Thinking of doing a Music Degree! ^_^

I've been wondering if it would be beneficial for me to have some type of formal course in Music and have been looking on the Open University website which explains about a course which is Level 2 and 8 months long which studies 1600-1900 classical music, which includes Bach, Beethoven and Chopin as well as as many others!

The course is mainly worked through by yourself at home with online tutorials and lectures with a real teacher over the internet and course material and books posted to you! You can fit it around your life which is handy for me because I do a 25-30 hr/week job and its times are all over the place and random sometimes. There is 1 week where you go to stay at a University with like minded people who are studying the course and all learn together and even perform!

There is assignments and tests throughout the year completed and then emailed in and then a written test where you have to harmonise in the style of Bach! It all sounds very exciting to me and if you complete this 8 month course you can go on to do a full degree in Music which lasts like 2 or 3 years, where you cover composition, related topics to your favourite composers and along the way can learn an instrument like the piano!

Oh yeah and if you pass the degree you get to put a MD at the end of your name! How spiffy!

So what do you guys think, it sounds really great to me, should I go for it?

It sounds like a great thing to do. The only drawback might be that you would have to complete the course pretty much by yourself. So it will require a lot of self-motivation. Also, presumably you have to pay for the course tuition fees so you want to be certain this is something you can afford OK. Good luck.

I've looked into the fees and they are acceptable and I'll get most of it paid by the government because I don't earn above a certain amount! Though if I have to pay it I can since its a low amount because you aren't staying at a Uni since its working at home!

I'm self motivated in teaching myself piano around 3-4 hours a day and having a job and all the course suggests is 7 hours per week, so I don't think motivation is going to be much of a problem! In fact I think having a course with guidelines and a tutor who can be on hand to help me with any questions will keep me on course for growing at piano and music in general! ^_^

I've sent off for a Prospectus, which will be coming through the post with all the details of the Music courses I've shown interest in so I can pick out the very best one for me!

I think I'll enroll in February or November next year once I've gotten some more foundation in theory and have gotten better at playing my piano! Best to be over-prepared when you go into something like this!

Sounds like a good ambition. Waiting a little bit to start is probably a good idea too, time to practice, and also make sure this is what you really want, before spending money on it.
Best of luck!

It sounds really great for me, especially if it really give you some degree as a reward if you achieve to finish it.

How long does it take you to get that degree? Is it only goes to level 2 as you said? Im not sure I understand the concept quite right.

If the price is right for you I would not think about it twice to start it.
Good luck, let us know how all the things developing through the semester.

Sounds like you would be very motivated to do this. In my experience the most important thing for a degree is motivation. ^_^ You seem to have it so You should go for it! ^_^

maggiekedves wrote:It sounds really great for me, especially if it really give you some degree as a reward if you achieve to finish it.

How long does it take you to get that degree? Is it only goes to level 2 as you said? Im not sure I understand the concept quite right.

The first half is 9 months and is all about c. 1600-1900 which includes all the greats! It is both about practical playing, theory and writing your own music. The second half is also 9 months and is about performance, composition, improvisation and some history of how music developed. Neither parts are super in-depth and won't go as far as I want but would give a nice basic understanding which I can grow from.

If I pass both parts I get 120 points in Music which equates to a Music Diploma. Then if I want to I can undertake a PhD which is like 3 years or something but if I pass it, well, its a very major qualification. o_o

To Andrew's post,
The only reason I wanted to undertake this course was for the direction and format it will give me so I don't fall off track about learning everything I can about playing piano and my favourite composers. I've read the criteria and I can learn all of this by myself without the pressure of exams, deadlines and paying half as much money.

Music is a complicated subject to teach and with a clear line of sight which I have about who I like, what type of music I want to compose and the like, do I need to get restricted in a set course which may only briefly examine precisely what I want to learn? I'm thinking the best thing I can do is to find an incredibly understanding and experienced teacher and pay them what I would of paid for this course and then come out the other side with years of EXACTLY what I want to learn and in a very practical way, and hey, i may make friends with my teacher and have a great time too!

...Lets hope this magical understanding teacher is here, around my area someplace, just waiting for me to discover them. I really think to learn piano and composition, a good teacher in your living room is still the best way.

Wheres Karl Czerny when I need him!

Klavier wrote:
Wheres Karl Czerny when I need him!