<p>I'm currently a Jr. in highschool and if you don't mind I think i'll give you a little background before I ask some questions. I have been interested in a degree in music for awhile now and recently i've come to the conclusion that I do not want a MT degree because it's far too limiting. I've studied classically in the Bel Canto style for a few years now and talked to my teacher about people he would know any more in the business. He's long since retired from the Met and such but one of the only teachers he knows is left and who is of quality is Jim McDonald at NEC. They're actally very good friends. So I did some research and realized that the Joint program they have with Harvard is exactly the kind of program im looking for. A conservatory but also a slightly(haha) respectable college to couple with it. Are there any other Bel canto teachers anyone knows of? Also i've heard NEC is a pretty good school, is this correct? Any other programs like this?
Thank you so much for reading this and hopefully responding!
~Kevin</p>
<p>The Harvard/NEC program is extremely hard to get into. Did you realize that that program is leading to a BS/BA in Harvard and a MM in NEC?</p>
<p>Look also into Juilliard/Columbia, Peabody/Johns Hopkins, Eastman/Rochester</p>
<p>Also, look at Rice and Northwestern!</p>
<p>I'm a student at NEC. I have several friends in McDonald's studio, and they seem to like him though I don't know much about his teaching style. The Harvard/NEC program is excellent but it's also nearly impossible to get into. NEC does offer a joint program with Tufts as well, which leads to a double bachelors degree and is (comparitively) easier to get into.</p>
<p>If you are interested in double degree programs, I suggest you search for some of the older threads on this music forum. Some dd programs exist in theory but are nearly impossible to gain admission and to complete the program. IMO dd programs that fit this category are NEC/Harvard, Juilliard/Columbia, and MSM/Barnard. I do not have any information on NEC/Tufts. Eastman/URochester and Peabody/JHU are feasible but difficult. Only a dozen or so students will be admitted into each and less than half will complete the dd. Oberlin makes it relatively easy for dd students and a high percentage of students are dd and graduate. Bard requires a dd for all conservatory students, but this is a new program and you will need to investigate this program. I understand only a few students are being admitted. Other viable options are the University based music programs, such as U Illinois, BU, NWU and Carnegie Mellon.</p>
<p>Lawrence also has a very well-integrated double degree program on the same campus as the conservatory.</p>
<p>The Tufts & NEC program is really, really good. Look into it.</p>
<p>The Eastman / Rochester DD program is not THAT difficult to get into. You have to apply to and be accepted to each program seperately. The difficulty in the Eastman / Rochester program is that the two programs are seperated by about a 20 minute bus ride. The classes are synchronized to make it possible to get from one to the other in time, but you may be late for one class or another on occassion. The real difficulty in scheduling is for students who play orchestral instruments. The orchestra and wind ensemble rehearsal schedules make it very difficult to take any afternoon classes. However, this is true at many institutions, not just Rochester. It is easier to complete the double degree if you are NOT a performance major. Most people also need 5 years to complete both programs.</p>
<p>Conservatory faculty and administration can view a double degree as a lack of commitment to music performance. To some extent I would agree that this is correct. The double degree student may need a heavy schedule and 5 years to complete all of the requirements. It is likely that they do not have as much time available for practice and for non-credit performance groups. The difficulty of completing all requirements and the support by faculty and administration is probably more important than issues like a 20 minute bus ride.</p>
<p>Wow thanks guys! Yeah i did realize that you get a BA from Harvard and a MM from NEC. How selective is the school? Because on the the website it was 5 or 6 are admitted to the harvard/NEC. Also i had heard Eastman was in a slump right now is this correct? I had also read peabody was a pretty easy going school. Not much drive or push. True? Thank you for al your help!</p>
<p>I have not heard anything about a "slump" at Eastman. I heard they continue to get record numbers of strong applicants. Could it be that the slump is due to faculty turnover for a specific instrument? </p>
<p>Juilliard and to a lesser extent Eastman seem to thrive on competition and stress. By comparison the stress level at Peabody is much lower. This is not an accident. Peabody has chosen to foster a supportive and friendly environment based on a love of music. Based on the environment you prefer, you would need to decide if this approach is positive or negative.</p>
<p>I guess it depends on your instrument. My cellist son who just graduated from Eastman found it very supportive. Competition was with himself, not with others. When his instrument was in the shop for repairs he had quite a few students let him borrow their instruments. His teacher always fostered cooperation in his studio and it showed in the students. I won't say that he didn't feel pressured there, but it was almost always self imposed pressure to be the best that he could be. </p>
<p>And I don't believe that Eastman is in a slump. As in all music schools, some instruments are stronger than others, but it continues to be a highly competitive institution across the board.</p>
<p>UNC-Chapel Hill has an excellent voice program and top notch academics. I know people who have transferred there from two-campus double degree programs because they didn't like spending half their time on the bus commuting between the campuses. </p>
<p>It is very hard to get in from out of state, but if you are strong enough academically to be considering Harvard/Tufts and you are a very good male singer wanting to major in music, you're sure to be a great candidate.</p>
<p>UNC-CH is not a Conservatory or even a School of Music. It's a Department of Music with an emphasis on undergraduate education. It attracts very smart, serious musicians who want a first-class liberal arts experience and an environment in which they can double major with the support of the music faculty. Voice majors are regularly accepted into the best graduate programs.</p>
<p>I've talked to a current Eastman senior and a masters grad who both would not recommend it, especially for undergrad. They said they didn't get the training they were looking for. This is voice by the way. Sorry if I forgot to mention that! I'll definitely look into these schools that you guys have listed! How many people does NEC accept per year? Also, for the joint program, you still must qualify academically for Harvard right?</p>
<p>For Harvard/NEC and Juilliard/Columbia, you must be accepted to both schools independently, and then selected from that group for the dual program; you could get into Harvard and into NEC, but not into the dual program. (This is true for the double degree at Johns Hopkins and Peabody, which apparently accepts only a small number of students who were admitted to both schools.) Yale has a program that begins in Jr. year with its School of Music, and similarly results in a BA after 4 and MM after 5 years; you apply as a Jr. These programs are small; and the academic programs are demanding at these schools; it would be hard for students trying to practice at the level of a conservatory student. There are students, however, who attend Harvard, UC Berkeley, etc. and then go to conservatories for masters degrees in performance.</p>
<p>So "Bel Canto style " does that mean you sing? sorry for being so stupid. There is a Bel Canto school or something like that in flute too.</p>
<p>I never saw in the original post anything about being a pergformance major, just taking music. Also did not see instrument or voice mentioned, but probably just my ignorance showing again.</p>
<p>We know an exceptionally talented kid who was accepted to (and is attending) Harvard/NEC and I think there were only six kids selected into this program nationwide his year. It is insanely competitive, and one has to be an unusual student/musician to be able to handle the demands of both programs.</p>
<p>Yes, I'm sorry! I am a singer(Tenor) looking for a performance major. So, while my grades are all A's and a B+ I am quite sure I wouldn't make it into Harvard, haha. I was under the impression you didn't have to have all the same "requirements" to get into Harvard if you were doing the joint program. Is a double major prefered over a joint?</p>
<p>The glib answer is that it depends on who rolled the joint. (Sorry, I just couldn't pass up that good a straight line.)</p>
<p>If you want a more detailed explanation of the difference between dual degree and dual major programs, I suggest you explore the Peabody web site. Look for "The Articles".</p>
<p>Harvard admission don't even care about if you are applying to the joint-degree program or not (there is no check box, etc. for you to indicate that in the Harvard application, unless they changed it from last year). NEC is handling everything about the joint-degree program, even the acceptance/rejection letter to the program is with a NEC letter head with some guy from Harvard music department who co-signs that letter.</p>
<p>Frankly, Harvard is the harder part of the joint program to get into, partly because the apparently random selection going on behind the curtain...</p>