<p>Hello my name is Sebastian, I am 18 and I am really having a tough choice in what mayor to pursue in college. I love to write music such as lyrics and would like to start composing them and recording them. I don't know how to play any instruments although I am learning how to play the piano. I can sing which is a plus for the arts schools. What major should I pursue that I can do what I love? What schools are there, like in New Jersey & New York City? I know there are majors such as music production or studio production. I really don't know what to do. Please help, I need it, desperately.</p>
<p>Just a couple brief comments from an admittedly not-so-smart (nor experienced) Dad of a S entering a conservatory next week. </p>
<p>IMHO, you might consider the idea of further developing your writing skills…perhaps through some kind of English/Composition major…rather than initially pursuing whatever it is you dream about via an undergraduate BM program.</p>
<p>Your comparative lack of experience in music-specific disciplines…meaning instrumental, and perhaps even voice (which you don’t tell us a whole lot about other than the fact that you apparently DO sing)…would seem to limit your ultimate ability to be accepted into a music Program (particularly one requiring an audition) that excites you. </p>
<p>OTOH, concurrent with work toward further honing those skills (like writing) you already possess, you’d be exposed to a University-level opportunity to kick-start the process of developing those (instrumental/vocal) you don’t. Four years from now, who knows what you can be.</p>
<p>While college is obviously among the best places to figure what you want to do and how to go about getting there, I’m not initially sure what your end game might be…again, at least initially…in pursuing one of these production disciplines when your interests at this point appear to be more purely creative. </p>
<p>Besides, there is a strong chance you’ll discover other avenues for academic/professional advancement that excite you once you arrive on campus. Oh, and for the record, I’m in no position to make any collegiate recommendations in your area of the country.</p>
<p>That said, as a father, I have empathy for you as a thoughtful young man with a dream; and FWIW, wish you the best of luck as you navigate what seems now to be these choppy personal/academic waters.</p>
<p>Maybe you could consider schools like Bennington or Sarah Lawrence, where students who are newly enthusiastic about music (or other arts) can study and progress, while also having access to many other areas of learning. Bennington has music classes open to all, regardless of instrumental or vocal experience, including opportunities for song-writing, as well as creative writing. Students follow a “plan” of interdisciplinary work as they go through their 4 years. Try googling either school and go to the music department websites.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice, I actually found at Purchase College, a major called studio composition, were you write music and record them. I still need a little guidance though, but thanks for the advice.</p>
<p>Here are the requirements for application to Purchase’s studio composition program:</p>
<p>Prescreening audition: Please submit two original pieces in contrasting styles. (by Oct. 15th)
Live audition: Please submit three original pieces, either recorded or notated conventionally and performed live.</p>
<pre><code>Live audition only: Interview with the studio composition faculty.
Applicants are expected to have basic music theory skills, including sight reading and the ability to hear and sing back intervals and chords.
</code></pre>
<p>Just want to make sure you have a realistic picture of the requirements,which may or may not be doable for you (I cannot tell from your posts). There are many paths to take, and many schools, and you will find the right one. People on here know a lot about programs and others will chime in.</p>
<p>Yes I saw this on their website. Just to be clear, the original pieces are my lyrics and when I go to the live audition I have to take 3 more. notated conventionally would mean typed right? This is good because I have been writing a lot lately. As well can the audition be a capella? As far as hearing chords and intervals and singing them back, I can handle it, it’s the music theory I need more practice in. I just love to write. Thanks for all the help</p>
<p>The requirements are referring to musical notation. Are you writing music w/lyrics, or are you writing lyrics only? Do you write your music down on manuscript paper, or do you use a computer program like Finale? Do you have pieces that have been performed and are recorded on a CD?</p>
<p>I am not familiar with studio composition and hope someone comes along to help you with questions specific to that area. Someone else asked about this Purchase program earlier this month. They wanted to know whether the compositions submitted in an application should be classical or contemporary. I really didn’t know. </p>
<p>Composition students in general submit pieces they have written that might be termed “contemporary classical,” or “concert music” that does not have lyrics. Applicants usually have to hire or find musicians to play their compositions so as to have CD’s to submit. Studio composition would seem to encompass recordings made in the studio by other means, but I plead ignorance.</p>
<p>Here is the curriculum on the website for studio composition: <a href=“Search results for • Purchase College”>Search results for • Purchase College; Purchase also has a studio production major and, of course, a composition major.</p>
<p>I am afraid that you may have a fundamental misunderstanding of the program and application process, and encourage you to call the conservatory admissions department to discuss it. At the same time, others may come on here and help out.</p>
<p>If you are interested in music (as opposed to production), then, regardless of talent or interest that you might have, you do not yet have a lot of experience, and I recommend that you apply to schools (like the ones I mentioned, but there will be some in your area that fit) that value those who are passionate about music but have not been doing it for many years and are not yet proficient. This would include an area like song-writing, which seems to be what you may want, but includes writing the music as well as the lyrics. I do not think you are conservatory-ready. You could also take a year off and work at it before applying. Check Berklee out for ideas, perhaps.</p>
<p>If you want to write lyrics only, then, as someone said, you could look into a writing program, but this would mean writing poetry, fiction and drama, and probably would not be a good fit, since you say you want to do music.</p>
<p>If you are more interested in the technical side of making music, then studio production, recording technology and other such programs (that I don’t know much about but others on here do), then that is a whole other direction. I think that Hartt School at University of Hartford in CT has a program like that, as do Northeastern and UMass Lowell in MA. And, as you found, so does Purchase! There are many possibilities for this, including state colleges and universities.</p>
<p>Don’t forget that you always have the option of working alone or with a teacher or mentors, while attending school for something else. You can also intern in a studio or other music environment.</p>
<p>Good luck and I hope someone else comes along. It is wonderful that you have found something you love to do.</p>
<p>Thank you for all of your advice, it’s been really helpful. I was actually thinking of going to college and study something else while still doing music. I was thinking Eugene Lang for example, major in Economics or Culture and Media with a minor in music. I was also thinking English or literature, but your right, it would include drama and theater. I have already contacted both lang and purchase to see how things are over there. I just want to go to a college where I can write music, start composing them and finally record them. It’s what I love the most.</p>
<p>I guess I still would like to ask if you write music with lyrics, or lyrics alone. I think it makes a difference in terms of what people here might suggest 
Good luck!</p>
<p>
compmom, I suspect that he does not read/write music notation. </p>
<p>s3bastian01, I think your best bet will to attend to a college like Eugene Lang (or maybe Sarah Lawrence) and continue your lyric writing as an extra-curricular activity.</p>
<p>I write lyrics alone, although I do create the harmonies in my mind, the problem is that I don’t know how to play any instruments. I picked up the piano but I have not master it yet. BTW this is not something I just decided to do one day, I been writing for about 5 years now, the piano is what I picked up this year because I love it and want to start composing my music. Just this morning I wrote a song.</p>
<p>Piano will be very helpful to you. You don’t need to become a proficient pianist, but knowing some piano will teach you a lot about music.</p>
<p>You don’t necessarily need to play an instrument to compose music, either. If you hear the harmonies in your head, that is a gift, and you just need to pick up the skills to put what is in your head, onto paper.</p>
<p>When you are ready, you could also purchase a student version of Finale or Sibelius, which let you write music on your computer with a playback feature. Eventually, a keyboard can be hooked to your computer and it will record what you play. You can make CD’s that way, or through Finale etc.</p>
<p>So right now, when you say you “wrote a song,” I guess you are referring to lyrics, with harmonies in your head. I’m sure you can find a way to make your songwriting work for you in several ways. You could perhaps also collaborate with musicians. And this could all be on the side while you study something else, as you mentioned, or you could become proficient enough to take classes and see where it goes.</p>
<p>Keep doing piano, just to learn about music! And five years of writing music is great, especially when you love it :)</p>
<p>Good luck in whatever you decide to do!</p>
<p>Thank you for all of your advice, you really helped me. As I am writing the lyrics, I am humming the melody, I just want to pick up the piano so I can start composing the melodies. I will go to lang and major in something and minor in music. After a couple of years I will be better in music theory and will be able to play the piano As well I just download a trail version of Finale, I am going to get the handle of hit and then buy it. I hope it will help me.</p>