<p>Hi Everyone!</p>
<p>I'm a junior flute player and vocalist who's just beginning to look at schools. I love music and want to continue to be involved with it, but I'm not sure that I want to pursue a career in music. I am also interested in small liberal arts schools where I could pursue some of my other interests. Are there schools where I could study liberal arts and music? If so, what programs are the strongest? Thanks!</p>
<p>Check the Music page at Williams College and click on admission information. You will see that the school is extremely welcoming to music majors. Although the school is known for art history and sports, it is looking to build up its performance program. One option is to play with The Berkshire Symphony Orchestra, a semi-prodessional organization. You don't need to be a music major to do this.</p>
<p>flutie: Tons of schools. Williams is a great choice, but you had better have SATs and a GPA that would get you into most Ivies since it's EXTREMELY selective. </p>
<p>Do a search here and you'll find many similar threads to help you out.</p>
<p>Are you looking for a school where you can major in music while taking some liberal arts classes, one where you can major in something else while taking flute and.or voice lessons and music classes, or one where you can get degrees in both music and another field of interest? Also, how advanced is your flute playing and singing? Do you wish to concentrate on one or the other, or do you wish to pursue both? What are some of the pieces that you play or sing really well? How long have you been taking private lessons?</p>
<p>Flutie, as BassDad said, a little more info would be helpful. And as IZ said, there are tons of schools that welcome musicians who are not majoring in it. My D was in your spot a year ago. She has since decided to major in music, at least to start out. But we began her college search looking for schools that would allow her to minor in music and/or participate as a non-major. </p>
<p>We looked at a range of schools, to help D narrow down what she wanted. Here are some things to look for when you are exploring web pages.</p>
<p>If the school's orchestra uses people from the community, then the following are probably true: a) non-majors will be welcome and b) there may be music scholarships available if you are any good at all and c) the music program is NOT very strong. We eliminated "community" orchestras from D's list. She wanted a bigger music program. The College of William and Mary is one that springs to mind that she eliminated for this reason (and they don't give music scholarships.)</p>
<p>If the school has a conservatory level music program, even if they say orchestra auditions are open to all students, it will may be pretty difficult to get very far. Ask lots of questions at this type of school. My D eventually eliminated Indiana U from her list for this reason.</p>
<p>The types of degrees - BM, BA, minor, etc, vary widely from school to school. Look at the course requirements to see exactly what each type of degree entails. For instance, at Furman, there is no minor. They consider their BA degree to be similar to many schools' minors. It is easy to double major with a BA there. D liked that option very much. They are also very welcoming to non-majors, and give music scholarships.</p>
<p>On the other hand, at Miami U of Ohio, the BA in music doesn't even have private lessons associated with it. Their minor, though, does. D is enrolled there as a performance major, with intent to double. One of a few schools that would allow her this option.</p>
<p>Another school she liked was St. Olaf. She applied there not as a music major, but only as a music participant, intending to major in something else. They are welcoming to non-majors, and a large percentage of their population in involved in the arts in some way or another. D auditioned for music scholarship, and was awarded one as a non-major.</p>
<p>If you have the stats, Emory U in Atlanta is very welcoming to non-majors, and has a ton of options for an undecided student. It is very easy to double major there, and hard working students have even successfully tripled!</p>
<p>Since D started her search not intending to major, but wanting to continue studying music, we made sure to schedule a violin lesson at each school we visited. This allowed her to meet the violin teacher, and get some specific info about how the music program worked. What we learned in person was so much more detailed than what the websites tell you.</p>
<p>Some other quirks of programs to be aware of: </p>
<p>At Allegheny, for example, they REQUIRE a major and a minor in different disciplines. Music is in their Humanities discipline, which means my D could not major and minor (or double major) in both music and languages.</p>
<p>At Bard, they require music majors to double major!</p>
<p>At another school (I can't remember which), music majors are encouraged to double with a language.</p>
<p>Hope this gives you some ideas about the process, even if you don't care for the particular schools I've mentioned. It is not as simple as: Which schools will let me do music?</p>
<p>flutie- i played the flute, and while i enjoyed it and being part of ensembles, it was just a hobby. however, i played in the concert band for all four years at connecticut college, and i was one of the few non-music majors in the band. the musicianship level was high, and i was welcomed with open arms.</p>
<p>conn also offers free music lessons to whoever is interested, private practice rooms, and a capella is VERY popular.</p>
<p>Bard also has a music major outside the conservatory which does not require a double degree.<br>
Of the strong liberal arts schools with strong music, Oberlin is probably one of the best options. About 40 students are admitted each year in the double degree program; you can major in any subject you want in the College while pursuing a B.Mus. degree at the Conservatory, but you have to apply separately to both the College and Conservatory. Williams has an excellent academic music program, but its performance program is small, which is why the Berkshire orchestra includes adults in the community to fill it out. Wesleyan could also be a good choice, as could Amherst, which has the advantage of being part of a consortium of schools, including Smith, with many student performers.</p>
<p>Lawrence is another great small college to consider. It has both a strong liberal arts program and a small music conservatory. Double majors are encouraged, with scholarships to double majors going five years. My son was accepted there, and the people we talked with there were very nice. He ended up going elsewhere, only because he decided he needed a bigger school.</p>
<p>A couple of minor corrections to what mamenyu said about Oberlin:</p>
<p>1) Double degree students can major in any College subject except Music.</p>
<p>2) While most double degree students apply separately to the College and Conservatory, it is easy to transfer into that program from the Conservatory side. Happens all the time. Getting into the Con from the College side requires the applicant to go through the full audition process and happens very infrequently.</p>
<p>Oberlin is definitely a great option, but it is an extremely hard admit on the Conservatory side for both singers and flutists. Those two departments are probably the most selective in the entire Conservatory. There are lots of musical opportunities for non-Conservatory students, however.</p>
<p>Bassdad is correct -- music history and performance would be a double major rather than a double degree.</p>
<p>Conn Colll offers FREE music lessons to anyone interested?? You pay a fortune at Williams and it's even competitive to get a teacher!</p>
<p>^^^it was when i was there</p>