I know what I want to do but I don't know where to go for it?

College Search & Selection
1

I’m an incoming senior this year, so I’ll be applying for colleges very soon. I love music but I’m not interested in being a performer- my goal is to become an artist/band manager, promoter, and/or producer. Because of that, music schools don’t really appeal to me because I’m not interested (or talented) in performing, and most of those schools require auditions. I’m more interested in the business aspect, but I still want to involve music as much as possible. (Programs like Bandier at Syracuse are the dream, but it’s highly competitive (and inconvenient given the location) and I know there are alternatives.)

From what I’ve read, my dream career path isn’t always dependent on a degree in that field, but more based on experience and internships. However, there’s nothing else I’d rather study in college so I figure I might as well make the most of my time and money.

My preferred majors are music industry/music business/music management, but those are super hard to come by, especially where I live. (I’m a permanent resident of Washington state, but a citizen of Canada, so schools in WA and BC are most convenient for me since in-state tuition will apply in both cases.) I was thinking I could at the very least major in business and minor in something music business/production-related, but it’s even hard for me to find schools that offer that much. Some schools I’m looking at and will most likely apply to are UBC, UVic, and UW Seattle/Bothell.

Basically what I’m asking is for any recommendations/suggestions for how to get where I want to go: any schools, any programs, etc in Canada or the west coast that aren’t crazy expensive and focus more on the business side of music but don’t disregard theory and composition. Or if you have any suggestions for how I can focus a business major into the music field, that’s great too. I’m not completely opposed to colleges that are elsewhere but money is still a factor and I love the west coast. I don’t mind moving after college for work purposes but I don’t feel totally comfortable uprooting everything when I’ll already be financially unstable because of tuition and the whole new living on my own thing.

If it helps to narrow down what’s more plausible, here’s some more info: ACT: 31 / SAT: 1950 / cumulative GPA: 3.7

And if nothing I’ve said makes any sense, just let me know and I’ll be happy to clarify- this is my first time posting here because I don’t know who else to go to lol. Thank you x

2

Since you’re a permanent resident fa applies to you at all privates. Usc is an obvious choice, as is Belmont ( but be aware it’s a Christian school and they take faith seriously). Look for areas that have studios - NYC, la, Atlanta for instance- and check out the colleges in the area. You don’t need a business major, you need internships, so their career centre’s vitality is most important.

3

Your stats might earn you a scholarship at Drexel, which has a good Music Business program. You would probably get merit aid at Loyola New Orleans, which is also very strong in that field.

4

@MYOS1634 @woogzmama Thank you both! Yeah, I’ve definitely been considering USC but I think it might be more of a reach school for me since it’s extremely competitive and Thorton’s programs are even more so. I’ll probably apply but I don’t know how likely it is that I’ll be accepted.

I don’t mind going to a religiously-affiliated school but if it’s heavily emphasized then I’d rather not, so Belmont is out of the question (plus Tennessee is not for me). I’ll look into Drexel and Loyola though!

I’m also looking at CSUN (although their program is for a BM rather than a BS, but I don’t think that’s a major issue for me since I played piano for seven years and I’ll be starting to learn bass guitar this year)…I’ve heard conflicting opinions on the effectiveness of their program though.

I’ve visited NYC before and I like it there but I’ve also read lots of horror stories from new students moving there so I’m hesitant, but if I can afford it and it’ll help boost my career then I’m open to it. I’m looking at schools in Chicago too because they have a music scene and several schools with similar programs.

5

Some other schools I’m looking at are:
-CUNY Baruch (Management of Musical Enterprises)
-Columbia College Chicago (Music Business Management) (I actually really like this school from what I’ve seen)

If anyone has any input or experiences with these schools please feel free to share (-:

6

CCC is an ideal safety school for any student interested in Arts/Communications/Media. It is in a great location, and had some of the nicest student housing I’ve seen. My elder son applied there, but went elsewhere. A friend’s daughter attended, and really enjoyed it. It is less expensive, for full-pay students, than private colleges like NYU or USC (or even aforementioned Drexel), but I don’t think they give out a lot of money, either. One problem I’ve heard is that students often have trouble getting into the classes they want for the majors they want.

There used to be a man who contributed regularly to the Theater/Drama Majors Forum on CC, who was an enthusiastic CCC alumnus. When my friend told me that his daughter was at CCC, he - a Columbia College (NYC) alumnus - said “It’s much cooler than Columbia College in New York.”

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CCC doesnt have financial aid though and its degrees aren’t worth getting into massive debt -it’s nowhere near USC or NYU in terms of outcomes. So, unless your family’s full pay everywhere, it’s not a very good choice. I would think Loyola or DePaul would be better choices for the Chicago area (or perhaps Lake Forest if you use their Chicago semesters for internships etc.)
CUNY Baruch is primarily commuter; they do have limited housing if you apply right away and reserve housing as soon as you hear back.
Rather than a Music Management major, you need a college with connections in the music industry. You need to reverse engineer this: Go to all the industry’s big players, contact people in RH: what jobs are there in management, what did they study, where?

8

Ryerson has an interesting program called Creative Industries which studies the business of music and media. It looks like you can specialize in music business. http://www.ryerson.ca/calendar/2014-2015/pg3596.html

9

I’ll definitely look into Ryerson, Toronto is another city I’m interested in!

Thank you all for the info on CCC, I wasn’t aware of the financial aid situation there. I don’t think my family actually applies for most financial aid anyway, though, (from past experience with my older sister- I’ll still try though, just in case) so I’ll probably poke around for scholarships.

10

I’ve done a bit more research and this is an updated list of schools I’m seriously considering:

-Syracuse (only if I manage to get into the Bandier program)
-USC (same as above, except w/ Thorton)
-Columbia College Chicago
-CUNY Baruch
-University of New Haven
-Middle Tennessee State University

I would consider Loyola, DePaul, and Belmont, but I’m an atheist and while I don’t mind learning about religion and hearing about it, I’d rather not take required religious courses.

11

As a Washington State resident, I believe you can get lower tuition at state schools in many western states in the WICHE block (http://www.wiche.edu/), so some of those schools might be worth checking out if you are concerned about cost.

You can do a quick search in categories that might be applicable to music business/production, and you can play around with more options or look at some of the schools. To get to music business/production programs, you have to filter by Visual and Performing Arts in the second selection page.

Here’s the search link: http://wue.wiche.edu/search1.jsp

None of these schools are super prestigious, but they could be good safeties or low matches.

12

Unfortunately (and surprisingly) there are not a lot of MI programs on the West Coast. USC is tops, but it’s pretty dry after that. CSUN is probably not worth your while (esp for OOS tuition) as it’s not a great school. I’ve also heard mixed things about their program, but it is audition only (sounds like you’re OK there though). University of Pacific has a MI major, but it’s more theory based than business (and it’s in Stockton). CSU Pomona also has one but same comments as CSUN - not sure of outcomes from there.

Loyola NO supposedly has a good program, and since it’s Jesuit, they will not shove it in your face like Belmont. American U in DC has a Business and Entertainment Major, where you can specialize in a music track. The program director is a really cool guy who is a stud in the music biz, and you WILL get an internship through him. It is a more traditional business degree (which may be a good thing), than other MI programs (it’s actually in the business school). It’s a new, up and comer, you should check it out. You’re on the edge of a modest merit scholarship at AU, and your regional diversity will help your case. AU admissions is huge in demonstrated interest, so if it looks like something you’d like, get to you know your regional admissions person and go see him/her when they are in the northwest.

My S is a freshman in Bandier (hence, we just went through this and I have some firsthand knowledge). The big thing for Bandier admissions is any related music industry experience you can show - it can be minor (my S did all the AV and sound in his HS for 4 yrs through Leadership), or something more substantial (actually having an internship or working in the field). Otherwise you need to have a very compelling story as to why you want to do it or be hooked with someone in the industry.

Nobody has mentioned Northeastern, which also has a good MI program, and since it is a co-op school, there is a good focus on internships and jobs. U of Miami also has one of the best MI programs, but it’s audition-only, and focuses equally on theory and business aspects. Have to also mention NYU, but it is expensive. Clive Davis is the premier program but a very difficult admit, but you can also do a Music Industry major in Steinhardt which is somewhat easier to get into.

If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me since we just went through this, I have a lot of info…

13

Maybe Berklee, in Boston?

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I think University of Miami and SUNY Oneonta both have music industry programs; a friend of mine majored in music industry at Oneonta. SUNYs are relatively inexpensive for OOS students.

However…you don’t have to major in music industry/music business to go into the music business. You could major in straight-up business, perhaps minoring in music, and try to get internships and part-time jobs at music industry companies. In that case, it might be better for you to do a business major in a major city with a music scene/business than it would be for you to do a music industry major at a college in a small town with no connections to the music industry.

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Sorry for the super late response, I’ve been busy with the school year starting up again. Thank you all SO much for your responses (-: I’ve talked to my parents about my (realistic) options and I’m going to be visiting Chicago this year to visit the Columbia College Chicago campus and see how I like the city, and maybe check out DePaul University’s Performing Arts Management major while I’m there.

@juillet I completely agree, I’m still going to consider staying in Seattle and go to school for business/music because I really do love it here and the music scene is great, plus it’s really convenient financially since I could live at home.

@thatrunnerkid Thank you so much! I actually had no idea WICHE even existed, lol

@Qwerty568 Berklee looks like an amazing school but from what I can tell, their music industry major is heavily performance-based ): Plus it’s super expensive.

@Cameron121 Thank you!! That’s super good insight, I might take you up on that offer and PM you should I need to later (-:

16

@izaebele –

Our daughter is a junior at Belmont University in Nashville, TN, double majoring in Music Business Management and Economics, with a minor in Mathematics. She has participated in two mentorship programs which have given her great networking opportunities, and is currently working part-time for a company within her chosen field while in school.

She was very focused on getting a MBU degree, and looked at Belmont, Loyola – New Orleans, Middle Tennessee State University, and University of Southern Mississippi with that major in mind. She visited all four after acceptance and decided Belmont provided the best overall opportunity of the four, at the most reasonable cost. First of all, I’ve heard many times that the three best cities for this major are NY, LA and Nashville. Networking and internships in this business are very important, and Belmont consistently has two intern positions per student looking for internships, as well as many networking opportunities. Tuition at Belmont, a private school, was about 10K less than at Loyola-NO. MTSU was somewhat cheaper, but most of the activity is in Nashville, so she would have had to have reliable transportation, and spend time commuting back and forth. Southern Miss has a newer program, and just doesn’t provide near the opportunity the other three could, however, it was a financial safety school for her.

This is one of your comments: “…I would consider Loyola, DePaul, and Belmont, but I’m an atheist and while I don’t mind learning about religion and hearing about it, I’d rather not take required religious courses…”

I know Belmont requires two religion courses, and Loyola also has a similar requirement, however, I disagree with Cameron121 that Belmont will “…shove it in your face…as opposed to Loyola…” I doubt any school will shove it in your face. I assume DePaul has a similar requirement as well. IMO, take a look at excellent programs and determine if you see yourself there, and can afford the COA, before tossing them aside because of a couple of classes.

Specifically for Belmont, since your ACT is 31 I would expect you could see a possible merit scholarship, combined with your 3.7 GPA. I think you might have the right GPA and ACT to be considered. They also consider activities, and ranking in your class if your school ranks.

Finally, Belmont has rolling admissions, so if you apply they will send you their decision within two to three weeks, and a few weeks after that you would receive a scholarship letter, if they choose to offer one to you. December 1st is their priority deadline.

Our daughter loves Belmont, so I wanted to offer my opinions, especially since you have Loyola NO and MTSU on your list, and she considered them as well. Couldn’t hurt to apply to Belmont and see what happens. You’re already willing to travel pretty far from home, and Murfreesboro and Nashville are very close to one another.

Feel free to PM me if I can help in any way. Good luck!