<p>Oops, I meant “west coast edition is more famous for academics”</p>
<p>Music production and technology is quite rarely studied seriously in schools like those you name for the same reason that most do not offer majors in performance, or in business for that matter. They are not professionally-oriented schools, and your specific interest is vocational in nature, at least as current educational orthodoxy sees it.
While I don’t intend to discourage you from such a double-major if you can find it at a school you like, I would suggest that a strong foundation in the basics of music, a basic grounding in acoustics and in electrical engineering, and some hands-on experience at a college radio station or recording studio would constitute a good background for the pursuit of music production and technology later in life, including in graduate school or professionaly. You don’t necessarily need to aquire vocational skills of that sort now – and to seek them at the expense of a broad education of the sort you seem to want would be a shame.</p>
<p>USC – the west coast one – is the first school that came to my mind when I read your criteria, OP. It seems to fit all of your criteria, except for the fact that it’s in a city. But there are mountains, deserts, and beaches within easy reach. And it has a breezy, peaceful, southern Cal-outdoorsy sort of ambiance. It is a fantastic school! One of my kids would be there now – he absolutely fell in love with it!!! – if he had earned a full-tuition scholarship instead of the 3/4 –tuition they very generously granted him. (It is a VERY expensive school! We simply couldn’t afford it, despite their generosity.)</p>
<p>I haven’t read up on University of Miami (in Florida) for some time, but it used to have a Music Engineering Technology degree (Frost School of Music). A pretty well known one, I think. Don’t know about international relations or history there. Not in the NE. Not in CA. And, it’s in a city. But it’s supposed to be a pretty campus with lots of vegetation. In other words, it’s not like a downtown, skyscraper feel. I’ve heard very good things about it from one of our state’s Teacher of the Year – her son just graduated from there. They were all very happy with his education.</p>
<p>Southern Methodist University (SMU) also came to mind, mainly because I love that school and think they’re good at so many things! But, admittedly, it’s NOT in the NE nor California. AND, while it has a superior and very well-known business school (Cox School of Business); great international studies and cool history degrees (medieval studies, for ex) through Dedman College; and outstanding music, dance, theater, and arts programs (including a cool BA degree in film and media arts) via the Meadows School of the Arts, it does NOT have a music technology degree. AND, it’s in a city. But the campus is actually in a very shady, beautiful, wealthy suburb of the city – within 5 minutes of downtown. And access to the city is part of what makes it so (a) fun, and (b) good in terms of internships, business and music opportunities, contacts, networking, etc. Anyway, one of my kids is a junior there (BM in vocal performance with a passion for liberal arts, history, and languages), and I am endlessly surprised by how many things this school does very, very well! And the opportunities he has within the DFW metroplex?? Wow. It has been amazing.</p>
<p>I almost didn’t respond with these ideas, since they don’t meet all of your criteria, but each of my kids’ final college lists (come application time in the fall of their senior years) looked quite a bit different from their initial college lists (in the summer before their junior years). As they researched and visited colleges, their criteria for their best-fit college changed. Your priorities and interests might change over the next few years too. The reality is, after all, that you’ll probably be unable to major and/or minor in all three areas within 4 years. You’re likely going to have to narrow your focus. And once you visit a few places, you might be surprised to find that you prefer something that you don’t yet know you prefer! :)</p>
<p>All 3 schools I mentioned are private schools. If money is a factor for you and you don’t qualify for need-based aid, you’ll have to be a pretty outstanding student to take advantage of their often-generous merit scholarships.</p>
<p>Best wishes to you in your search!</p>
<p>imagep,
Since I live in Georgia and am familiar with the University of South Carolina there are a few things you might find of interest about USC in Los Angeles. Southern California is a private research university. That is why you did not find it in the list of public universities. It is a Tier I university. Rankings can be subjective and controversial, but U.S. News lists both universities under National Universities. South Carolina is ranked #111 and Southern California at #23, right under Georgetown.</p>
<pre><code>SC is located in a major city and students have access to the galleries, concerts, theaters, ballet, opera and other cultural opportunities as well as major sports. As SimpleLife stated it is not far from beaches, mountains and the desert.
SC is known for their extremely diverse student body and the largest number of international students enrolled. Applicants are drawn to the mild climate, top notch art, theatre, music, social work, public policy, business, journalism, cinematic arts and huge number of majors offered. Multidisciplinary study and completing two widely different majors is encouraged.
</code></pre>
<p>For a major research university Southern California has a fine faculty student ratio of 1/9 and Carolina has a ratio of 1/18. Admit rate for Carolina for 2011 was 63% and SC was 23%.</p>
<p>South Carolina should be proud of their International Business Ranking and the fact they are the state’s flagship university. Each university has different opportunities and it is best to study the literature, websites, admission scores and course offerings. Interested students can visit both universities and decide which one is the best “fit”.</p>
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<p>Yes I agree with that.</p>
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<p>U of South Carolina is also located in a city (although not a major city) and students have access to to all of that same stuff. U of South Carolina is two hours from the mountains and two hours from the beach.</p>
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<p>U of South Carolina does not have nearly as many asians as the west cost school, but other than that you can say pretty much the sames things about the U of South Carolina.</p>
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<p>Yes, it’s true, students are more likely to get into South Carolina as opposed to Southern California. For the average or just above average student, thats a good thing.</p>
<p>The student faculty ratios differs because at “major research universities” you are paying for research as much as you are education. At many research universities you will find that the researchers are teaching just one class and researching away the rest of their time, while at non-research colleges the primary objective of instructors is to teach. South Carolina also does research, although I don’t think that is a desirable trait. My son’s psychology teacher last semester was a researcher, he thought that she was a great teacher, but there were a lot of students in her class - if she had not been hired as a researcher, should would have likely have taught several classes, and their would have been fewer students in each class. At “major research universities” education suffers due to the research objective.</p>
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<p>I doubt that there would be many students interested in both universities. They are not really that similar, so most of the time students could eleminate one or the other without paying a visit.</p>
<p>Regardless, I still suggest that people clearly identify what college they are referring to since “USC” can indicate more than one college.</p>
<p>imagep, really?</p>
<p>“In all fairness, the east cost edition is more famous for academics, and even for music,”</p>
<p>Come on. Nothing against South Carolina–a great school-- but, the west coast USC is higher ranked for academics by any standard (check the admissions profile for the GPA/Stats of admitted freshman, or USNWR as you mention!), and has its own conservatory, Thornton, which can see in this forum is frequently one of the only university conservatories, if not the only one, applied for along with the likes of CCM, MSM, Eastman, NEC, Curtis, Oberlin and Juilliard and Rice. 99% of the time when people are talking about music schools, both on this forum and off it, REGARDLESS of what coast they are from, USC refers to the Trojans.</p>
<p>ETA: Whoops, I just saw your correction where you said east when you meant west. Phew. Never mind!</p>
<p>Folks - South Carolina is an outstanding university, and so is Southern California. It really does come down to what you want in a college experience. One is a traditional southern public university, a member of the SEC, and the campus is stunning. The other offers the quinntessential California experience from a private research school perspective. The campus vibes are totally different, and so is the student body. Be careful saying CA is better than SC in things like Music, looking at where each sends their graduates and the pedigree of the faculty, the music facilities, etc. is really where the rubber hits the road. And NEVER discount the cost of the education, ROI matters!</p>
<p>stonemagic, we were really only suggesting, once again, that for the purposes of discussing music programs on this cc forum, USC has always meant (to students from both coasts) the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, and explaining why. (Check the prescreen results thread, for example.)</p>
<p>In the 3 years I’ve been hanging out here, nobody has been confused by this (except perhaps one person), and I doubt anyone is going to start spelling out the full name of the CA school now.</p>
<p>Of course they are both wonderful schools, and so different that it’s hard to imagine many students would be applying to both.</p>
<p>@jazz, I disagree. In the Southeastern United States, USC is University of South Carolina. And because they have an outstanding music program, music students are well aware of this. I suppose in your world “SEC”" means Securities and Exchange Commission, but down South it is the dominant athletic conference of the world.</p>
<p>SM, again we are talking about the “world” of students and parents on this cc music forum, which must then be very confusing for you with its countless mentions of just plain ole USC always meaning the Trojan one. :)</p>
<p>jazz/ you are simply mistaken about that. Believe me, where I live, 99%+ would assume that USC refers to South Carolina. Many people here are not even aware of southern california at all. this carries onto this forum. I have seen numerous examples where two posters were talking about two different schools, but refering to them with the same name, and didn’t even realize they were talking about different schools.</p>
<p>If you think that people from all over the country and with a variety of backgrounds just automatically assume correctly, then you are assuming wrong.</p>
<p>I remember way back when I was in basic training in the army, listening to the guy who bunked to the right of me who was from south carolina and the guy who bunked to the left of me who was from north carolina talking about “carolina”. I just sat there and giggled as I was the only one of us who realized that they were talking about two different Universities. thats why I don’t suggest calling U of South Carolina “Carolina”. </p>
<p>Same reason I suggest indicating which USC we are talking about.</p>
<p>Guys, do/suggest/specify/indicate whatever you wish. Again, I am not talking about where you live. All I am talking about is HERE on the music forum of cc, not the real world at large, the southeast, the moon, or anywhere else. Here on this music forum, unless you specifiy differently, as others besides myself have pointed out to you, people do and will continue to assume USC to be the west coast USC. And they will continue to just write USC because that is what they have always done, for various reasons that have already been enumerated.</p>
<p>That… is ALL I am saying. If you don’t believe me, just please take a look at the prescreening results thread from this year or any previous year. Aside from the very exclusive short lists of conservatories USC invariably appears on, you will see that it is nearly always just called USC. You are welcome to try and change this tradition, but given the “typical” cc music forum visitor, I doubt you will have much luck.</p>
<p>As for the rest of cc, I’m sure most people already specify which one they are talking about. But here on the music forum, you may be facing a losing battle.</p>
<p>I have NOTHING against South Carolina. It is a FINE AND WONDERFUL SCHOOL.</p>
<p>^agreed 
I’m from Michigan, which geographically closer to south Carolina than california, and I would never assume someone on the music thread was referring to anything other than Thornton when saying “USC.” likewise, if someone said “iu” I would assume they’re talking about Jacobs, not the multiple campuses of Indiana u. There is simply a handful of top tier schools from a music vantage that are known nationally to people involved in music, and South Carolina is not among them.</p>
<p>Hi! Sorry I forgot to check up in a while. I’m willing to compromise some of the stuff I want of course (because I’ve searched everywhere and I don’t think I can have exactly what I want). But in any case, I don’t really want to be in a city because I grew up in a really big city and would like to get away for my time in college. </p>
<p>I don’t mean music production as a career, I simply mean music technology stuff… like recording a studio album or learning how to mix different audio tracks. </p>
<p>Does anyone know what schools are known for their music technology programs? I know Yale has BA/MM program, Oberlin has a BA/BM program as does Northwestern and UMich I think. </p>
<p>I can also add on the list:
CMU
Wesleyan</p>
<p>Peabody/JHU has a five year program. Just to be clear I mean Peabody Institute and not Peabody College which is part of Vandy. :)</p>
<p>OK, now I’m confused…CMU is right in the middle of Pittsburgh. Granted the campus is lovely, but it is very much a city school as is Yale. UMich also has a very citylike feel to it. Ann Arbor is not a huge city, but the UMich Main Campus certainly feels like a city school with busy streets on all sides and lots of traffic.</p>
<p>Wesleyan is much smaller and does have a more suburban feel to it, Im not sure how exptensive their mmusic program is.</p>
<p>Perhaps, you might want to re-think the city thing. I know there are many “city” schools with beautiful campuses…CMU, Rice, Boston College…and then there are “city” schools with little or no “campus” feel to them like Boston University, Yale, UPenn. Perhaps you would be willing to consider city schools with a more campus feel to them?</p>
<p>Loyola Marymount Univ in southern California has a Recording Arts program within their film school that is highly regarded. Campus is beautiful in Santa Monica, and reports are that students are getting internships and hands-on experience beginning freshman year.</p>
<p>“Reach” schools that have music technology majors include Stanford and Brown.</p>
<p>OH, and UC San Diego also has a great music tech program.</p>
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<p>Indeed, you can get everything you need at UMich, but re Northwestern, my info may be out of date but a pal of my son’s who had planned to attend there for music tech two years ago had the experience of the tech degree program closing down when the dept head left and was told to major in something else – so I can’t be sure the program is either available or stable at this point.</p>
<p>Re Ann Arbor, I don’t personally find it to be a “big city” atmosphere at all, I suppose because the actual campus and students dominate the area 
Population 100,000, though, even if 40,000 are students, so technically speaking, it’s less than buccolic. I think campus visits would help the OP get a handle on sense of environment.</p>
<p>@ kmcmom: The program at Northwestern is indeed gone. It remained on their website as a broken link for a while, but when I was looking for schools to apply to this past fall I contacted Bienen admissions about it and they confirmed that they no longer offer a major in Music Technology. They do, however, still offer a minor, as well as a minor in Sound Design through their school of communication that I think focuses more on sound for picture.</p>