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[zseeker]

First of all, what is it like? MM or DMA. Do you pretty much just practice all day? If I'm looking to get into a mid-high level program, would I need to start right after my BM, or could I have time to get a job and save money for a year or two? I'm worried about how I'll have money for the summer break (or do you get summer break in grad school?) and figure I won't really have time to work. And what's with that lecture-recital thing for DMA?

And least importantly, will I have time for video games while I'm there?

[voxprincipalis]

No, really, whose sock is this?

VP

[lenniel]

Oh, yeah, this is going to work out great for you, OP.

I'll bite for fun:

1) Difficult, stressful and highly competitive. That's if you get in.

2) Yes, when you aren't in your required classes, in rehearsal or teaching.  I used to practice every morning from 8am-12pm, then be in class and rehearsal until 10pm.  Repeat daily, including on weekends, except for the class time.  That was replaced by homework.

3) Not if you want to go to a conservatory or any decent music program. 

4) Break?  Summer is when you practice and, if you're any good, participate in a music festival.  If you're not that good, you need the practice.

5) If you have to ask, you don't need one.

6)  There are plenty of music students who will be happy to take your place after you have washed out due to playing video games.

[zseeker]

Thanks for the reality check, lenniel. So to clarify, no classes over the summer, but I'll be spending all day practicing. I should be able to get a part-time job though, right? Or will I be doing like 10-12 hours/day?

And yes, I do realize that I have to get in first.

[lenniel]

I worked and went to grad school, in performance, and it was very VERY hard.  I worked on the weekends and over the summer, which meant I missed out on a lot of good performance opportunities.  Though I was a full scholarship student, I still needed to make ends meet.  When I did get to some summer programs, I also had full scholarships and worked hard for those as well.

Deciding which direction to go also has to do with your instrument and final goals when done. If you are a specialist (I'm in HP), that can help, as well as playing a relatively scarce instrument. Essentially, you need to have a good idea of what you want to do when you are done.  Even if you get the great degree from the great conservatory, you still have to compete with all the other musicians auditioning for the same jobs, gigs, etc. 

[merope]

Deciding when to go to graduate school may also depend on your instrument. I've known many singers, for example, who've taken a few years off between undergrad and grad in order to let their voices mature. They continue to study, practice, and perform as much as possible, while working full-time in order to pay their rent, bills, and lesson fees.

Grad school isn't much of change, except that practicing becomes your full-time job and your lesson fees are much higher. Of course, in grad school you are also taking classes, some relating to performance and pedagogy issues for your instrument, as well as continuing to study history and theory (if the school is halfway decent). You might also get a part-time job as a teaching assistant as part of your funding package (if you are lucky enough to get funding at the master's level, which doesn't always happen). You would have to be both an exceptional performer and scholar to be admitted directly to the DMA program from an undergraduate degree at a mid- to high-level school.

The best person to answer these questions for you, though, is your applied teacher, or the chair of your school's music or performance department. They can also give you some idea of what kinds of careers are out there for people specializing in your instrument, and where people from your school have applied to.