Posted by Mary Ann on January 08, 2002 at 09:39:00:
In Reply to: Forging my future with 20 lbs of brass posted by Brandon Ostrom on January 07, 2002 at 23:22:31:
I guess I can't help you with what your question was: what university to go to. But I can throw in a big thing to think about; the _size_ of university you choose will end up being really important. I made a mistake when I went for my music degree, and chose one of the most difficult, competetive schools around, Indiana University. My parents had urged me to go to Oberlin, and if I had, things might have turned out differently. Some people need to be in a smaller school, for the support and companionship it provides. A great big school full of extremely famous people who are always going off on concert tours can be very intimidating even to a good player. So this is one major consideration that you should spend some time on in your choosing process.
Suggestion #2: if at all possible, visit your top several choices of schools and take a lesson with the instructor you'll be dealing with. Whether you two click with each other is more important than almost everything else.
Best of luck, and go for it. I'm happy with having my music degree, even though I only "use" it now on an amateur level. In my 2nd career of engineering, music provides me with an alternate way of thinking about problems and also a very fulfilling hobby.