<p>My boyfriend, a junior, is a solid trumpet player whose real passion is composition. He composes for orchestral or concert band ensembles and has been doing so for several years now, takes composition lessons, and has had two pieces performed by concert band. He loves movie scores (especially Hans Zimmer) and is really pumped about Berklee's film score program, which as far as he can find is the only one of its kind. However, he knows that there's no way he can compete with performance majors. He does have a pretty solid portfolio. Any programs that don't require an audition for comp/theory majors?</p>
<p>Composers are not competing with performance majors when they’re asked to audition. They are not held to the same standards for performance ability - usually the school just wants to know that they’re competent enough to participate in ensembles. Also, not all schools even require auditions nor offer performance opportunities to their composition students. If he’s looking for film scoring, as opposed to a more classical undergraduate composition program - there are a few other schools which offer it, such as NYU. Most film scoring programs are masters programs, however, such as at USC and UCLA. There are also options, such as Michigan’s PAT program which incorporates technology with composition. There is a parent on this site kmcmom13 who knows all about the program and I’m sure she’ll chime in.</p>
<p>Hello, fire soul! My son was in a similar situation with similar feelings about his performance capabilities on trumpet (eg he was first chair at his school but not the kind of regional standout you’d normally see auditioning at top programs.)</p>
<p>Encourage your bf not to allow the audition component to cause him to omit strong programs, especially since he’s been composing for a while and has an instructor. That said, there are a couple of routes to go and a couple schools of thought re film scoring. Our feeling is that one is first a composer, then picks up the film aspects. So it’s truly unnecessary to start out in a specific film scoring program IMHO. Her Er, my son also loves making and editing films, and loves tech. So he chose university of Michigan’s “pat” ( performing arts technology) program, which in his case is a BFA that includes music composition, sequencing, recording, film scoring and some upper level film production. It’s like music tech (and there is a stream that is BM music tech, and one that is bsc engineering as well.) admission is by portfolio and interview, but they do ask for performance recordings on your principal instrument (in the bm you audition live). The portfolio includes some specific requests depending on what stream you’re applying to.
He loves his program, the flexibility and breadth in particular, even though courses are highly sequenced.</p>
<p>The straight composition program at his school is also outstanding, and students in either discipline have access to scoring opportunities (no just for film, but for video games and live theater and dance performances as well in upper years) and profs who have and do score for films.</p>
<p>In your bf’s shoes, I’d personally look first for fit with a schools composition faculty, then look at the opportunities at a given school, (eg in our case, having access and connection to a good film program helps, and as a result he has “credits” on productions now that he might not have had at a school without a robust film dept) and then of course ensure there is a fiscal safety in the picture, because many of the schools he’ll find himself applying to are outrageously expensive (eg NYU). </p>
<p>In short, there are many more options than it may seem. It is entirely acceptable, possibly even preferable, to focus on composition and access the film dimension later. His written and performed work will have a much greater weight than his live playing. Best wishes!</p>
<p>You have gotten very thorough answers, so I am just echoing the posters above to say that many composition programs do not require an instrumental audition. They do require a portfolio and often an interview, overnight composition assignment and usually the “audition” also involves a theory (placement) exam. It sounds like your bf has music for a portfolio and recordings as well, which is great.</p>
<p>Going to a school with an excellent composition program and faculty is a first step, and specializing in film scoring can follow. Many people feel the background is important, but there are others who want to go right into film scoring. Others in this forum can discuss programs for the latter.</p>
<p>It might be important to look at schools with a good film department, because the interdisciplinary, collaborative types of projects that can occur with music and film (and, for that matter, theater, dance, art and literature) can be wonderful. Or, schools that are very interdisciplinary in flavor (if he is looking at liberal arts colleges).</p>
<p>I could suggest a great book entitled “Creative Colleges”, available online, that gives details on programs in all these areas, at many schools, including colleges and conservatories.</p>