The choice of the three-year degree

The world of work in Italy does not exist. Study a lot privately and try for admission to a conservatory abroad. Graduating well from Paris is a good start, and in France, they professionally manage the integration phase into the working world.

Working means many things, nowadays to teach one must be very well-informed.

Ah, knowing is never useless, if you don't know where you come from. ... where will you go?

Natan wrote:

Working means many things; nowadays, to teach, one must be very well-informed.

Ah, knowing is never useless, if you don't know where you come from. ... where you are going?

The problem is that I don't want to work as a teacher because it's not a world for me. Ever since I was little, I have always worked my fingers to the bone thinking "I want to be a pianist," and until last year I was always motivated and worked hard to reach this goal. The problem is that growing up, I feel demotivated by the environment and I have lost the grit I might have had a few years ago. For this reason, I would like to enter an environment that can actually train me and not pretend to train me as often happens. Three years ago, I found an excellent private teacher who has certainly helped me make giant leaps; the problem is that in the world, dedication and skill are not enough, but you also need the right support—where by support I don't mean recommendations, but people who can help face a path of growth...

I had the same doubt as you last year and I will tell you about my choice. In my opinion, piano and composition both have job opportunities abroad. I was also undecided between these two and chose piano. I advise you to think by listening to yourself and not to external influences (work, conservatories, etc.) and to choose what you, without strange influences, would do most pleasurably.

Once I chose my path, I made a "project" for myself, namely to undertake the three-year academic degree in piano in Italy, so as to familiarize myself with the academic world of music (which, privately, I believe is a bit more difficult despite also having an excellent teacher) and subsequently, if everything goes according to plan, do the two-year master's abroad in a good academy. I thought of it immediately like Zazza: Italy is truly a disappointment in many professional fields and I am certainly not the one who sacrifices his life and his contributions in the hope that this country redeems itself (not that people abroad are saints, but here I feel particularly mocked).

Everything also depends on the person; there are people who call those who flee cowards and those who stay heroes, and people who call those who flee clever and those who stay fools—they are points of view.

PS: I too, like many/all, have the goal of becoming a concert artist

pianothor wrote:

I had the same doubt as you last year and I will tell you about my choice. In my opinion, both piano and composition have job opportunities abroad. I was also undecided between these two and chose piano. I advise you to think by listening to yourself and not to external influences (work, conservatories, etc.) and to choose what you, without strange influences, would do most pleasurably.

Once I chose my path, I made a "project" for myself, namely to undertake the three-year academic piano degree in Italy, so as to familiarize myself with the academic music world (something that, privately, I believe is a bit more difficult despite having an excellent teacher) and subsequently, if everything goes according to plan, do the two-year master's abroad in a good academy. I thought of it immediately like Zazza: Italy is truly a disappointment in many professional fields and I am certainly not the one who sacrifices his life and his contributions in the hope that this country will redeem itself (not that people abroad are saints, but here I feel particularly mocked).

Everything also depends on the person; there are those who call those who flee cowards and those who stay heroes, and people who call those who flee clever and those who stay fools—they are points of view.

PS: like many/all, I also have the goal of becoming a concert artist.

We had the same ideas. However, I believe you are advantaged by your geographical position! Thanks for the tip anyway, I hope to be able to recover some of my luster!

sorry if I take the liberty of responding as well (I have just joined)....but this discussion attracts me very much. You are very young, full of enthusiasm (and I hope that no one ever dares to crush it) and with your projects to realize....beautiful projects.

yours is an ancient dilemma....how to follow your passion and realize it today in a dead Italy...given that it has been deceased for quite some time?!?!?!

a long time ago, more than ten years ago, I made very difficult choices, completely leaving music behind in order to have (in relation to my possibilities, especially economic ones) professional stability, and today I do something else entirely. I play, but for my own pleasure and passion, not for work.

turning back time, perhaps I would follow Zazza's advice. I wouldn't leave music.....but I would definitely go abroad...immediately...and at the same time I would try to take care of my training with competitions and masterclasses in order to give weight to my curriculum....

i have seen too many colleagues from school with excellent preparation and excellent curricula having to accept heavy compromises staying here in Italy....they continued to play (unlike me, and this is a good thing) but they still had to orient themselves towards non-ideal fields in order to be able to work anyway....

From my point of view, composition can work well if one expresses oneself in the film music sector, electronic music, as an arranger (at all levels: from pop to jazz), and as a teacher. In general, art music in Italy is performed in theaters only due to a series of alchemies and the right contacts. The public education system in Italy is not professionalizing; it does not open any doors to the world of work, and often one doesn't even gain the 'right' contacts.

Paris is a good destination, as are other important European cities; for example, they are also very serious in Germany.

For film music I recommend Bologna, for electronic music Como, for composition I suggest Milan, at least as a location since it is a large and still quite lively hub regarding the musical world that can offer varied possibilities. Regarding the conservatory, there are teachers for all tastes. However, like all realities that are too large, the many heads that need to be brought into agreement can hinder excellent initiatives that, instead, are 'more easily' achievable in smaller conservatories (which work well in principle).

Pianists are the largest population; there are good opportunities for those who manage to demonstrate great talent at a young age; regarding Milan, I can point out excellent schools or teachers via private message.

In any case, I would consider following Zazzà's suggestion by choosing the destination appropriately based on one's own orientation; surely Paris is a place of excellence for composition.

The argument that a classical study is not useful is a joke; it is like telling a writer or a journalist that they don't need a literature faculty because they have to study Machiavelli.

For pop, a strictly classical study might certainly not be necessary, even if from memory Nannini was a student of Bettinelli and Allevi was a student of a student of Brian Ferneyhough, the Beatles drew from electronic music (but Battiato was no less so), and many other examples tell us that the path of studying is always the right one. In the end, it is talent and the musicality we build by feeding it with listening and study that decide what kind of artist we are or will be.

Lowseling wrote:

The problem is that as I grow, I feel demotivated by the environment and I have lost the grit that I had a few years ago.

You can even be admitted to the most prestigious Conservatory with the best Maestro in the world, but all this is nothing without grit and determination. In a certain sense, these qualities are more important than talent. The world is full of very young musicians, very talented, very motivated. There is space for you too, but you must find (re-find) grit and determination. I also, like others before me, recommend going far from home. In any case, good luck!

I go against the grain.

I would enroll in a three-year degree in Italy, then over time I would take advantage of Erasmus to spend a year abroad, choosing a "useful" destination, and see how things go.

In composition degrees nowadays, they don't study "ancient" (?) languages and techniques much; for that, there are pre-academic courses that take you up to the old 5th/6th year.

Zedef wrote:

I would enroll in a three-year degree in Italy, then over time I would take advantage of Erasmus to spend a year abroad, choosing a "useful" destination, and see how things go.

But am I wrong, or are there specific requirements to access Erasmus?

Not too many. You need to have the maturity, you submit an application and if there aren't too many, you start (from 3 months to 1 year). Just take a look at a call for applications on any conservatory website: an example - http://www.conservatorioverona.it/it/internazionale/mobilitastudenti/