Tuition at Conservatories

Tuition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music is $ 36,500 a year.

The vast majority of people leaving the program teach private lessons that might total $15,000 a year, and play gigs that pay at best $150 a service for a total of less than $15,000 a year. Actually, $30,000 a year might be a success story. A very few win stable gigs with full-time orchestras, theaters or choirs, but we know that is not a blossoming market.

If you're very wealthy, no worries, otherwise the economic model of this and other conservatories makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. The leadership and professors of these institutions should understand that the U.S. ruling class (who they try to ingratiate themselves with) is satiated with philistines who see no need to promote a cultural agenda at this time.

The bottom line is that conservatories are doing a grave disservice to the young people they are charged with educating.