do you think calarts composition is worth it?

College Majors Music Major
1

hello, i’m a future undergraduate student who wants to study music composition. my dream job is to be a composer for films/games/commercial.

calarts is known as a great school for film/video/animation, where you can make connections with professionals but i’m not really sure about music.

one of the reasons i’m quite seriously considering going to calarts is i heard i can collaborate with many hard working film/animation majors there and make non-music major friends who want to work in the movie industry. (of course, i know it all depends on how hard you try to socialize with others but i’m quite extrovert for a music kid. most of us are quite shy, you know.)

but calarts is an extremely expensive school and since i’m an international student, fewer opportunities of scholarships will be offered. my family is definitely not poor, so i can graduate without getting into debt but 70k usd per year for music alone is not an easy decision to make, even though i know music is my path.

i want to study composition & experimental sound practices there. and my priorities are 1) great teachers and curriculum, of course 2) collaborating with (non music major) people and strong connections to ppl studying films 3)lots of experience on working in studios with electronic devices. i like classical music but i gotta learn something i can actually use at work.

also i want to learn a lot about orchestration too.

2

There are many programs that would meet your needs. Ideally undergrad years are used to build a foundation in composition but if you are interested in studio production, there are programs for that. Most music programs, whether for a BM or BA, will have some work in electronic music. CalArts is a great school and quite innovative, but you have other option available that might be more affordable.

Have you considered McGill in Montreal? Or schools in Europe. Look at the Royal Conservatory of the Hague for instance, and their program in Sonic Arts.

Oberlin would be a great school for you as well. Check out TIMARA. UCSD has ICAM.

3

Another program to consider - with connections to the gaming & tech industries is at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music: https://sfcm.edu/departments/technology-and-applied-composition I don’t know that it would be any cheaper for you, however. Here’s an article about their job placement: https://sfcm.edu/newsroom/tac-students-find-careers-tech-industry