Music composition - where to look?

Graduate School
1

<p>All right, I'm going to be applying to several graduate programs in music for this winter. I have planned out which top programs I will apply to, but I am unsure about where I should apply to in terms of safety schools. Below is most of the information I think will be needed to place myself in terms of the programs. </p>

<p>Of course, since graduate work in music is highly focused on student-teacher relations, I am just trying to figure out what sorts of schools may be willing to accept me. Most of the schools that my composition teacher is currently naming are considered top-tier schools, and he refuses to believe that I need a safety school. I've talked to several other composers on campus, and they seem to think about the same. Of course, wanting to cover all bases (and being a titch paranoid), I'm still trying to search for a mid-level program or three to apply to as well.</p>

<p>GRE:
Verbal: 690
Math: 800
Writing: 4.5</p>

<p>Degrees: BA in Music Theory, BS in Chemistry - Case Western Reserve U.
GPA: 4.00 Music, 3.50 Chemistry, 3.69 overall</p>

<p>My style of writing is sort of conservative, somewhat of an amalgamation of early 20th-century pantonality and early ideas of serialism. </p>

<p>I'm currently set on Michigan, Penn, and Princeton as top schools (and possibly also UC Berk). I'd prefer nonconservatory schools, preferably toward the Ph.D/MA side, but not exclusively. Any suggestions in terms of where I might start looking?</p>

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<p>As a non-music Berkeley student whose taken some music classes, I can tell you that the composition professors here seem like extremely nice people. The grad students seem happy and the facilities are awesome. I'm not sure if there's somebody in the department who matches your interest though.</p>

3

<p>At one point, Berkeley was very high on my list of probable schools. The only reason I'm still not as high on it as I was before is that all the schools that I -have- been looking at are probably slight reaches for me, Berkeley included - it's probably not a good idea to have several schools that I'm not entirely sure I can get into.</p>

<p>Thanks for the input though, I might take a longer look at Berkeley now.</p>

4

<p>any new ideas on graduate schools for music composition? Particularly in North East USA???</p>