<p>Hello College Confidential members!</p>
<p>This is my first thread and I would like help finding some colleges that would be suited for me. It is now almost the end of Summer, I will be starting my senior year of High School and I have no idea where I should go. I believe I want to major in music, but I still want to learn liberal arts, and possibly double major. So I do not want to go to a music specific school; i.e. Berklee. I live in Massachusettes but am willing to go wherever I need to. I am in the top 5% of my class with about a 4.5/4.6 GPA (my school is weird and uses a 5.5 scale and I don't know the formula to convert) and I took the SAT's in the Spring for the first time and scored an 1880, also I received a 3 on my AP English exam. I will retake the SAT's this fall, hopefully obtaining a better score. And for music I play guitar (I know so does everyone else) but I am into all genres of guitar music and already know a good deal of music theory and I can read music. Any suggestions?</p>
<p>Thanks,
Michael</p>
<p>Michael, what is your level of training on guitar, and your focus? Is it classical, jazz, popular/ contemporary or folk? Majoring in “music” is a broad spectrum, what is your intended focus, and possible long term goals? </p>
<p>Same goes with liberal arts, specific areas of interest and potential degree path? </p>
<p>Directing you without a bit more background is a shotgun approach. There are a number of suggestions and options concerning the music disciplines here [Music</a> Major - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/]Music”>Music Major - College Confidential Forums).
While there, I suggest you read this <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/258796-so-you-want-music-major-one-familys-experience.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/258796-so-you-want-music-major-one-familys-experience.html</a></p>
<p>A bit more info, and I might be able to direct you to some specific threads.</p>
<p>My level in training on guitar I would say is adequate. I have been playing for a little over 2 1/2 years. I am usually modest but I can say for myself I have advanced quite swiftly with learning the instrument. I tend to be a fast learner. </p>
<p>My focus, if I were to major, would be jazz, blues, or classical. Those are my three favorite types of guitar styles. I also am interested in producing music. </p>
<p>As far as liberal arts go I am undecided, I like all aspects from history to english to math to science. I was thinking engineering because I do have strong math skills and I love knowing how things work. </p>
<p>But again, I am not looking at any conservatory, in respect to the talent there I am nothing special and don’t play multiple instruments.</p>
<p>I ask the training and focus questions solely for the purpose of pointing you to specific programs, and to try and get a feel for your previous level of experiences. Are you looking for a BM path, and an audition based admit in a competitive program designed for pre- professional training or more of a BA non audition approach to further your skills? Do you know the differences? (Many don’t and are examining music as an undergrad pursuit for the first time and are unaware of the options and subtleties). Standard questions for music, just as asking for grades and stats would be in a straight academic search. Finances, locale and type of environment, program size are additional things that need consideration.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Self assessment for a budding musician is one of the most difficult areas to peg accurately, unless one has been exposed to others at the highest musical levels. This would include working with instructors with professional background and experiences, college/conservatory level faculty, intense immersion experiences, competition experience or playing professionally/semi-professionally. Being able to target your choices within a competitive audition centric admissions process is critical.</p>
<p>Take a look at the programs like UDenver/Lamont Contemporary and Studio offering, The New School’s Jazz and Contemporary program, and Belmont; perhaps USC/Thorton’s Popular Music path as well. Oberlin could conceivably be an option. These are all highly competitive auditioned based admits (each tempered with meeting specific stats/grade parameters which may be flexed based on audition results).</p>
<p>There are other jazz BM and BA options discussed in the music major forum. The more info you can provide, the easier it is to point you to options to consider.</p>
<p>I cannot say I have been exposed to other musicians of the highest musical level. And looking at other posts I knew places had auditions but I thought that was only conservatories. I would like a BM but am not confident that my performance would be of the caliber of other musicians at an audition. One place I did look at was University of Rochester, and the local schools around me in Mass.</p>
<p>Looking at other threads I noticed composition as a major. I would love to major in that but also had no idea you sometimes have to submit your own compositions. Which so far I only have one and it is just one instrument, not even written down, just in my head.</p>
<p>So I guess what I’m saying is I want to further my skills with a BA degree. And if in the first year or two I decide that Music is definatley what I want, would I still be able to go for a BM degree?</p>
<p>Based on what you’ve fleshed out my guess is that you should be concentrating at exploring schools with a strong music department or school that supports a good range of music opportunities for a non-audition BA music candidate or music minor. The option of auditioning later into a BM focus will limit your choices, as many liberal arts schools with good to decent programs do not offer the BM option.</p>
<p>These are all from the music major forum. Rochester has excellent opportunities for non-majors outside of Eastman, as does Oberlin (within the college, not the conservatory).
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/749881-best-liberal-arts-college-music-program-composition.html?highlight=liberal+arts[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/749881-best-liberal-arts-college-music-program-composition.html?highlight=liberal+arts</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/777895-ba-music-jazz-ba-liberal-arts-northwestern.html?highlight=liberal+arts[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/777895-ba-music-jazz-ba-liberal-arts-northwestern.html?highlight=liberal+arts</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/737648-how-give-non-audition-liberal-arts-schools-sense-applicants-musical-ability.html?highlight=liberal+arts[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/737648-how-give-non-audition-liberal-arts-schools-sense-applicants-musical-ability.html?highlight=liberal+arts</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/653686-liberal-arts-music-double-major-schools.html?highlight=liberal+arts[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/653686-liberal-arts-music-double-major-schools.html?highlight=liberal+arts</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/593901-music-scholarships-liberal-arts-colleges.html?highlight=liberal+arts[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/593901-music-scholarships-liberal-arts-colleges.html?highlight=liberal+arts</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/651411-liberal-arts-colleges-w-strong-jazz-performance-programs.html?highlight=liberal+arts[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/651411-liberal-arts-colleges-w-strong-jazz-performance-programs.html?highlight=liberal+arts</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/518020-music-liberal-arts-schools.html?highlight=liberal+arts[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/518020-music-liberal-arts-schools.html?highlight=liberal+arts</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/468613-music-liberal-arts.html?highlight=liberal+arts[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/468613-music-liberal-arts.html?highlight=liberal+arts</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/400593-best-music-liberal-arts-college-program.html?highlight=liberal+arts[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/400593-best-music-liberal-arts-college-program.html?highlight=liberal+arts</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/842786-music-education-plus-academics.html?highlight=music+education[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/842786-music-education-plus-academics.html?highlight=music+education</a> (Ignore the focus on music ed, but many of the programs there might be worth investigating.)</p>
<p>My knowledge is concentrated in the bowed strings, and my experience with guitar choices would basically limit you to conservatory-level programs. Spend some time in the music major forum, where you will find a number of posters with more expertise in guitar, and better knowledge of a non-major approach to school selection.</p>
<p>Similar options will exist for composition, but may be a bit harder to find. Again, if you want to address the music components in greater detail, it would be to your benefit to bring that conversation to the music forum. There you will get the background and experiences that could point you in the right direction.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/749881-best-liberal-arts-college-music-program-composition.html?highlight=Composition[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/749881-best-liberal-arts-college-music-program-composition.html?highlight=Composition</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/544975-ideas-composition-ba-non-conservatory.html?highlight=Composition[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/544975-ideas-composition-ba-non-conservatory.html?highlight=Composition</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/419313-expectations-composition-applicants.html?highlight=Composition[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/419313-expectations-composition-applicants.html?highlight=Composition</a></p>
<p>Thank you very much for all of your help!</p>
<p>Looks like I have a lot of reading ahead of me!</p>
<p>If you have been playing guitar for 2.5 years, even if you are quite a quick learner, are you so sure you want to base your college decision around a music major? You will be able to double major in something and music at almost every school, and wouldn’t it make sense to make sure that the rest of the elements of the schools suite you first? Probably any college or University will help you develop your skills, while if you were for sure looking for a career in musicology or conducting or something, it might be more relevant to look for specific things in a music program.</p>
<p>Hellohowareyou,</p>
<p>You are absolutely right. I do want to major in music, and where music stands in my life right now is as a hobby that I never want to get rid of. I am not as serious as some, I play everyday for at least an hour at a time. But I love every second of it. So I guess I’m looking for a college that will help develop my skills more so than a general music program, but also has the other core elements of education (Math, Science, English, etc.)</p>
<p>So I do not want to base my college decision around a music major, but around the schools music program and it’s general education programs. I don’t want a school that has a simple theory class, for I already know most Western Music Theory. And I do not have the money to independently learn conducting skills or sound work with the large amounts of technology that has been developed for music. (I may download some free software though) </p>
<p>Do you have any college suggestions?</p>