<p>I was recently looking at music school ensemble offerings and found that very few offer anything more contemporary than a jazz ensemble. Would it possible to list schools that you all know of that do have some sort of funk, fusion, rock, alternative, or latin ensembles?</p>
<p>The best school I've seen for this so far is Miami offering a rock ensemble, a contemporary music ensemble, two rock bands, a funk/fusion ensemble, and a TON more. </p>
<p>Are there any other schools you know of that offer these types of ensembles? </p>
<p>Are you looking for a degree program or a participatory experience? </p>
<p>These are the major “contemporary/rock” titled threads. Most of the major programs will also have info in school name specific threads. You can also look for threads by the posters SteveM. and raddad.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for digging all those old threads up, however, I’m not so interested in the program as I am the ensembles offered. I have looked extensively at both jazz and contemporary programs/degrees.</p>
<p>USC popular music performance program is built for the type of music you are describing. There is a performance class where they put you in groups for the class. These groups perform pubilcly for their final. They do not have school organized ensembles that perform outside of that class, but the kids in the program seem to prefer putting together their own groups and performing, not being in the “USC Funkathons” or a school organized pop music band. They get great input on musicianship and performance in the classes, but most 19-22 year olds in that program probably don’t really want a 40 year old in creative control of their band. Let me know if I can give any insight I have gleaned having a son in the program. Best Wishes.</p>
<p>Thanks so much raddad. USC’s pop music degree is a pretty cutting edge thing. It would be cool to see that kind of major poping up at schools like Indiana, Oberlin, etc…</p>
<p>I know Berklee is the meca for that sort of thing. other then that, i’ve heard both NYU and the New School have contemporary ensembles available, I know (from expereince) Loyola University New Orleans has a (as in, like 1 or 2) contemporary ensemble, but its more for music industry majors then performance or jazz studies majors (some of them are great musicians, others aren’t but the people in that program should not be written off for having a non-performance major) and University of the Arts has various contemporary ensembles, as do USC and Miami as already mentioned.</p>