Music Composition School?*

College Majors Music Major
1

<p>Hello :)</p>

<p>I have done A LOT of reading on this site, but I haven't yet found what I'm looking for.</p>

<p><em>Note: I posted this question in another forum, but I realized it was probably better off in this one</em></p>

<p>Quick About Me:__________________________________________________________</p>

<p>I am a Music Composition major currently at a 2-year college in Southern California looking to Transfer to a 4 year University or Conservatory.</p>

<p>I feel apprehensive about most Music Composition programs that I have researched. I compose music that is equally influenced by "New Music" as it is by Popular Music. Most departments I have looked into seem to focus on Traditional tonal music, Avant-guard classical, or jazz, none of which interest me strictly speaking.</p>

<p>I compose both electronic music as well as music for traditional instruments. I am interested in scoring Theatre productions (which i have done at my college) and in producing albums of my own work.</p>

<p>My Question:____________________________________________________________</p>

<p>I think that CalArts would be perfect for me, given the diversity of my interests and their openness to all genres. But I don't want to put all of my eggs in one basket. </p>

<p>Are there other schools that have the same open attitude that CalArts does? I would especially love to find somewhere less selective than CalArts that still suits me. And something relatively close (West-Coast?) would be helpful too.</p>

<p>Thanks for your time! I look forward to your feedback :)</p>

2

<p>Look into USC’s program. They’ve hired three new generation composers starting this year and next - Ted Hearne, Andrew Norman, and Sean Friar. They’re all comfortable with a lessening of divisions between all the genres. Sean Friar is also teaching at UCLA.</p>

3

<p>I am not really clear on what you are looking for. I think it is a matter of terminology. For instance, you say you write music that combines elements of “new music” and “popular music” but reject “avant-garde classical,” which, in my mind, forms a portion of “new music.”</p>

<p>Maybe you could describe your music a little more?</p>

<p>What composers do you like?</p>

<p>What are your goals? To make a living, through commercial music or teaching, to develop in a PhD program, etc?</p>

<p>Do you want to focus on electronic or do both acoustic and electronic composition? How are your tech. skills?</p>

<p>Have you done two years of theory and music history, where you are? Will those classes be credited at a new school?</p>

<p>Do you want/need to stay in California? Spirit Manager knows CA. I know of these, in terms of what you might want for composition: USC (has grad film scoring program), Cal Arts, UCSD (avant-garde), Berkeley, Long Beach (Know someone there and liking it), Mills (grad is good, don’t know about undergrad, good with electronics), Sonoma State (great summer program there), Santa Clara University (good music department).</p>

<p>For composition, you can often go to any liberal arts college or university. You don’t need a conservatory unless you want that kind of focus. So consider schools you would like for other reasons, such as location or vibe, and check out their music dept. website. You can choose a BA or BM. This might be helpful:
[Double</a> Degrees | Peabody Conservatory](<a href=“http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/conservatory/admissions/tips/doubledegree.html]Double”>http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/conservatory/admissions/tips/doubledegree.html)</p>

<p>If you can give more information, we can help more. In the meantime, websites are your best resource. Look at courses, dsitribution requirements, and listen to music by faculty. Most of all don’t assume that composition is limited in ways that you imagine, at certain schools. Most will offer classical theory and traditional music history, but many will have more freedom in compositional aesthetics than you might expect.</p>

<p>And, You can always study composition in lessons outside of school and/or compose the music you want to compose outside of class and get it played. You can do this whether or not you even major in music. There are lots of possibilities.</p>

4

<p>University of Missouri Kansas City - If you want to try it they have a good 1 week music composition camp in June. They have a Pulitzer prize winner there. My S is a Jr and has went to thier camp the last 2 years.</p>