Thanks for the questions. We are still figuring this out (or he is). I am relatively sure he does not want to major in performance. He plays 5 instruments in three different bands at school (and will accompany groups on piano) as well as participating in some serious youth orchestra and state band. He has also arranged and conducted his music at school. He likes jazz and more modern music (i.e. Broadway, movie scores) best (he enjoys classical, but doesn’t love it). This is why I am thinking he may enjoy a strong music program that isn’t a conservatory. There is some chance he would want to major in composition.
All the suggestions are great b/c most people keep sending us (based on his ability and grades/scores) to Hopkins, Oberlin, Rice, Tufts, Rochester, etc. I think those programs are all too intense for him. That being said, I find the integrated music programs (from what I have heard) at USC and Miami interesting b/c of they seem more flexible and allow for business, computers, composing, etc as well as non-music majors. I may be completely wrong and we will look into those schools.
@beaglemom - even at schools without a conservatory almost all college music programs focus on classical music, - particularly in composition. There are exceptions, and that’s what you’ll need to look for. Certainly every college on your original list is almost exclusively serious classical study for composition. Although there may be options for courses in jazz composition and electronic music. USC’s Popular Music program is extremely competitive, and I’d be surprised if they allow students outside of the program to take classes in the program. (But I’m not an expert on that!) All the students I’ve known at USC who studied composition auditioned for entrance and pursued a BM through Thornton School of Music. Again, it is a competitive program and probably not open to the general student body. It is also a degree one pursues starting in the very first semester. On the other hand, I know an Engineering student who minored in jazz. (Sax player.)
I feel your son will be happiest in a program that allows him to explore all sorts of areas, without focusing exclusively on one. These will be programs at colleges where there are few music students pursuing a BM or its equivalent, on whom most of the resources are focused.
Tufts, Emory, Bard College, Vassar, Swarthmore, Williams, Wesleyan, Clark, Skidmore, Colorado College, the Claremont Colleges - these are examples of schools known for strong music departments where your son could explore to his heart’s content. And I’m sure there are plenty more. Perhaps what you need to do is look for colleges for all his other interests and requirements, then check out what courses & ensemble opportunities are offered in the music department, and available to both majors and non-majors.
Most of the colleges listed above have strong programs in world music, jazz, and electronic music (modern classical avant-garde.)
If he just wants to focus on music, he might want to look at Berklee. They have a wide variety of majors that would allow him to study many different aspects of music https://www.berklee.edu/majors
Hamilton has a good, if underrated, music department, and an open curriculum which would make it relatively straightforward to both double major specifically and explore academically generally.