General Music Programs

<p>I've been lurking through these forums recently looking for some information on music programs in liberal arts colleges. Some people mentioned that these smaller colleges have great music programs. However, when I look at their website, they seem to only have a general music degree. I want to specialize in composing, so how would my education at that school be any different than someone who wants to be pianist or a music teacher?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>Sorry, I would’ve added this to the original post, but I ran out of edit time.
For example, Duke is ranked as 8th in the country for music according to USA Today (<a href=“the-top-10-music-colleges-in-the-united-states”>http://college.usatoday.com/2014/06/19/the-top-10-music-colleges-in-the-united-states/&lt;/a&gt;), yet they only have a single general music degree. Shouldn’t a good music college have a variety of degree options (composing/theory, performance, pedagogy,etc)? Maybe I’m missing something here…</p>

<p>Head over to the Music Major forum and read through the threads at the top of the forum - you’ll learn a lot about music programs. There are also dozens of threads about studying composition in college. Google “College Confidential” “Music Major Forum” composition and see what comes up.</p>

<p>Thanks! I’ll look into that.
I actually just found the exact same question I asked here: <a href=“Purpose of a general Bacelor of Music Degree - Music Major - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/809986-purpose-of-a-general-bacelor-of-music-degree.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Sorry for cluttering up the forums!</p>

<p>Be sure to click at the top of the forum on Featured Threads - View All to see all the threads up at the top. Some are rather old, like the one you referenced - but the questions remain the same.</p>

<p>You are certainly not cluttering up the forum!</p>

<p>When my daughter, who is a composer, was looking at colleges, many professors in music departments told her that a BA degree would be a much better route than a BM. This did not dissuade her from applying to several conservatories as well as a couple of colleges. However, when it came time to decide between conservatory and college, once she had been admitted, she ultimately chose the latter- at the very last minute in April of senior year! It is not an easy choice and you too can keep your options open.</p>

<p>Composition students can perhaps benefit more than a pianist or music teacher from a curriculum that is less (or not) performance-based and includes theory, music history, technology/electronic work, ethnomusicology, and composition. And broader studies at the undergrad level in areas such as history, literature and art can enhance the understanding of the composition field and one’s own development of style and focus.</p>

<p>Some BA programs do have a composition strand (for example, Brown’s), some have composition seminars or tutorials built into the program, and some simply have composition courses. Some BA programs may have lessons for composers, some don’t. Depending on how you like to work with a teacher, check out each program carefully to get what you want. Some colleges will provide musicians and a concert or two each year for your pieces to be performed, some will have performances in class, and at some, you might have to make your own performance opportunities by getting funding and organizing composers for concerts.</p>

<p>So, a BA will generally be 1/4-1/3 music classes, though some will be 50% (Harvard). A BM will be about 2/3-3/4 music classes. You can do a double major in some cases, or a double degree, either a BA/BM or a BA/MM. BA “general music” majors will usually have distribution requirements involving classes in the sciences, math, arts, social science, literature and other humanities. (When my daughter could, she ended up sort of focusing her studies on modernism, including art, literature and music of that era as well as European and US history.) A BM program will have liberal arts as well, but fewer required courses.</p>

<p>Generally, a student who wants to study piano intensively would be better off at a conservatory, unless he or she can study privately, practice for hours and still do a BA program: but a BM program allows for the lessons and the time spent practicing and rehearsing. A music teacher candidate would do a music education degree, either at the undergrad or grad level. These two types of students, which you cited, would probably do better at specialized programs for the BM. </p>

<p>For composers it gets murkier, it really does. If you also want to study an instrument, by all means, a performance degree would be a good fit, if only because of time issues. At a college or university, versus conservatory, you will spend less time on applied work and may continue your composing on the side as well as in class. A college program is foundational, more than professional. In composition a BA certainly can lead to a master’s program, and most do go on.</p>

<p>In Europe, I think there is more emphasis on career, and in the US the trend is more toward grad school with an eye toward working in academia. If you are concerned with a career in music, some can make a living as a composer but it can take many years to get there. You can intern during college with music organizations, or other non-profits. (My daughter did this and is quite employable I think.) A BA or BM will not really limit you to the music field, however: it is a degree that can give access to jobs in other fields as well as grad and professional schools such as law, medicine or business, once prerequ’s have been met.</p>

<p>In short, in many ways, a BA general music major is the perfect program for a composer, but there may be fewer opportunities for lessons and performances of work during those 4 years. It varies. You can make any program work. The breadth and depth of the education at a college can be good preparation for a lifetime in composing or for other fields, but may have less of a focus on applied craft and performance in the short term. If a thesis for a BA can be a composition, that is a great benefit so check that out too. </p>

<p>Overall, after a year (several years ago) of looking and applying and researching, my daughter chose a BA in a college and she and most of her peers are focusing on composing at the grad level now without the distractions of distribution requirements, but she doesn’t regret her decision to do a BA as an undergrad.</p>

<p>Keep coming on here with questions!</p>

<p>Wow thanks for the awesome response! I’m kind of in a weird position for college. I’m a junior in high school, and I am hoping to double major in the music field and an Engineering/Science field. Right now I’m leaning towards biomedical or biochemical engineering as my second major, but I also love the traditional sciences (biology, chemistry, physics). The main problem for me is that I’m not interested in composing in the modern classical style. That is, avant-garde, 20th century music. I’m much more interested in composing commercial music (for film, games, and television). My composition teacher works at a music licensing company for television and I’m writing and selling pieces through his company. However, I know that programs offering these kinds of skills are few and far between. </p>

<p>The only colleges offering degrees in commercial composing or music technology tend to be bigger colleges. Currently, I am looking at programs such as the Performing Arts major at University of Michigan, Film Scoring at NYU, and commercial music at Belmont and University of Cincinnati. My teacher also mentioned however, that in the commercial music industry, a major isn’t always helpful. So maybe a BA would be a good idea, though many of the academic aspects of the BA might be covered in an engineering or science degree. What graduate program is your daughter doing now? Did the BA make it harder for her to get in to graduate school, or was it just as easy?</p>

<p>I guess I’m looking for a school that would have a good engineering and science department, and a commercial composition degree. It all depends on the teacher, though, so if I found a composition teacher that I really like, I could major in regular composition (or perhaps music production/technology). My other option would be to get a BA in music, then use that to get into grad school for a more specific composition based degree (Maybe at Eastman or USC). I’ve got some work to do!</p>

<p>Just a note - in traditional composition programs you’d be composing 21st century music! :-*
The PAT program at Michigan sounds perfect for you. You wouldn’t need to have a second engineering degree if you did the engineering PAT path. </p>

<p>There is also a new undergraduate program Technology and Applied Composition at SF Conservatory focused on scoring for games etc. (No science or engineering there, though.) <a href=“Technology and Applied Composition | SFCM”>Technology and Applied Composition | SFCM; “A comprehensive undergraduate degree program in composition and its contemporary applications including film and video game scoring, sound design and creative production techniques.”</p>

<p>Also, it’s not necessary that you go to grad school to get work in the fields you’re interested in. More important to make connections and do internships. You could also just get an engineering degree and take some composition and music production courses as electives. Also check out Tech schools like MIT and RIT - they offer serious composition programs in addition to engineering.</p>

<p>Your dilemma is not unusual and comes up here fairly often, Belmont and I think Miami Frost, NYU are often mentioned for popular/commercial music. For music production and technology, Cal Arts, Michigan’s PAT, UMass Lowell, Hartt School at U. of Hartford, Northeastern maybe. Others can suggest more. The SF program is new. USC has a grad program in film scoring.</p>

<p>You have several options and can try to plan for all of them. You can major in a science or engineering and take classes in music, and/or continue to compose on your own (and maybe take lessons privately), building connections, interning and so on. My daughter’s intern experience included some new experiences with studio recording for a record label, for instance. I would take a look at Tufts or Clark in MA (schools I know).</p>

<p>You can try to do a double major, though that might be difficult with both music and engineering or science. Look at the classes required, count the credits, figure it out. A double degree would take 5 years and it might be hard to find a program in the kind of composing you want to do, in a school with great science. </p>

<p>You can major in music but you will most likely end up doing the work you are doing now, on the side, unless the program is not classical but commercial, which is possible. If you do that, some of the production and technology along the way may satisfy your interest in sciences.</p>

<p>You can also look at funkier multi-discipllnary schools that allow for mixing of interests and independent work. Bennington, Hampshire, maybe Lewis and Clark, there are others. In other words, a more loosely structured curriculum at a liberal arts school. </p>

<p>There is so much intersection of music and technology or science these days. Look at the websites of all the school that have been mentioned if you have time. Brown has technology as one of the strands of a music major. Oberlin has TIMARA. Electronic work and composing that involves computers and algorithms can be found everywhere. Also, music and neuroscience is big. For examples, look at Dartmouth’s Digital Arts grad program or Brown’s MEME.</p>

<p>Some of this will depend on the size, location and vibe you want, just like anyone else. An artsy, free-ish rural school in Vermont versus a big university in a midwest city for instance.</p>

<p>Honestly, you might be really happy at a school like Tufts, doing science but also working iwith their excellent and friendly music department. I know someone with similar interests who is thriving there. He is doing science, takes a lot of music classes and does gigs outside of school. There is a parent on here who knows a lot about Michigan’s PAT program and others may chime in.</p>

<p>A summer program might help you clarify some things…</p>

<p>You seem pretty bright and well-informed and you already seem to know your way around pretty well. From the perspective of a parent whose three kids are finished, I can only tell you it will probably work out for you no matter what choice you make. I always like the cartoon that shows that life progresses in squiggles, not lines. You can get there in all kinds of ways. Good luck!</p>

<p>Once again, thank you both for the amazing responses. I’ll look into the colleges you suggested Comp Mom and SpiritManager. I’m still not quite sure what my major will be but you guys have helped me narrow things down. I’ll continue looking for that commercial degree, but if I can’t find the right composition program I can always go with a minor or a BA, so I won’t have to stay in school as long as I would with a double major. Hopefully I can find the right fit!</p>