like that path. I was much better prepared in music history than any of the MSM undergrads, and almost as good in theory and sort of in ear training. I was much more well-rounded and seemed more intelligent for it. But I didn’t get to practice more than three hours a day, and that’s not enough. How important is getting a scholarship? It is pretty important not to have to work to be in school, to have work-study. You want all your time free for practicing and study, and studying is hard to do on top of music, not to mention working.

[unknown-user]

As a graduate of Indiana University, I think it is very good in many academic areas.

[Evangeline Williams]

You want strong academics, too…
one thing I remember from looking at colleges is that some strong academic schools require so many liberal arts courses that you don’t get all the music classes you really need in the 4 years.

[unknown-user]

Hi Alizabeth!

[Nicole Christopher]

I attended the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and recieved an EXCELLENT ensemble education.

[katherine-willow]

liz-

[unknown-user]

Yale has undergrad too, my sister is looking into it http://www.yale.edu/yalemus/
undergrad.html

[Author]

Posts