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<blockquote> <p>As people have pointed out, schools with conservatories, like Yale, tend to fill their orchestras with grad students.>></p> </blockquote>
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<p>Yale's music performance major is a grad major. The students in THAT grad program comprise their grad orchestra. For undergrads there are many opportunities both instrumental and vocal for students regardless of major. Many require an audition. The most select absolutely require an audition. There are NO music performance majors in the undergrad orchestras at Yale because there are no undergrad music performance majors. Many students, however, participate in the music offerings at Yale where these are quite a great tradition.</p>
<p>It is true that you should ask about opportunities for non-majors. DD is a non-major who is continuing to study oboe/English horn, and this was a priority when choosing schools. She is at Santa Clara University where she will minor in music, but major in some science related field. She is able to take private lessons and play in the orchestra (no charge for lessons for anyone, but if you minor in music your lesson is a longer one each week). The orchestra is fun for her, but not the caliber of her youth orchestra at the Hartt School. However, music is something that she enjoys, and it relaxes her. She did have to ask the question at every school we visited, however. She was surprised at the number of places where the answer to "can I play as a non-major?" was NO. Some schools do not have large enough student bodies for all campus ensembles for non-majors. Duquesne, for example, offers ensemble playing to only music majors (except for the pep band). Boston University has ensembles for the music majors only, and also all campus ensembles for others who want to continue playing (music majors sometimes "job in" when they have an instrument shortage). The Phili LACs have a fine orchestra that I believe rehearses at Swarthmore and is comprised of students from Haverford, and the other schools in that consortium. We found that the heads of the music department were more helpful than the general admissions folks in answering these questions. I will say that I do agree with an earlier poster....don't expect that the college ensemble that has a ton of non-majors will be the highest quality. It just won't be. These kids have many other interests, and music is their hobby. These ensembles are like "community orchestras" on the college level, and I personally think it's terrific that they are there for interested students. My daughter wrote in one of her personal statements "I've been singing, and playing the oboe and English Horn in ensembles since I was nine years old. I do not want to give that up when I go to college." I'm sure that sentiment is shared by many others.</p>