My son is a junior interested in Music production and technology, thinking of Berklee College of Music. Respectable GPA (4.1 weighted) and metzo metzo test scores. He writes constantly and will have an EP out soon, as well as performing and composition experience. Plays guitar and EDI. Will attend programs at Berlkee and Interlochen this summer.
How difficult is it to get into Berklee? How much is based on the audition/audio and how much on the application? My first kid is an engineer, so I know very little about conservatories. Any info appreciated.
Do you have any budget limits?
I used to know someone who had graduated from Berklee and liked it a lot. I knew someone else who went their for two years, liked it, ran out of money, and had to transfer to U.Mass Lowell. They ended up with a degree from U.Mass. From a financial point of view they would have been better off to start at U.Mass in the first place (both U.Mass Lowell and U.Mass Amherst have very good music programs).
The people who I knew who went to Berklee went their for music performance. As such their audition mattered a lot. Both were very good. However, with the audition being so important, I do not know how we can judge a person’s chances. Music production and technology seem more academic, but I still do not know how to judge chances.
Almost all conservatories will weigh the essays and audition more than the “normal” stuff like gpa or tests. That being said, they don’t want to accept someone who got a 500 on the SAT. Your son has a good gpa and as long as his SAT isn’t awful, he should be fine, since it will come down to his talent.
They’re not big on financial aid or merit aid at Berklee. I know very talented people who’ve gotten in, but couldn’t afford it. So unless he can pay full fare, you should have some alternatives, too.
There are special threads each year by parents who have recently been through the application process for music kids - both to conservatories and to music majors at academic schools. Since your son really wants Berklee, I think that if you simply search “berklee” you will come across the relevant threads.
The Berklee app is very simple, you fill out basic info, pay the app fee (half price if he applies by Nov 1) hit send and within a week you get an audition date. You can also submit supplemental materials like videos or compositions etc
It all comes down to his audition. At the audition they reminded my S to submit his transcript, and SATs were optional (he had already sent both in).
S auditioned Dec 7 and heard by Dec 18. If your S is going to do the summer program at Berklee he will get a lot of info. If it’s the 5 week program he can even audition at the end of the program.
Lots of info on this music major group. Good luck!
Berklee is, I believe, the only school with EDI and is a great option. There are many many options for music production and technology. Be aware that the terminology for this field of study may vary, so look at websites with some depth. (UMass Lowell was mentioned and that is one affordable option.)
Here is a partial and uncompleted list. One note: Peabody started a program last year or the year before. Other schools include Northeastern, Emerson, Hartt, SUNY Purchase (relatively affordable), Clark, Ithaca, U MIchigan PAT (selective), Lamont, Columbia College, SFCM, U. of Denver, Elon, College of St. Rose, USC, NYU (expensive), UNT, Miami Frost, Belmont, and many others, including many state universities.
The thing to watch for I think is a studio focus versus a creative focus, or sometimes both. Look at Oberlin’s TIMARA and Brown’s MEME for examples of the creative compositional focus with technology.
http://www.berklee.edu/majors includes contemporary writing/production, production/design, film etc.
http://online.berklee.edu/music-production online only, of course they also have on campus
http://www.uml.edu/FAHSS/music/Programs/Undergraduate/SRT/Sound-Recording-Technology.aspx includes internships-very well regarded nationally
http://www.northeastern.edu/camd/music/academic-programs/bs-in-music-industry/ includes coop
http://www.emerson.edu/academics/departments/visual-media-arts/undergraduate-programs/audiosound-design
http://harttweb.hartford.edu/undergraduate/music/production.aspx excellent conservatory w/music production, affordable
http://www.purchase.edu/departments/AcademicPrograms/Arts/music/programs.aspx excellent conservatory w/studio composition and studio production, just outside NYC, very affordable
http://www.clarku.edu/departments/clarkarts/music/ Clark has production elements and scoring etc. but NO AUDITION- the advantage of a college / university versus conservatory/music school (but you can submit work as an arts supplement)
https://www.ithaca.edu/academics/majors-minors/sound-recording-technology-bm
https://peabody.jhu.edu/academics/degrees-programs/bm/bmrecarts/
https://smtd.umich.edu/departments/performing-arts-technology/
https://liberalarts.du.edu/lamont/academics/undergraduate-programs
https://www.colum.edu/academics/programs/music-bmus they also have
https://www.colum.edu/academics/programs/music-technology and audio arts
Elon
Carnegie Mellon
Miami Frost
UNT
USC
NYU
Ga Tech, Clemson (audio technology), Drexel, Belmont, Middle TN, Univ NC Asheville. College of St. Rose, U of Denver
Boyer @ Temple has music technology now (my kid’s roommate is majoring in it).
https://www.temple.edu/boyer/academicprograms/music-technology-component.asp
This is so helpful! Thank you!!
We are creating a list and will certainly add to it based on your suggestions. This is hugely helpful. I would love for him to look at NEU, where my older kid is studying engineering, though I don’t know if he’ll be a strong enough candidate.
Just noticed I had both Lamont and U. of Denver. Lamont is the conservatory at the U. of Denver 