<p>My son, a rising senior, is interested in majoring in music, focusing on composition and theory. He (and we) are interested in a BA rather than a BM, because we really want him to have a broad liberal arts education, as well as the ability to decide against majoring in music, or double majoring. So, we're not looking at places where the only available music major is a BM. (This has eliminated a number of places that were on our preliminary list, like Vanderbilt, Hopkins and Maryland). We also aren't looking at dual enrollment programs, again because the broad liberal arts education part is important to us.
So, the goal is somewhere that has a strong undergraduate music major, including composition--but is not a conservatory. He wants a university setting, preferably in a decent-sized city or town. Tops on our list right now are Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Brown, Tufts, Chicago, Columbia, Duke, perhaps Penn. He has the academic credentials to make these places plausible, but I think he needs a couple more schools a few tiers down, as well as an academic safety (that was supposed to be Maryland). As for his music credentials, he hasn't been composing that long and doesn't have a lot of credits, but he is at BUTI this summer and should have a good admissions supplement. He plays jazz piano, guitar, and clarinet, but is not primarily interested in performance.
I'd appreciate any thoughts about the schools mentioned above, and any others that we should consider. Thanks!
P.S. I've read the old threads on this, and many were helpful, but there wasn't a whole lot about non-conservatory programs.</p>
<p>Look into Cornell, Williams, Swarthmore, and Bard College (not the conservatory.) They all have very strong composition. Michigan and Northwestern offer a degree that is not a BM in their music schools. Many of the ones on your list are more oriented towards graduate students. Also the musical style of the composition departments listed varies widely. He needs to do a lot more investigation into the professors at these programs, and think seriously about what direction in classical music he's interested in pursuing.</p>
<p>I'm having trouble getting him to look at LACs, and he is resistant to Cornell because of the location, but I'll get him to look. As for Northwestern, I'm curious about the program with both BA and BM in the same department--I wonder if the BAs would be seen as second-class citizens.</p>
<p>The advantage of the liberal arts colleges over the universities for composition is that there are no grad students - which means the undergrads will actually get opportunities for their music to be played - even before they're Juniors. They will also get the attention from the professors.</p>
<p>When I was applying for school in composition, my professors strongly urged me to look at Michigan for a BA. The program is superb, not sure about the over reaching style, but the quality of faculty and students is high. </p>
<p>I have a friend at Colombia who says he doesn't get a chance to write very much since his time is occupied with the general curriculum. </p>
<p>There's been plenty of discussion on Yale's undergrad music quirks, so if you haven't already, you should check that out.</p>
<p>Also, depending on your sons style, and his preference on local, he might want to look at UC Berkley's music dept. Its faculty's work is on the experimental side, but the academics are top notch and the campus is lovely.</p>
<p>Anyway, just a thought.</p>
<p>Look at Sarah Lawrence.</p>
<p>The BA/BM issue will be big here. S is a young (14) rising junior, pianist, whose learning style needs a lot of personal interaction with teachers. He will definitely need an environment where faculty are available outside formal hours. Is this going to factor into a LAC vs. conservatory decision? LACs and honors colleges offer faculty accessibility as a core value, but I keep hearing about many music performance faculty having multiple jobs and traveling a lot to perform. I'm inclined towards a BA program for the same reasons as Hunt, but do you think this would be a specific reason to lean towards the LAC setting?</p>
<p>I think the availability of the teacher will really depend on the teacher him/herself. It is not unusual for instrumental teachers to only be available 1-2 days a week, teach at multiple schools, or be active performers who travel a lot. However, some instrumental teachers are very much tied to one school and have a full studio to which they are very much devoted. These kinds of teachers are found across the gamut, so choosing between an LAC or university or conservatory will not make much difference in that regard. </p>
<p>A BA degree is different from a BM. Students who pursue a BA at schools that also offer a BM MAY find that they do not have as much access to teachers as the BM students. (Notice the emphasis on may. This is really going to vary by teacher and school.) If your son is interested in pursuing piano as either a BM or BA student and if he has specific needs, it will be important for him to meet different teachers, take a lesson with them and assess what kind of a fit they would be for you son.</p>
<p>At Cornell University the undergraduate music majors get to study with the same professors as the graduate students and several of the undergraduate students audit the graduate classes. Also, there is a composing club for the undergraduates funded and supported by the University that plays the undergraduates’ compositions and records them. Now the participants in the composing club even get a college credit from the music department. Students and teachers usually volunteer to play the compositions. The music department supports this undergraduate program and usually many of the teachers, grad students, friends and family attend the concerts.</p>
<p>For a composer in a BA program, it can be harder to find musicians to play your pieces, but the practice being entrepreneurial can be valuable.</p>
<p>Our daughter loves Harvard’s music classes, and likes that she can work a lot on her own. She does composition lessons and classical guitar outside of Harvard, but, this year, is getting credit for some of that work. She will have to arrange for her musicians, herself. She is very happy with the music program there.</p>
<p>Tufts has a great new music building, the department is excellent, and a large percentage of students participate in music. There is a composition seminar, with concerts, musicians are provided, and the concerts are recorded. The professor who teaches the seminar is great.</p>
<p>Bard is a great suggestion. We know a very talented composer who is studying biology there, but works with Joan Tower in composition. Bard has a 5 year double degree program, but the BA students must also have some opportunities in music, apparently.</p>
<p>Sarah Lawrence is another good suggestion. How about Clark University in Worcester?</p>
<p>This thread has kind of jumped forward in time, but I can give a report. My son is a freshman at Yale, and he’s having a good experience with the composition program, so far. They have a composition seminar, and he’s had lessons with two different faculty members (although some of the students are getting lessons with grad students). There are good opportunities to get pieces played, although it does help to be entrepreneurial.</p>
<p>Can’t resist bumping this old thread–my son is now a senior, and is travelling today (to Texas) for an interview for a master’s program in composition–he has other interviews coming up as well. How time flies! Thanks again to all those who provided us advice, beginning with advice about summer programs when he was a junior in high school.</p>
<p>Keep us posted on the graduate school search and experience! There are a bunch of us on here who I suspect will be learning more about that ourselves in the next few years…</p>
<p>So true SpiritManager. Hunt, sorry we can’t provide you better weather in Texas today. Good luck to your son!</p>