I’ve heard a lot of mixed opinions about Berklee. Is it a top tier music school, and how competitive are admissions for performance majors?
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They can take in a range of talent. There is top tier there. And more.
Berklee is large and varied, more so than a typical “classical” music school. For what it offers, it is a top school, yes. Berklee has merged with Boston Conservatory and now has a double degree with Harvard (as does NEC). It is excellent and competitive, but I hear you have to be able to steer your path. It depends on what you want.
Berklee’s a slightly different animal from other peer conservatories and music schools. You don’t declare a major going in, so admissions competition is across your instrument. Right now, voice and guitar are the most competitive. That said, admissions in itself isn’t really where the competition is, it’s the scholarship money. It’s a big school and they admit a lot of kids; they “select” by their scholarship awards.
Focus is VERY strongly popular music, including production, composition, etc. There’s jazz, yes, but I think classical music is overshadowed though the merger with BoCo helps there. I think it’s an excellent school to consider for music production/engineering or if you’re interested in new sound technologies. Technical facilities are excellent. I also think it’s a good school to consider if you’re interested in some of the alternative music fields, like music therapy.
I personally think the level of instruction there is inconsistent, however, they make up for it in the access to opportunities/connections and exposure to the whole “industry” package. They’ve got two students competing right now in the Voice and American Idol and, really, what they’re doing isn’t that much of a stretch from what they do regularly at school. My son has friends who have guested with Snarky Puppy, “hung out” with Robert Glasper, made videos with Knower; there’s an emphasis on “making it” in the industry.
My take, from the little I’ve seen, is that it’s a good environment if you want to be involved in a lot of projects, whether it be ensembles, videos, productions, performance opportunities. Not so great if you want individualized attention with a focus on music skills. It’s not a “nurturing” environment.
Yes it’s one of the best music schools in the world. It may not be nurturing but neither is the Music Business. Jazz is still very prevalent in the school’s culture. They have a wide range of talent and focus. Voice and guitar acceptance rates are much lower than the average for the school. My son is completing his 3rd year, and though Berklee certainly has flaws, he can’t imagine himself anywhere else.
We are often told that unless you are awarded a significant scholarship from Berklee, you will languish there. When people say this, I’m not quite sure what they mean. Are the more select ensembles, classes and faculty quietly earmarked for high potential (scholarship) students? Are there any differences between the scholarship and non-scholarship kids?
I haven’t seen any advantage my son has had at all!!! There are also scholarships available once you are attending. School is what you make of it!!! Sometimes what “they” say is simply not true.
No, I really don’t think so. Yes, there are “stars” there and, yes, they sometimes get handed great opportunities, but I don’t get the impression that it has anything to do with scholarship status, even if most of those high-visibility students do happen to have scholarships. What is true, though, is that a scholarship is no guarantee that you’ll be successful.
Like @rockinmomab says, it’s what you make of it.
I’m not trying to give a negative impression of Berklee. Music is so different from academic subjects in that graduating from a “top tier school” in performance carries zero guarantees of being able to make a living performing. In fact, the odds are pretty much against you. To that end, I think Berklee does its best to give you the tools to make a living as a professional musician, which isn’t just about playing ability. It’s probably safe to say that musical geniuses don’t need to attend to college; Berklee is really about developing professional musicians.
ScreenName48105, So are you suggesting that those who can pay their way can get any major they want regardless of ability or achievement whereas those who are dependent upon scholarship may be closed out of opportunities. If that is the case, then the most popular majors may be populated by wealthy students without much talent or very very talented students who struggle financially. If this is true for the major, is it also true in terms of how students gain admission to the school itself? Does being able to pay your way pretty much guarantee admission to the school also regardless of whether or not you can show achievements and talent? By the way, I’m not suggesting this is the case cause I have no idea which is why I am asking.
This is an old post. I’m not sure how often @Screenname checks in. However she is referring to scholarships in music schools that require auditions. The audition requirements assume years of music training and a good amount of talent. When accepted some students get bigger scholarships than others often based on talent level and or the needs of the music school…maybe they are short on trombones…indicating that student may get more opportunities.
No amt of wealth will buy you a music degree if you can’t sing or play. That was not the pt of the post.
After a long, circuitous, and fairly non-traditional journey (marked in the early days by my his self-doubt and “Impostor Syndrome”–thanks, as always, @compmom !), I am finally taking my son up to Berklee as a transfer student tomorrow. If he belongs anywhere, it’s Berklee, and we are both incredibly excited that the day is almost here, but at the moment I’M the one succumbing to nervousness!
He auditioned in guitar performance, but a week or two ago he told me that he would like to major in composition and film-scoring, which, although competitive, seems like a great choice for him (when he was much younger he used to complain about hearing music in his head all the time; now he seems to believe what I used to tell him and writes it out!).
I’ve been trying to help prepare him by reminding him to ignore all the inevitable jockeying for position and opportunities to get psyched out by all that might entail–to just put his head down and stay focused and believe in his ability and work as hard as he always does. But I do keep worrying regardless, being his mom and knowing how much he’s done to earn being there!
And no–he did not get a scholarship. I am concerned about his being made to feel that he was something of a “lesser” choice because of that, although I know–as his music teacher told me–that he “has music running through his veins.”
And then there’s the little issue of his getting tendonitis or something in his wrist just a few weeks ago! He just told me that he’d wanted to play a Bach piece as part of his placement audition, but at the moment he’s not sure his wrist can handle it (the orthopaedist said he should keep it splinted for the next week or two). I suggested that he email his advisor about it and ask her advice today. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated! (I really feel for the vocal students and their parents dealing with ill-timed throat issues!)
It doesn’t have a great reputation among my daughter’s peer group of musicians in Maine.
Yeah. It will probably suck. 
@AsMother - good luck. He’s going to have a great time after he gets the jitters out. Every school has its supporters…or not. As a highly selective music school, I’m sure he’ll have more opportunities than time. Keep us posted!!
Thanks so much, @bridgenail ! You’ve also been a wonderful source of information and support over the last few years. I think he will have the time of his life, and learn a lot. And at the moment it seems I’M the only one of the two of us with jitters–he seems (finally!) cool as a cucumber! (Although I didn’t reply to it, I saw a thread here a little while ago asking whether self-doubt was a part of the process…I could have written a novella of a response!)
Tendinitis and tendinosis are two huge problems in the music world. My daughter has been struggling with it for seven years and has seen all of the top “musician” orthopedists and PTs in NY and Philly, without much success. Lots of wearing of splints and resting that seems not to help. She recently had a breakthrough visiting a PT that her sister was seeing for a different chronic pain problem (her sister also had a breakthough.) The PT here locally (my daughter lives in NY but is traveling to see her) uses the McKenzie method. If your son’s pain turns out to be chronic, I’d suggest seeing if you have a McKenzie method PT near you. The approach is dynamic, science-based, and very different than the passive modalities used by all of the more traditional PTs she saw.
@AsMother - so excited for you both! One of the awesome things about Berklee is that there’s so many options and opportunities. Also, I believe they offer courses/seminars that address movement issues like tendonitis such as the Feldenkrais method. One of my friends ( both a musician and an ear doctor) even teaches a seminar at Berklee that emphasizes protecting your hearing. I know that’s small comfort when he’s in pain and feeling limited. Good luck and if you need a local mom, I live right outside Boston and my guitarist S’s a senior at NEC around the corner!
Thank you SO much, @glassharmonica ! Yes–although the upcoming placement auditions are looming large right now (and it’s driving my son nuts not to be able to practice, especially now!), I am concerned about it becoming a chronic problem. I just forwarded your response to him, and we will investigate the method and see if we can find a practitioner either in Boston or in the NYC area where we live.
I love this site!
P.S. We’ve been thinking about a cortisone shot for the time being, but the doctors we spoke to seem to see that as a last resort. Not sure…
(I didn’t mean to hijack this thread, btw.)
@drummergirl , that actually IS comforting to him! It would be awesome if those issues can at least be partially addressed at the school itself, especially as I assume his schedule won’t allow for a whole lot of long orthopaedist/PT appointments off-campus. I’d been trying to remind him that he definitely won’t be the only guitarist there with that particular problem, although the timing of the onset isn’t great.
How wonderful that your son is at NEC! Has he been happy there? Is he primarily a classical guitarist?
(And it’s great to “know” another mom with a clue about the whole music school scene in Boston! Thank you!)