You head to your music supply store to find that there is a plethora of publications available to you. From the Conservatory of Canada, the Royal Conservatory and sometimes even ABRSM publications. You are overwhelmed with choices. There are methods created by the publishing companies as well to consider, some better than others. If you are lucky, the store will have a professional on staff to help guide you in your choices.
At my school, I love to chat with students to discover where their interests lie. This ensures that I am steering them in the right direction in their book purchases.
After discussions with your teacher, you should be able to decide whether or not you would like to follow a conservatory's curriculum. There are as many arguments for as there are against following a conservatory. I will quickly argue both sides to give you a better picture of your options.
AGAINST:
You want to learn to play for your own pleasure, no pressure.
You don't want to learn scales or classical stuff.
You want to be able to play by ear, figure out songs that are current.
You don't want the stress of following a prescribed set of rules or goals and you don't wan't to do examinations.
FOR:
You want to learn to play for your own pleasure, no pressure. (yup, that one stays!)
You don't like scales but don't mind them too much. You like all kinds of music.
You want to be able to play by ear, figure out songs that are current.
You like setting goals, having a set plan.
As you can see, the differences are slight but important. I believe that choosing to follow, or not follow a conservatory curriculum comes down to your style of learning. Some people like books and plans while others prefer a freer approach.
I think you can learn successfully either way, as long as you keep your musical goals in mind.
Now, let's assume you are choosing to follow a conservatory curriculum. Which one to follow!
I'll argue the pros and cons of two very different ones available in my area.
First, the Conservatory of Canada and the Royal Conservatory have a few differences, but at the core, they are similar enough that I will discuss the Royal Conservatory since it is the one I am most familiar with. For the second conservatory I will discuss l'École de musique Vincent-d'Indy. I am the only affiliated teacher outside of Québec ( to my knowledge ) that teaches this curriculum but I believe it shows such a different approach that it makes it a valuable method for comparison.
Without going into too much detail, here are a few similarities between the two systems.
RCM (Royal Conservatory) and V-D (Vincent-d'Indy) both have large resources and facilities. Both offer advanced training at their headquarters - one in Toronto and the other in Montréal.
Both offer examinations and at higher levels, these can earn students extra high school credits where they are accepted.
Both can direct you to teachers that follow their system.
Both encourage musical growth through a set of prescribed markers that allow the student to grow at a reasonable pace.
Now for a quick view of some differences between the systems.
RCM is very friendly for all students. Anyone who practices an adequate amount can enjoy successes with this system. The requirements for passing exams are not overwhelming and the repertoire is friendly. This conservatory also offers a super easy way to purchase the required books. For every grade level, they offer publications through Frederick Harris Music Co. that include technical requirements (scales...), sight-reading and rhythms..., as well as repertoire and studies. So four book and you are set for your year.
RCM offers an accessible way to achieve your grade levels in music and there are many teachers in most Canadian areas that teach through this system. One obstacle is that it does not offer many French publications, although you can do your theory exams in both official languages.
V-D is a very academic system. Although this conservatory also offers graded examinations, to achieve success here, you need to give more of your time to your music. This curriculum takes the students through a more comprehensive course. It includes from the very beginning: music history, solfège (sight-singing), dictée (writing down the music you here), theory and an aggressive amount of technique (finger work). Although some of these are also available with RCM, they begin much earlier with V-D. They offer lots of their own publications as well as other choices to make life simpler. There is a financial drawback to this system in that it is harder to find all your repertoire in one book. On top of that, you need to get the different books to help you satisfy all the requirements. This being said, they offer a much larger choice of repertoire and students who put in the time progress to higher levels of musicianship faster.
V-D will only recognize a teacher that has supplied them with their credentials, which include a university degree in music. A teacher cannot send their students for V-D exams unless they are officially affiliated with Vincent-d'Indy.
So, when choosing a course of action for your music education, do your research. Sometimes the simplest way is the best way, and other times, a little research can secure you the experience you need. Also, there are many different conservatories to choose from. I only tackled two here to give you an idea of the different avenues you can takes.
A few words of advice. If you are shopping for a music conservatory for yourself, or for your child, remember this: no one has ever complained of learning too much. And finally, find a teacher that will not underestimate the student's capacity for learning.
Enjoy the journey!
