WHICH ONE ARE YOU?
PARENT OF A PIANIST
✓ What kinds of jobs do piano performance majors actually get after graduation?
✓ How many graduates from this program are working full-time in music five years out?
✓ Is piano performance a realistic path to earning a stable living?
✓ What percentage of graduates go on to graduate school, and why?
✓ Are alumni winning competitions, teaching, or performing professionally?
✓ How competitive is the job market for pianists?
PRE-COLLEGE PIANIST
✓ Am I actually good enough to major in piano performance?
✓ How do I know if I’m ready for a conservatory-level program?
✓ What level are the other students likely to be at?
✓ Will I fall behind if I don’t already have a huge repertoire?
✓ How much technique should I have mastered before I start?
✓ What if I get accepted but feel like I don’t belong?
✓ Are auditions a true reflection of how I’ll do in the program?
✓ How important are competitions for success?
✓ Will my high school training be considered “serious” enough?
✓ How much pressure is there to be exceptional, not just good?
COLLEGE-LEVEL PIANIST
✓ What do piano performance majors from this program actually do after graduation?
✓ How many graduates are earning most of their income from music?
✓ Is freelancing a viable long-term option, or just a temporary phase?
✓ What percentage of pianists end up teaching, even if they didn’t plan to?
✓ How competitive are adjunct and private-teaching jobs?
✓ What distinguishes pianists who “make it” from those who don’t?
FREELANCE PIANIST
✓ How do I actually get my first real paying gig that isn’t just family/friends?
✓ Will I ever stop undercharging because I’m terrified no one will hire me otherwise?
✓ How many private students do I realistically need to cover rent, food, and student loans?
✓ What if I can’t fill my teaching schedule and end up with only 8–10 students?
✓ Is it normal to make less than minimum wage in the first 2–3 years freelancing?
✓ How do I raise my lesson rates without losing half my students?
✓ Will parents keep hiring me once they realize I’m not a “famous” conservatory grad?
✓ What if my students quit because I’m not strict enough (or too strict)?
✓ How do I market myself without sounding desperate on social media?
✓ Is building a YouTube/Instagram/TikTok following actually worth the time if I’m already exhausted?
PRE-TENURED PIANO PROFESSOR
✓ What exactly counts as “enough” for tenure in this department?
✓ How are performance and creative activity weighted against research and teaching?
✓ Are the written tenure guidelines actually followed in practice?
✓ How much does my case need to exceed the minimum expectations?
✓ Have the standards changed since the last successful tenure case?
✓ How much flexibility is there in defining scholarly or creative output?
✓ What does the department really value—prestige, quantity, or impact?
✓ How important are external reviewers’ letters?
✓ How are interdisciplinary or nontraditional outputs evaluated?
✓ What are common reasons music faculty are denied tenure here?
Classical Piano Consulting 