<p>I have read past posts on this board that are highly critical of the music program at Fordham. Does anyone have any perspective on the current state of things? Would it be difficult to do a music major/business minor? Or double major with business? I do realize it is a BA, not a conservatory. Thanks for any input.</p>
<p>Well…perhaps a student can chime in. But from our experience, Music is largely a music history kind of thing at Fordham. Their choir is quite good. The orchestra is very mediocre. One of their professors, a real gem, died a few years ago from a sudden illness. Music is one of the options for the arts part of the core curriculum and lots of kids take music history or jazz history or opera history. </p>
<p>Jesuit colleges are not strong in music. Further, music professors everywhere tend to be tough graders and quirky. </p>
<p>I would recommend a music minor. Dont worry about committing to a major now anyway. Lots to see and study before then and see if another department grabs your interest. </p>
<p>For any performance related music major, I would recommend a conservatory or a really well known strong program like Indiana or Furman or similar places. </p>
<p>Double majoring is common…but what is more common is a strong major and a minor in something like business (dont have to be in Gabelli to minor). </p>
<p>Fordham is very strong in languages, political science, philosophy, sociology, english lit, american studies, catholic studies and some country/regional area studies, and international political economy. History is also extremely strong with amazing faculty. Getting stronger in sciences…the Provost is an Environmental Science PhD…and Fordham has its own biology nature lab on several acres in Armonk New York
So you come to Fordham and fulfill your personal interest by taking a few music courses and playing in the orchestra, with a small stipend they give you, but major in something really strong.</p>
<p>I know a music major at a strong southern school who was miserable…and ended up majoring in economics and was happier. Just my two cents on the topic.</p>
<p>I believe that you can take some music classes now at Julliard, across from the Lincoln Center Plaza. I don’t know the details</p>
<p>^^^^ the details of that ramray are that you must be accepted into Julliard to do that…at least for the purposes of taking those courses. I dont think they take anybody who walks in the door.</p>
<p>My D was hooked into a private instructor at RH for continuing lessons - on tranacript no credit, and participates in the band program. Not a music major but she sure would have liked the time to do so</p>
<p>^^^ the sad truth for MOST high school kids with very good to excellent, but not conservatory level, music skills is it falls by the wayside at undergraduate colleges. That is the fact of life. I have seen it over and over and over. VERY EXPERIENCED in this through Youth Symphony for YEARS UPON YEARS.</p>
<p>There are some exceptional schools of music at some colleges that are not conservatories, but being a music major is an undertaking few have the time (or talent) to withstand…and the grade deflation in that business is simply horrific. Seen it over and over and over…which is why SO MANY CHOOSE OTHER MAJORS.</p>
<p>(I am talking performance music majors, such as strings or woodwinds etc.) </p>
<p>That being said, Fordham’s orchestra is mediocre at best…and while some improvements have been made, its got a lot of work to do.</p>
<p>Some kids, like yours, go outside and join local ensembles, or get outside lessons. But most just drop and focus on liberal arts. I could name 10 kids at Fordham I know who did that. </p>
<p>I am a Fordham fanatic. But I will tell it like it is. And in my humble opinion, they need to do more and make “some changes.” A lot of kids simply want to play for enjoyment and relaxation and a healthy distraction, but have zero intention of becoming professionals, or becoming a high school music teacher (which in any regard they would need a music education degree which Fordham does NOT offer.) </p>
<p>So I tell kids/parents…if you are serious about music and either conservatory level (then go THERE, not Fordham), or high level music major (then go elsewhere…but not Fordham.) </p>
<p>There was a talented professor of music at Fordham who died a few years ago, suddenly from catastrophic illness. The rest of the department is all caught up in jazz theory and music history and really not worth the trouble other than fulfilling an interest and the core requirements. </p>
<p>There is only one Jesuit college worth anything in Music anyway and that is Loyola New Orleans, from what I know. </p>
<p>I also know kids who went to prestigious state and private colleges who did major in music and then stopped playing after they graduated. Why? They had to find work and most either went into graduate work in another field, sometimes even law school, or found a job at some company. The music industry/profession is brutal. Its so competitive its shocking. Even people from prestigious conservatories like Curtiss in Philadelphia and Berklee in Boston and Julliard in New York have trouble finding full time professional work…and have to piece together gigs or give lessons on the side…starving artists. </p>
<p>As much as I enjoy outstanding orchestral music…and I do…and have fond memories of Youth Orchestras that performed simply amazing pieces of work that brought the house down and tears to our eyes…I tell kids…find another major or another school.</p>
<p>Excellent, honest and accurate post, sovereigndebt</p>