Can anyone suggest Liberal Arts Colleges where a talented pianist (Manhattan School of Music pre-college) who does NOT want to go to a conservatory could still have a rewarding experience (private lessons and performance opportunities)? Our tentative list includes:
Vassar
Pomona
Lehigh
Skidmore
Grinnel
Wesleyan
Princeton
Swarthmore
Williams
BU
University of Rochester
Moving to the Music Major forum where you should get good response
From your current schools, Skidmore, Wesleyan, Princeton, BU and Rochester each have distinctive attributes with respect to music instruction/performance and would appear to be excellent choices depending on your other criteria. (The others on your list could be good as well.)
Hamilton would fit your selectivity range, offers good music opportunities – such as the availability of an eight semester sequence in piano instruction (1/4 credit each) – and excellent facilities.
BC should be considered along with BU.
Pomona provides free private lessons and considers demonstrated talent as part of its overall application process. The Pomona faculty has been willing to provide feedback to prospective music students regarding their supplemental application material, but they would want to hear from you by July 1 prior to your senior year: https://www.pomona.edu/academics/departments/music/prospective-students
I would add Bard College, which has a wonderful music program in the college in addition to the conservatory. Otherwise, it looks like a good list to me. You might also look at Holy Cross. And Emory, for a larger university.
Take a look at Bard (college not conservatory)
@stradmom - Like minds!
Add Brandeis to the list.
Great list. Hard to choose!
I would focus on schools that are appealing for other reasons: location (city? rural? suburbs? part of country?), size, academics, “vibe” and then look into music offerings and opportunities. Also does she want to major in music or something else?
Sometimes, especially in cities, BA students find teachers and performing opportunities off campus as well. So you may not have to limit the search to colleges with excellent offerings on campus. Talented musicians do undergrad in many different ways.
Sometimes a school that also has a conservatory/music school on campus is not a good choice: the BM/conservatory/music school students get the best opportunities for teachers and performance. But not always. I would check this out with Rochester because of Eastman. You can look into Bard on this too though the posters here who know it say this is not a problem. (Oberlin and Lawrence are others to check into on this.)
Princeton offers a “performance certificate.” This sounds great but honestly is no different from what many schools offer in terms of lessons, classes and performance: they just don’t have a formal certificate. Harvard, I heard, is thinking of also offering a certificate because in recent years “applied” music has become more important and students now get credit for lessons, classes with a performance component and certain ensembles/organizations for performance.
I have heard good things about College of Wooster and St. Olaf too. Tufts has a great music department. I have always liked Clark University in Worcester too.
Rayrick made a list of LAC’s good for music- maybe you can access it. Good luck!
@compmom The music department in the college at Bard, separate from the conservatory, has its own very fine instrumental and voice teachers, ensembles and opportunities. And for composition, they are the same teachers. The orchestras are different levels, however - but that’s not a big concern for a pianist.
I second Lawrence. Having gone there as a piano performance major, I can tell you that if you decide that there’s a specific teacher you want to study with out of the three, you should be able to get them without issue, even as a non-major. The majority of freshmen come in not having a preference and I’ve never seen anyone have any issue getting into the studio of their choice there.
I agree with most of these suggestions. Vassar has a Steinway in every dorm and it was usually being played when we visited Definitely Vassar, Hamilton, Wesleyan, Skidmore, Bard College, Holy Cross …
Google Vassar music and check out the recordings of the orchestra concerts with student piano concerto soloists over the years. I am sure other schools have recording up also. We visited Tufts on a nice spring Saturday afternoon and there were pianists practicing!