Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Music Schools/Conservatories in the US

If showing up three times a semester counts as teaching, then yeah.

I understand it, Brendan~~~ ^^
Mr Watts must be very busy!

I would like to enquire on the following questions in general:

1) When should I apply for scholarship or financial support in the process as an international student in US? At the time I apply for admission? Or, after the university receive me? Or, after I pay for the full studying fee?

2) What should I prepare for the above process?

Thank you for your help.

1) Different schools have different deadlines, but, generally speaking, try to have your financial documents ready to submit along with your application for admission.

2) For international students, I think your parents have to have a certain amount of money in assets (regardless of the scholarships you get) in order for them to be allowed to accept you. Bank statements, tax forms, etc. might be needed for submission.

Your best bet is to get all of the info you need from the schools you are interested in. The chances are they that all have similar procedures and financial requirements for international students.

oh, Jenny, are u from HK?
Studying in the local University or conservatory?
I am a piano student from Shengzhen~

Hello, Sokolov_thelegend, (are you asking me?)

Nice to talk with you. Not so lucky as you are; I am just a student of a piano teacher by private tutoring.

By the way, I join Martha's concert in HK. Do you enjoy her music? (Though the orch cannot catch up with her standard....)

Sure. I enjoy her music enormously.

Very cool to see someone from Curtis here. But is 21 still the cut off age for piano then? I mean I'm sure that there will exceptions though, if they feel like it. Correct?

Thanks

The Hartt School, University of Hartford

Hello--
I'm fairly new here,and have a question...
My situation is somewhat different and perhaps unusual..
Would a music conservatory even consider admitting someone in their 50's? I have played piano all of my life, and accomplished, espec. during high school, when I was in statewide piano competitions. My life and career took a different path, and I subsequently went to Medical School. I am having a very successful career (a subspecialty surgeon) and am now 46 yrs old.
Due to various factors, I hope to retire from medicine at some point in my early 50's (stress, burnout, paperwork, quality of life, etc.).
I have though seriously of taking up piano as a second "career", more for personal growth and fulfillment obviously, than for becoming a performer or professor. I hope to be in a position to move anywhere and be financially secure.
I am not interested in a regular undergrad program, but instead a true conservatory.
Would they even consider letting an old geezer in his 50's enter their school? Would the teachers there give me a lot of "attitutude" and not treat me the same as their "serious" students, whose lifer careers will hopefully be in music?
Some friends think I'm nuts, others say, sarcastically, that a few years of nice donations and the ability to pay cash for tuition will go a long way....but I really feel that taking up music more seriously will fulfill a life ambition.

sorry about all of the typos..I'm a terrible typist.
BTW, I realize many schools have age limits, and of couse require rigorous auditions...

It might be more realistic for me to find a very accomplished teacher, perhaps at a fine institution, and pay him/her a handsome fee for private lessons...

This is only my second post but I had to add my my school:

California State University Fullerton
http://www.fullerton.edu/arts/music/index.htm

I was told that in order to audition for the top conservatories such as Curtis and Julliard, you really need some inside connection. In other words, if you just go there "cold" (ie, without having the master class or couple of private lessons with some teachers), your chance of acceptance is not really high. Can someone shed some light on this? I certainly hope that's a rumor. Thanks.

I was looking into a music production/technology major. Are there any universities (not conservatories) that have a good technology major?
I know the Ithaca has a program like that, but what other schools are there?

Well, it's not always true, but connections do help at most schools. In the end though, someone who comes in cold and plays an amazing audition has a better chance than someone who knows a faculty member but plays a terrible audition. Admission is based on a group consensus.

Don't listen to Brendan!

It's all true! If you want to get into the top studio at a top conservatory, you better have your connections, otherwise you are screwed!

Unless, like Brendan states, you play AMAZINGLY! But usually, yea you should definitely go meet and have a lesson or two with the teacher. It helps GREATLY if your current teacher is friends with these professors.

I'm not sure about a top flight conservatory, although if you're AMAZING, they might take you. Keep in mind that by taking up that space at a music school, you might be taking away a young student's spot who probably will have a career in music. So from that stand point the faculty might veto your acceptance. I don't know, that's just my thought. But I know of a great teacher who specializes in adult students. Someone like Milton Stern in Los Angeles, works with mostly adult students such as yourself. And in terms of learning how to play the piano, what difference does it make if you study with a great teacher privately or with a teacher at a conservatory?

Many concert pianists never went to a school...

Don't listen to Brendan!

It's all true! If you want to get into the top studio at a top conservatory, you better have your connections, otherwise you are screwed!

Unless, like Brendan states, you play AMAZINGLY! But usually, yea you should definitely go meet and have a lesson or two with the teacher. It helps GREATLY if your current teacher is friends with these professors. [/QUOTE]

That is true even for university. If you want to go to private university with a conservatory- like setting, you do best to get in contact with as many teachers and administrators as possible. Go to orientation meetings, meet with counselors, talk with counselors over the phone, get in contact with the piano teacher, and try to 'move yourself in' so to speak. That is what I am trying to do at Chapman University. It is hard, and you still don't know if you get in.

Wow..

Anyone know of any near or around New Jersey?
How about Princeton or University of Pennsylvania?

That's what I said originally - connections help, but they are not the only determining factor. I've known people who didn't get into a DMA or MM program at the same school where they did their BM or MM. You've got to have a connection and play well, but the more important of the two is playing well.