The official TLS music major thread Forum

[18488]

It seems there are quite a few music majors on this board, which I found surprising at first. But after all, music theory trains our analytical skills, we're used to preparing long and hard for a very short but important performance (analogous to a trial, deal, or exam), we build excellent negotiation and collaboration skills in chamber music. Most importantly, according to my personal statement, we are used to having a set text (the score) that allows many different realizations/interpretations, in the same way that a vague or semantically underdeterminate statute can be applied differently depending on background assumptions. So, in fact, it should be no surprise at all.

If you're a music major, post here--what's your instrument, where did you go to music school, what music festivals did you go to (anyone here go to Brevard, Heifetz, or Bowdoin?). What is your favorite analytic tradition in music theory? Share any insights regarding your pending superiority in law school due to your musical training.

[nailbiter]

[edit]

[USCtrojan86]

BM USC - Piano Performance.

I second the Schenkarian love; I love seeing a complicated 70 page score reduced out to its the simplest harmonic progression...it just seems so elegant to me.

No "festivals" in the traditional sense, becuase I am pretty involved in jazz as well and mostly did jazz festivals/a bit of touring during my summers and breaks.

173 here, so if we're going on the anecdotal evidence provided by this thread, I would say that either music training is actually a very good prepatory program for acing the LSAT, or we law-musicians are simply a self-selected pool of brilliant polymaths. Obviously, I'm going with the latter.

nailbiter- I assume you mean continuo as in basso continuo writing/realization? If so, I agree that is can be very pedagogically worthwhile; I learned a hell of a lot about the "real world" application and realization of species counterpoint and correct voice leading from four semesters of a "keyboard functional skills" class, and I attribute most of that to the hours that I had to spend realizing Handelian figured bass.

Edit: And I think it goes without saying that musicians are just always going to be sexy as hell...I mean, come on- Bach didn't have 20 children by two wives for nothing.

[nailbiter]

[edit]

[OperaAttorney]

B.A. in Music History with a minor in Philosophy.
My school's name is unimportant.
I'm a baritone with a real trill. Favorite composer to sing? Handel...b/c I love being able to improvise. It's sort of like singing Black Gospel music.
No festivals. But many visits to U.S. opera houses, including the MET, Houston Grand Opera, and San Francisco Opera. (I'm a poor student, but I manage to make it happen.)
I hated music theory with a passion, even though I did well--Schenkerian theory is IT!
I haven't taken the LSAT yet--June '08, guys!--but I know I'll attribute my stellar performance--I hope--to solid preparation and the grace of God .
Do music majors have a substantial edge? I dunno. I know of several music majors who never succeeded at cracking the LSAT. Besides, I honestly find this task, that is, determining whether music majors have an LSAT edge, boring LOL. (Sorry sbrown83).

Edit: Oh yes, I'm pretty damn sexy for a baritone. Ask USCTrojan. LOL hahahaha

[06072010]

First major - Music - Saxophone - Syracuse.
Second Major - Political Science

I'm primarily a jazz tenor. I'm heavily influenced by bossa nova and cool jazz artists. Stan Getz, Paul Desmond, etc. I'd like to say I have a hard bop influence, but let's face it - I don't have the chops.

I'm a 1L, and I think music school and law school are very similar. Similar discipline and competitiveness. Music school smacked of the same drama and chest swaggering too.

[babs22pa]

I wasn't a music major, but I have been studying classical singing for... what... eleven years now. I decided to be a philosophy major in college but often regret not doing a double with music.

Currently working on Steal Me Sweet Theif by Menotti and Marzelline's aria from Fidelio. I too have visited opera house- lol- as I think many of us are too young yet to have sung professionally, but I hope one day to be able to fit both law and singing into my life.

Sorry for the edits, it's too late to think.

[06072010]

I would also like to practice law and still play. I hope to be able to play music with some law school mates soon.

[kn6542]

BM USC - Piano Performance.

USCtrojan, do you know Georgi Slavchev, by any chance? He finished his Ph.D in Piano Performance at USC a couple of years ago.

[kn6542]

Currently working on Steal Me Sweet Theif by Menotti and Marzelline's aria from Fidelio. I too have visited opera house- lol- as I think many of us are too young yet to have sung professionally, but I hope one day to be able to fit both law and singing into my life.

I don't think anyone here is too young. I was playing professionally when I was 17.

[MTal]

Coming from a rich classical tradition, I would like to take this time to make the following observations

Greatest Violinist Ever: Heifetz
Greatest Pianists Ever: Rubinstein, Horowitz, Richter
Greatest Guitarists Ever: Paco de Lucia, John Williams
Greatest Composer and Human being to have ever Lived: J.S. Bach

[OperaAttorney]

By GREATEST EVER did you really mean FAVORITE?

[babs22pa]

I don't think anyone here is too young. I was playing professionally when I was 17.

Singing opera is a little different, because the voice has to mature. Usually a light soprano can start in her mid 20s, but mezzos and male voices usually need longer to develop. 30s and 40s are a classical singer's golden age. Congrats to you though for achievement so young!

[kn6542]

Good point. I don't know much about the career trajectory of a vocalist.

edited: Although, I recall a RC passage on an LSAT about this.

[LoseItToMe]

....there aren't very many of you, at least on tls.

[nailbiter]

It's a rare major. I think we were all surprised to see any others.

[USCtrojan86]

USCtrojan, do you know Georgi Slavchev, by any chance? He finished his Ph.D in Piano Performance at USC a couple of years ago.

lol strangely, I can honestly say that as a music major here, I've known so many Giorgi's that I can't keep them all straight. If by a couple of years you mean two years, I think I know exactly who you're talking about...I just can't place the last name right this moment.

Greatest RECORDED Pianists Ever: Rubinstein, Horowitz, Richter, Lhevine, Hoffman, Art Tatum.

Fixed for you.


Probable additions to that list, if we take into consideration all of history obviously include Liszt and Chopin.

And this

Greatest Composer and Human being to have ever Lived: J.S. Bach

Is uncredited simply because Bach was not a human being- he was literally the angel of music come down from heaven. That, or a alien from a far, far more advanced race of beings far away.

And yes: I can confirm that my bud Opera Attorney is one sexy mofo.

[kn6542]

lol strangely, I can honestly say that as a music major here, I've known so many Giorgi's that I can't keep them all straight. If by a couple of years you mean two years, I think I know exactly who you're talking about...I just can't place the last name right this moment.

Yeah, 2005. We went to Idyllwild together. Perhaps you'd recognize him from this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzwHl2XrZDs

[Demosthenes]

<-- not a music major.

BUT... I have played the flute since I was 8. The Tennessean public high school that I attended ruined any chance to play seriously on a regular basis by turning our 'Band' class into practice for the marching band show 3/4 of the year. It was irritating.

I had some incredible instructors and have an incredible flute (for bday present senior year), so I'm thinking about getting into it on a local level wherever I end up...

[USCtrojan86]

kn-

That's him! good guy...do you still keep in contact with him? what's he up to these days?

Idyllewild HS?

[kn6542]

That's him! good guy...do you still keep in contact with him? what's he up to these days?

Only on facebook.

Idyllewild HS?

Yes. The only other Bulgarian there was my first girlfriend.

[Sparr0w]

what exactly is a music major and what do you do?

[MTal]

Um, music is probably on par with physics in terms of academic rigor. Ask anyone who has to practice their instrument 3 hours a day 6 days a week.

[kn6542]

Three hours! That was minimally required in HS, meaning, you could be expelled for putting in less than three hours. This doesn't include rehearsals or cramming for auditions. Include theory and history courses, add in the normal academic courses, and it's one of the most disciplined majors you can choose.

[babs22pa]

Although, I recall a RC passage on an LSAT about this.

lol. What is up with there being a logic game about arranging opera singers every other LSAT?