Having decided on your major instrument, which you must be proficient in before admission, it is important to choose the right type of institution. Music in Germany is taught both at universities and at Musikhochschulen, which are similar to conservatories and can be literally translated as 'higher schools of music'. The only difference is the educational focus: universities traditionally train future music teachers, while Musikhochschulen – conservatories – teach more practical specializations for performers, singers, or conductors.
However, pedagogical education can also be obtained at a conservatory, explains Christiane Stöger, dean of the pedagogy department at the Cologne University of Music and Dance. 'At our conservatory, the emphasis is on making music, that is, creative work, while universities predominantly take a scientific and pedagogical approach. But in recent years, both types of institutions have been trending toward balancing these three aspects,' she says.
According to Christiane Stöger, students in music education programs are characterized by broad perspectives and diverse interests, while instrumental students tend to have a desire to thoroughly and deeply study their instrument and the art of playing it. This is confirmed by Nikolai Kazakov, who graduated from the Cologne university with a degree in saxophone.
'When entering the conservatory, it was important for me to learn to play and to find a professor who shared my spirit,' he explains of his choice at the time. In Nikolai's opinion, German music schools provide a good education, and the wind instrument department in Germany is years ahead of its Russian counterpart.
For Alexandra Chernitsyna, who graduated from Dortmund University with a degree in music teaching, theory was more important. 'I played in orchestras for a long time, both in Kaliningrad and in Germany, but at some point I realized that my heart was more in pedagogy,' the young woman says. 'Since I am oriented towards teaching, it was the university that gave me the necessary theoretical knowledge.'
However, just the desire to study is not a golden ticket to university. For admission to either a university or a conservatory, those wishing to dedicate themselves to music must first prove they have the most important thing: talent. Nikolai recalls that he prepared for a long time. He had to take exams in playing his primary and secondary instruments, as well as solfège, harmony, and German.
'At first glance, the number of entrance exams is impressive, but in fact everything turned out not so difficult,' says Nikolai. 'First, the exams are spread over several days and correspond to the knowledge level of a graduate of our music college. Second, applicants choose the pieces for their primary and secondary instruments themselves in advance. So with diligent preparation, there is a chance of admission.'
As for the language exam, it is worth noting that for admission to a conservatory (Musikhochschule), foreign students only need German language skills at the level of TestDaF Stage 3. Moreover, in some institutions of this type, a musically gifted foreign applicant who passed the specialization and harmony with 'excellent' but failed German may be allowed to retake it later.
At universities, on the other hand, the German exam is stricter. Understandably, because future teachers must be fluent in the language they will be teaching. Therefore, foreign applicants applying to music departments at German universities take the DSH language exam along with their major subjects.
The learning process for future musicians is also structured differently in Germany. Conservatory students, focused on creativity and honing their playing skills, can expect individual work with a professor, small group classes, and intense, sometimes grueling stage activity. In short, all that university students, whose classes are heavily laden with theory and usually take place in huge lecture halls, cannot boast at first glance.
Didactics, psychology, and pedagogy, especially when studied in a non-native language, are not always easy for foreign students, according to Dortmund University graduate Alexandra. 'However, despite the monumentality and academic nature of universities, there are many disciplines such as composition, writing musicals, or working with a choir that require creative and unconventional thinking,' she notes, thereby refuting the common German contrast between boring university theory and the flight of creativity in cozy conservatory halls.
As for prospects after graduation, both Alexandra and Nikolai emphasize that one must rely only on oneself. The former Dortmund University student managed to get a job as a music teacher. Incidentally, according to statistics, Germany's need for teachers is growing year by year.
Nikolai advises engaging in active concert activity already during studies and, if desired, trying to get into a theater or opera orchestra. In short, the coveted diploma from a music school – whether from a conservatory or university – only opens the door to real professional life, but how you will take your first steps – to the loud sounds of fanfares or quiet a cappella – is a matter of chance.