Performers in the past lives?

[emilywantstogetin]

Hello folks! I'm currently getting my master's in viola performance, but I'm certain that I'm switching track to ethnomusicology afterwards.

I was wondering if there are any other performance--> academic veterans out there? Or currently changing gear?

One of the things that worries me the most is the lack of academic credentials compared to people who's always knew they wanted to be a musicologist/ethnomusicologist. I have always done exceptionally well in academic classes, but my summers, weekends, and evenings are spent at music festivals, practicing or rehearsing. I actually don't know what musicologists do in their summers, but I'm pretty sure they've racked up some seriously impressive stuff while I am rehearsing with my quartet. Did/do you have this problem? How was it overcame?

Another one of my worries is that the technique that took me years to accumulate will just foam and disappear as soon as I stop practicing at the intensity level I do now. Now that I have mentally committed to academics, it doesn't bother me as much, but I fear I've wasted years of my life to obtain such an ephemeral skill. Did/do you encounter that?

[mklish]

Hello folks! I'm currently getting my master's in viola performance, but I'm certain that I'm switching track to ethnomusicology afterwards.

I was wondering if there are any other performance--> academic veterans out there? Or currently changing gear?

One of the things that worries me the most is the lack of academic credentials compared to people who's always knew they wanted to be a musicologist/ethnomusicologist. I have always done exceptionally well in academic classes, but my summers, weekends, and evenings are spent at music festivals, practicing or rehearsing. I actually don't know what musicologists do in their summers, but I'm pretty sure they've racked up some seriously impressive stuff while I am rehearsing with my quartet. Did/do you have this problem? How was it overcame?

Another one of my worries is that the technique that took me years to accumulate will just foam and disappear as soon as I stop practicing at the intensity level I do now. Now that I have mentally committed to academics, it doesn't bother me as much, but I fear I've wasted years of my life to obtain such an ephemeral skill. Did/do you encounter that?

Hi there,

I come from a similar background as you do and it's great to know that there are others out there dealing with the same situation! I am completing my Masters in piano performance and decided last summer that musicology was something that I really wanted to pursue, much more than a performing career. It was a tough decision but I am convinced I made the right choice.

Like you, I was a bit intimidated by the major switch in focus and the big difference in experience gathered throughout the years. I also didn't know much about what musicologists did outside school but after meeting some students, it seems that attending conferences would be their version of summer festivals (: The biggest obstacle for me was definitely the writing sample in the applications, especially since I never had the need to write a Masters thesis or anything of that scale and of course, my credentials consisted of performances and competitions, not publications or academic awards. One question: do you study at a conservatory or in a music department at a larger university? I have been told many times that a certain bias exists in the more *ahem* 'elite' universities against performers looking to enter the academic field and for example, even if you have a 4.0 GPA, the general impression is that conservatories/music schools place a much lower emphasis on academics and thus that 4.0 would not match up to a 4.0 from a Harvard grad. There is not much one can do about it but that is why the writing sample is so important in making up for the lack of academic credentials as well as good recommendation letters from people who can vouch for your academic abilities and highlight the fact that you have shown dedication and perseverance in a field as challenging and consuming as an academic program. Unless you have the time to take a year or two off to build up an academic resume, it would probably be a good idea to put as much effort as possible into the writing sample(s), GRE and your final GPA. Also, it might help to start getting in touch with faculty members from the prospective programs you would like to apply for.. especially since as performers, we seldom have any alliances or the opportunity to be introduced through a professor.

I don't think you would have wasted any years in perfecting your performing skills! This is how we came to know and love music and even if we take the academic path, I think it would still be possible to continue working on your instrument if you choose a program that encourages their students to perform and has a more flexible workload. Of course, we won't have the same 'luxury' of hours of practice but you wouldn't necessarily need to give up playing completely.. and the musicality and artistry that you have gained will likely remain with you and even help with your future program. We have had the privilege of being personally involved in many of the musical works that we will come across later as scholars and I think this allows us a rather unique perspective.

I hope this has helped a bit! Please feel free to talk about other questions you might have.. The shift was very confusing for me and it helped to talk to others who had been through the same situation. Although I kind of made it sound like performers are at a disadvantage, don't worry too much because there are very diverse programs out there and I am sure one will fit you and you will fit it! I was successfully accepted into a few PhD programs for this Fall and will most likely be attending the Graduate Center (CUNY) as it has an excellent program that also places an encouraging emphasis on performance, not to mention its fantastic location in New York City!

Good luck in your endeavors!!

p.s. Apologies in advance if I had made it seem too one-sided in regards to the whole performers vs musicologists thing.. The difficulties I described were very real for me and I feel that the challenges of applying to a PhD program are quite different coming from a performance background. In the end however, it is the love for music that makes any obstacle worth it!

[angesa01]

It's so nice to stumble on this thread! I'm from a performance background also, but made the switch earlier. My undergraduate degree is in music, where I concentrated on piano performance. I turned towards musicology and ethnomusicology the summer before my senior year. Fortunately, that gave me two short months to try to make myself an attractive candidate. I presented at two conferences and worked at an internship in community development, but I think the main thing was just working on those writing samples and essays. I guess I rewrote my SOP twelve times.

Like mklish, I'll probably be pursuing my PhD in ethnomusicology at CUNY next fall. I love their program and the faculty are fantastic. I spoke with many current students and nearly all of them come from performance backgrounds.

[emilywantstogetin]

That's great to know! I did apply to a few schools this year, but I didn't strategize very well and it seems like all of my ships are sunken at this point. Except for a lifeboat. I was taking the GRE's at the same time preparing for my recital, so it wasn't pretty haha... So, i'm most likely going to build up my credentials during the year off. I'm presenting at a conference at the end of the month, so it's good to know that at least the building-up part can get rolling!

Mklish-- my undergrad was at a high-ranking university's music department, and now I'm at a school of music. I think there definitely is some of the "what? do music schools have classes" sentiment involved, because when I was at my undergrad institute, I never had to explain very much my academic achievement. A 4.0 is a 4.0, and everyone is impressed. Nowadays, if I get a 4.0, the first question I had to answer was "but don't you get A's from lessons and ensembles automatically?" (not at my school! people get graded with a rubric like a normal class)

[LaTuaZerlina]

Hi there,

I come from a similar background as you do and it's great to know that there are others out there dealing with the same situation! I am completing my Masters in piano performance and decided last summer that musicology was something that I really wanted to pursue, much more than a performing career. It was a tough decision but I am convinced I made the right choice.

Like you, I was a bit intimidated by the major switch in focus and the big difference in experience gathered throughout the years. I also didn't know much about what musicologists did outside school but after meeting some students, it seems that attending conferences would be their version of summer festivals (: The biggest obstacle for me was definitely the writing sample in the applications, especially since I never had the need to write a Masters thesis or anything of that scale and of course, my credentials consisted of performances and competitions, not publications or academic awards. One question: do you study at a conservatory or in a music department at a larger university? I have been told many times that a certain bias exists in the more *ahem* 'elite' universities against performers looking to enter the academic field and for example, even if you have a 4.0 GPA, the general impression is that conservatories/music schools place a much lower emphasis on academics and thus that 4.0 would not match up to a 4.0 from a Harvard grad. There is not much one can do about it but that is why the writing sample is so important in making up for the lack of academic credentials as well as good recommendation letters from people who can vouch for your academic abilities and highlight the fact that you have shown dedication and perseverance in a field as challenging and consuming as an academic program. Unless you have the time to take a year or two off to build up an academic resume, it would probably be a good idea to put as much effort as possible into the writing sample(s), GRE and your final GPA. Also, it might help to start getting in touch with faculty members from the prospective programs you would like to apply for.. especially since as performers, we seldom have any alliances or the opportunity to be introduced through a professor.

I don't think you would have wasted any years in perfecting your performing skills! This is how we came to know and love music and even if we take the academic path, I think it would still be possible to continue working on your instrument if you choose a program that encourages their students to perform and has a more flexible workload. Of course, we won't have the same 'luxury' of hours of practice but you wouldn't necessarily need to give up playing completely.. and the musicality and artistry that you have gained will likely remain with you and even help with your future program. We have had the privilege of being personally involved in many of the musical works that we will come across later as scholars and I think this allows us a rather unique perspective.

I hope this has helped a bit! Please feel free to talk about other questions you might have.. The shift was very confusing for me and it helped to talk to others who had been through the same situation. Although I kind of made it sound like performers are at a disadvantage, don't worry too much because there are very diverse programs out there and I am sure one will fit you and you will fit it! I was successfully accepted into a few PhD programs for this Fall and will most likely be attending the Graduate Center (CUNY) as it has an excellent program that also places an encouraging emphasis on performance, not to mention its fantastic location in New York City!

Good luck in your endeavors!!

p.s. Apologies in advance if I had made it seem too one-sided in regards to the whole performers vs musicologists thing.. The difficulties I described were very real for me and I feel that the challenges of applying to a PhD program are quite different coming from a performance background. In the end however, it is the love for music that makes any obstacle worth it!

Hi all! Thanks for all of your posts... it's much more comforting to know that there are more people like me doing the same thing!

Some background info: I'm a mezzo-soprano about to go into the final year of my undergrad (B.A. Music at a small liberal arts college), and my eventual goal is to become a professional opera singer. Two months ago, I came to the realization that my technique isn't quite ready for graduate study as a singer, and I'd like to pursue a musicology degree to both satisfy my inner music history nerd and give me some historical insight into the music I'll be performing, all while I continue to study voice privately. In my mind, I'm trying to follow the example of people like Ian Bostridge and Thomas Hampson- singers who also have strong backgrounds in music history, and have written great academic articles about the music they perform.

Bottom line? I'm looking for two-year Masters programs (with a preference towards M.M.s) that allow me to study musicology while I continue to train as a singer. I have family back in Cape Cod, so I'm especially interested in Boston-area schools. So far, I really like New England Conservatory, Brandeis and the M.A. Music-Performance Practice at Harvard. I'm also looking at Boston University, Peabody and Eastman. Can anybody give me any insight on admissions for these programs, or others I should be considering as well? Since I'm relatively new to the musicological field, what can I do to really make my application stand out?