Is Berklee College Of Music worth attending for a prospective songwriting major? I was accepted to Berklee for the Fall 2020 semester, but I want to make sure I make an educated choice regarding college. I want to be happy and hopefully sell my songs to music licensing companies. I don’t want to sacrifice my other interests though.
@lilybr You’re really the only person who can answer that question. What will your COA be at Berklee, relative to others schools with reputable songwriting programs? Will you own your work product when you graduate? From what I understand, songs/music written, produced and recorded at Berklee by students are owned by those students. Is that the case everywhere? What are your other interests, and can you pursue them at others schools? Can you pursue those interests at Berklee?
In the end you’re the only one who can decide if any program is worth it. Best of luck to you!
I cannot comment on Berklee or songwriting, just “worth it” in a financial sense. Don’t go into huge debt to attend any university. A little debt, ok perhaps, if it is a school that offers exceptional opportunities and is your dream. But in general, assess the financial aid package offered and compare to resources. If there is a huge gap, think hard. Also look at people who are doing what you want to do. Read their bios and see what paths they have followed. For example, looking at Met Opera finalists shows that the undergraduate schools of winners (highly successful singers) are all over the place. Their grad school experiences tend to cluster in places like CCM or SFCM but even then, people are successful from very diverse educational backgrounds. So it may not matter or be “worth it” if you are a singer to sell your firstborn child to attend Julliard as an undergraduate. Perhaps you want to be a classical French horn player at a major orchestra. There, you might find 80% of the current players came from a few select schools. That would suggest to reach your goal you might consider going to the high powered school and taking on some ( but not alot) of debt. These are hypothetical examples but might get you to think about outcomes in a different way. Good luck.
I don’t think that there can be a clear overall answer that applies to everyone.
There are two critical issues here. The most important is probably: What is your budget? Another issue is: What do you want to do?
The Berklee College of Music is what it’s name implies: A great college for people who want to study music. It is probably a bad place to study anything else. They will understand quite a bit about the commercial aspects of song writing, in addition to the various musical aspects. They are strong at a relatively wide range of types of music.
The Berklee College of Music is relatively expensive. You should not go there unless you are certain that you will be able to pay for a full four years and graduate with your degree. You do not want to get half way through and run out of money. I used to have a guitar teacher who had gotten half way through and ran out of money. He needed to give a lot of guitar lessons to pay off his student loans.
I think that it is probably a mistake to take on loans to learn how to be a song writer. This is too hard an industry to break into for you to try to do so with debt hanging over you.
What other options do you have? Will you need to take out loans to attend Berklee for a full four years?
@MusicSchoolSeeker Hi, thanks for your comment! I totally agree- every college is what you make of it. I’ve definitely heard that it is the case for Berklee as well. I am interested in both music (songwriting, performance) and English (communications, journalism, creative writing…I love to write). Students can only receive degrees in music from Berklee. At first, I was very attracted to this prospect, but I have become more hesitant to embrace it due to the interests and breadth of career paths I would be giving up. What is a COA by the way? Just curious- did you attend music school?
@songbirdmama Hi! Thanks for your comment. Cute username by the way! To summarize; you believe there are many different paths you can take to achieve your goals - many of which do not have to include highly specific and competitive schools. Is this the general gist of your message? Currently, I write my own songs for myself, but I have an overall goal of selling my work to publishing companies. I would love to write (songwriting or otherwise) as a full-time job. I would mainly be arranging for rock/folk tunes. Would it make more sense for a classically trained musician to attend in order to get the full benefits of the Berklee curriculum? Also, money isn’t a huge issue. My parents have been very supportive throughout the college decision process, which I am extremely grateful for. I am more asking if Berklee is ‘worth it’ in respects to the education you are receiving, and if it is a healthy environment for a person such as myself.
@DadTwoGirls Hey! Thanks so much for your response. Very wise words. Finances are not a huge issue in the college decision process, and I would have enough to cover the full four years in tuition, which I am extremely thankful for. I am considering a number of other schools, including Bard, which offers a 5-year program for a BA in music, and a BA in another field. Ideally, I would like to publish and receive compensation for the songs I am putting out, but just gigging and being in a band would be amazing too. I have so many different interests and giving up my love for liberal arts is my main concern for attending Berklee.
My point was really to the finances, but if you have a love for liberal arts, that should definitely figure into your selection process.
@lilybr if finances aren’t an issue and you have good stats, have you applied to schools like USC? There you would be able to pursue contemporary music/songwriting and also get a journalism degree or a great liberal arts education. Sorry I suppose this is moot now as the general application deadline is past ( although I believe they have spring admission?). It seems like Bard might fit your interests better than. Berklee. But Berklee also has dual degree programs with Tufts and Harvard-- not sure of you can apply to that program once you’ve started at Berklee.
You can be a songwriter without going to music school for that! So a good solid education at a school with music might be best.
Good luck with your decision.
@lilybr COA is cost of attendance. This is a reference to the financial piece of the discussion. It seems that you’re fortunate enough to have the freedom of making your college choice without having to factor In affordability. Congrats! That truly is a gift.
Based on your other interests, combined with your responses to comments here, it really sounds like you should explore colleges or universities with music programs vs. music schools (like Berklee). There is a “right” school out there for everyone. Trust yourself, listen to your inner voice & you will make the right decision!
If cost/debt is not a factor, here are a few things to keep in mind:
1.) You get ONE shot at a college education. Make the most of it for you.
2.) Don’t fall victim to the “golden ticket fallacy”…meaning there is only one music school that can make all your dreams come true. There are actually a good number of excellent music schools…all with varying degrees of liberal arts courses.
3.) Where would you be happiest? Happiness matters a great deal in college. Without happiness, growth/inspiration is pretty difficult.
Take a look at the semester by semester curriculum for each school and degree. If you can’t find it on-line, email and request it. Looking at how you will be spending your time each day/week may help you decide.
Have you read the Double Degree Dilemma essay posted closer to the top of this forum. It is really about the different ways to pursue music during the undergrad years.
Are you sure you even need to major in music? Would lessons and extracurricular performance work for you? Then you could do a BA in English and music “on the side.” That is one option, at the other end of the spectrum from, say, a conservatory BM.
In between there is double major, double degre, major/minor.
I know several young people who studied something else entirely, and went on to success at gigging. I also know several, maybe most, who had some other “day job” and did their music on the side, some incredible musicians who nevertheless had a stable job.
It depends on what you want, and what you want may change over the years too 
You can apply to many different types of programs and decide in late April
Honestly from what your write, Berklee doesn’t seem like the best fit…
ps too late but schools like Bennington, Sarah Lawrence, Vassar and, yes, Bard might fit the bill…at Bard you could do a BA or a double degree…