How to Select a Music School
Throughout their lives, musicians are faced with the prospect of selecting schools at different levels for furthering their music educations. Choose the wrong one and you'll waste money and time, and you might even squander talent or interest. You might also miss important opportunities.
How do you narrow down the choices to select a music school that works for you?
Key Criteria
We're going to examine four key criteria for selecting a music school. These criteria apply across the board to all levels of study.
Curriculum and Study Options
The music curriculum is of perhaps the greatest importance when selecting a school. How deep will students' studies take them? What instruments are offered? What levels of study are available? Does the program carefully match the curriculum with the age level of the student?
Does your student thrive in a one-on-one setting or prefer group learning? Does your music school offer a generic, one-size-fits-all approach or customize instruction to meet each student's needs? Make sure your music school offers the right kind of instruction for your learner.
Some schools offer a rigidly defined experience of music, focusing, for example, exclusively on western classical. But maybe that is not what motivates your musician. Investigate whether potential music schools embrace a wide-range of musical exploration if that is what you are seeking.
Some music schools focus exclusively on one type of training, such as sight reading. But a well-rounded musician has more long-term options and a better foundation for further study and exploration. Make sure your music school offers additional topics of study such as music history, music theory, and music appreciation.
Finally, if your musician has long-term music goals, then look for a program that offers study opportunities that match her or his ambitions. One key offering should be audition prep. All good college-prep and conservatory programs will require applicants to audition, so make sure your music school helps the musician develop effective audition skills.
Faculty
This is the second most important consideration when selecting a school. If you have faculty that are great teachers, your musician will grow and develop. If you have faculty that are well-connected, your musician will forge contacts that can help build a career. If the faculty have the ability to teach music theory, then you'll get a musician with a deeper understanding of the craft.
What a musician thinks he or she wants can and will change easily under different kinds of influences. It is perhaps the best choice to find a school that offers a faculty with a range of experiences and skills, including teaching and performance. That way the student will be exposed to new interests and career options along the way.
Performance Opportunities
Music can be a solitary endeavor. But the end goal of music is always performance in some way—whether on a stage in front of a live audience, to a small group of friends, or via recording. Music schools should provide students with opportunities to practice performance. Investigate prospective schools to make sure that the student doesn't spend every moment in one-on-one classroom instruction.
Fees and Contracts
Be wary of programs that lock you into a long-term contract or that require you to pay up-front before you even know if you like the program or the instructor. A reputable music school shouldn't require a long-term contract; the quality of the instruction and experience are what will keep you returning. And a reputable music school should offer you the opportunity to take the program for a test drive before committing.
As far as fees go, look for a music school that matches fees to the length of each class. Do you have the opportunity to take a shorter class for less money? Alternatively, if you want a longer session, is that option available to you?
If money is a consideration, as it is for most people, make sure you have the option to pay as you go. That way you don’t have to come up with a large lump sum all at once.
Final Thoughts
It's essential to know how to select a music school. Your choice can make the difference between pursuing a life enhanced by music and giving up altogether on an instrument. Evaluate each school you consider according to our four criteria:
Curriculum and Study Options
Faculty
Performance Opportunities
Fees and Contracts
These criteria should help you narrow down the wide array of choices and select a music school that's perfect for you.
If you're located in or around Bergen County, New Jersey, consider the Masters Institute of Music Institute, which was voted best school of music in Northern New Jersey. Find out why: Contact us today for a complimentary music lesson.
