Piano major at UCLA

[chwu 10]

Hi. Is anyone in this forum a piano major at UCLA? or just a piano major? or even just a music major? I am just wondering how it would be like to study piano or music in general. Thanks.

[MikiRei 10]

What do you mean "how it would be like to study piano or music in general"?

As I understand, every university, especially music, are quite different so their experiences vary (I'd also imagine that experiences can differ also due to the type of professor you get).

Furthermore, for example, a performance major's experience differs vastly from a composition major (my friend switched from composition to musicology. The experience changed for her quite vastly).

So my own question back at you is, what kind of "answer" are you looking for when you're asking this question? Is there some sort of uncertainties you're worried about when you're asking this question?

[chwu 10]

Hi, thank you for answering. Uhm, yeah i realized my question was a little vague. My curiosity was that what is it like to study piano performance? I mean is it like you just attend private lessons with some professor? and to be honest, I am kind of lost in this field. I applied as a piano performance major, but I have never really thought what it would be like to actually study it, and quite frankly, I am the only person in the entire history (i think) of my high school (it's a small private christian school) that is majoring in piano performance (others are mostly music ed.). I don't really know what to expect when I go to college.

And if I may ask, are you a music major too?

[Nevar 10]

Are you in UCLA????

Second line.

[MikiRei 10]

No, I'm not a music major and no, not from UCLA - but you did ask "IN GENERAL" so I can at least provide information that I know of - IN GENERAL. Might be good if you can check if there's a student forum specific to UCLA? You might have a better chance than here...considering this is a forum thread for Taiwanese students who are abroad. It's not exactly a large pool of people here.

I'm a muso and to be honest, I was either going to choose between music or software engineering when I was applying for uni. Yes, big difference, but there you go so I've done enough research back in the days and know enough musicians which also include my various piano teachers who either studied at top music schools (eg. London College of Music, Juilliard) or are professors themselves at music conservatories.

From my various conversations with friends and teachers, experience varies very vastly depending on the college of study and more so, with the professor you are studying with.

I mean is it like you just attend private lessons with some professor?

Ok....ummm....so.....did you actually check on UCLA's site to see the list of coursework you will be doing? Because that usually gives you a pretty good picture what you will be studying. As for actual experience, you have to start doing the degree before you know. List of courseworks is only the tip of the iceberg.

To the best of my knowledge with the few music conservatories that I've researched, private lessons are a must - but they also encourage ensemble experience. And of course, there are also written courses like musicology and aural/composition lessons. As I've mentioned before, it varies from uni to uni, but in terms of piano major, private lessons are a must - but you won't be able to get away with theory coursework. My previous teacher (he heads the piano major department at his conservatory) also mentioned about end of semester exams where performance majors need to prepare a repertoire - and of course, you get graded there - usually by a panel of professors (and according to him, teacher politics can get pretty catty which influences student grade. Yeah, not very comforting.)

I'm fairly sure you can just go to UCLA's music website and they will show you what course work you will be doing and that should give you some picture of what you will be learning. I have to say, I'm a little alarmed that you haven't done that already...... (well, at least it doesn't sound like you have)

[arielkao0213 10]

Hi, student in music major will PRACTICE all the time, read and study score, music history, theory, solfege, any type of skill that helps ur music. P.S. I am a student in New England Conservatory perp...

Hope this helps you

[forlornha 10]

my sister's studying piano performance and piano education--and yea, she basically practice 80% of the time and study theory, history, and teaching for the other 20%. It also seems very helpful to double major in performance and education, so you can teach and perform! Because she studies piano education, it's really easy for her to teach students and earn extra money in college!