Our esteemed moderator, Isabelle, wrote:
> What does a college degree give that one can't put
> together better, living in a city (San Francisco, in
> my case) and studying languages/theory/piano/voice/coachings
> on my own, reading music history and autobiographies, going to
> the symphony and opera and ballet and concerts? What
> could a degree program possibly provide me with that I
> can't recreate on my own?
My answer is "that depends". That depends on the student - the degree of
discipline, the level of (for lack of a better word) intelligence to enable
optimal learning in the self-directed environment. For example, my husband
always has learned better on his own than in school. School is where he got
his credentials for his profession, and obviously learning took place there.
But he's always been happiest when HE decides what to do and when, and has a
knee-jerk antipathy to anything he is "supposed" to do. That's why he owns his
own business (and does well with it). For people like my husband, then it's
probably better not to rely on an educational institution.
However, there's something to be said for allowing the resources collected in
one place by a good educational institution to be put to work. There's less
unecessary wheel-invention. People in a position to know have spent time and
effort to come up with learning curricula and develop courses and hire experts
to teach them. In a college/university environment (as opposed to a
conservatory), there are many additional subject areas available to the student
that can be helpful in a profession of singer. Language classes, literature
classes, history classes, psychology classes, visual art classes.
There are also other students that serve as an instant support system and a
source of "street smarts". That's a way to get exposed to ideas other than the
ones the student comes to the school with already. And also, one meets people
at school who might not be met elsewhere and who can be friends for a lifetime.
It's not that the above can't be obtained on one's own. It just saves time and
energy. Some of us think of that as efficiency, as a way to use the most
limited resource we have, time, most effectively.
Peggy
---
Margaret Harrison, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
"Music for a While Shall All Your Cares Beguile"
mailto:peggyh@i...
The way I look at it, if most people do something a certain way, there's
probably a reason. It may not be right for everyone, but it's worth taking
seriously.
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