Are some instruments more competitive for colleges/conservatories?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
(Genuinely curious) - how different is viola from violin? Is it that different for a violinist to switch? (excuse my ignorance) |
Anonymous
I specifically said I wasn't going to let it influence my decision after receiving feedback. My son was at an impasse picking which is the only reason I turned here for suggestions but ultimately I've decided it's not worth thinking about this early. |
Anonymous
Lots of kids started with alto sax in our school. My son started with clarinet and added tenor sax in HS as it has the same base. Some kids switch from alto to baritone sax. Clarinet players also add or switch to oboe and English horn. I am not up on trends in switching among the brass instruments. |
Anonymous
| Learn the haegeum it will be original |
Anonymous
Very interesting... |
Anonymous
| Violists are welcome everywhere. But at the highest level, it's no get out of jail free card and so competitive for the few spots there are. It's also hard to find a good viola teacher and the repertoire is somewhat limited. |
Anonymous
My kid was a clarinet player who became a utility infielder in middle school. He had a gift for instrument switching and ultimately bass, contra bass, alto and contra alto clarinet as needed. The school owed the larger instruments and lent them to him he stayed late to practice. Marched bass clarinet. Hard to believe any middle school or HS needs a dedicated contrabass clarinet. He did ultimately attend Oberlin Arts & Sciences and played bass clarinet. Start with a mainstream instrument so your kid can play in every song and get a solid foundation, and have them become an instrument switcher if they want. Percussionist naturally switch. |
Anonymous
Not really. FCPS starts strings in 3rd and band in 4th. Before that, it’s record (Ugghh!). |
Anonymous
Assuming college admissions bump and not Con. Middle school is too late to start for most Conservatory instruments. |
Anonymous
Violins usually play melody and violas play harmony. Not hard to switch. My viola orchestra kid spent time during COVID working on the violin and got up to speed pretty fast. |
Anonymous
I'd start with clarinet or French horn in elementary. I'm assuming he already has been taking piano for music theory? If not, he could also start there. |
Anonymous
And again with this framing of “my decision” when it should be a kid’s choice. Parents, please give your kids some basic autonomy and foster their independence! |
Anonymous
| My kid picked a more obscure and difficult instrument. it is great - his teacher regularly gets calls from the youth orchestras asking if she has kids ready to audition - they were thrilled when my son auditioned. And as a 6th grader he was asked to play in the 8th grade advanced band at school because they had no one playing his instrument. |
Anonymous
Ex-violist here and in love the instrument but it’s frankly not terribly in demand. Yes there are fewer violists but a violinist can almost always cover a viola part in a pinch and there isn’t much need being symphony orchestras and string quartets. So if a child is planning to make music their career (which I assume if they’re considering conservatory) there’s a reason things like violin and piano are popular — you can do so much with those instruments. |
Anonymous
It’s not difficult to switch if you’re a violinist. You do have to learn a new clef, and the size of a viola is somewhat limiting. For instance, my tiny violinist who is not going to get any bigger cannot play a regular viola; it’s physically hard for her. And choosing a smaller viola often compromises sound. |