<p>In general, how are the music programs at Penn?</p>
<p>Quite good in spite of the University.</p>
<p>Although they are at long last being given their due with a new music building under construction (recession be damned!)</p>
<p>The music programs are one of the strongest offerings in the humanities at Penn. The department was ranked in the top 10 by the NRC PhD rankings (admittedly very old at this point). The department has recently hired a handful of world class faculty members, including a top musicologist from Harvard. The staffing is quite strong overall.</p>
<p>Penn also has a number of music performance groups on campus. Also check on Penn Sounds, from the library. The new building will make it more exciting to study there.</p>
<p>There is also a relationship with the Curtis Institute in Center City, Philadelphia. Curtis is arguably the top music conservatory in the US, and is well placed to fill an potential holes in Penn’s musical offerings.</p>
<p>thanks for your help! but just to clarify, Penn’s concert band and overall music program is fairly good and their marching band is nothing special?</p>
<p>Their marching band is a scramble band. Lots of fun, but definitely not a marching band.</p>
<p>There are lots of opportunities for music at Penn - orchestra and concert band, for instance. There’s also a program that lets you take music lessons right from your own college house.</p>
<p>Stop talking out of your bums. Who among you is actually a music major who has completed most of the degree?</p>
<p>Take this from a music major (and principal player) at Penn:</p>
<p>The Department is atrocious. For starters, the musicians are dreadful and the orchestra/wind ensemble (i.e. concert band) is run by an insufferable moron. No one prepares for rehearsal and most of the time is spent learning pitches. The band is the same way, but infinitely worse. It’s embarrassing. </p>
<p>The theory program is run by lunatics who seem to think that objective analysis exams should be replaced by composition assignments and papers. It’s not a theory program, it’s a strict composition program taught by composers and graded as such, which is completely inappropriate and contrary to the conservatory method of theory pedagogy. We’re graded as composers and the whole curriculum is a colossal style-study and imitation exercise without any real learning.</p>
<p>The music history program is strong, but is watered down by required courses in American pop and world music that take the place of meaningful history classes. These courses may sound interesting, but they’re a load of nonsense and mickey mouse work that spend no time on real musical study.</p>
<p>Bottom line: If you want training in the theory, analysis, history, and performance of Western classical music in the tradition of the conservatories (i.e. Juilliard, Curtis, etc.), get as far away as you can. </p>
<p>If you want a watered down degree in general music and to study with people who lack basic musicianship and musical literacy, by all means apply. The BAs in music I’ve encountered have no viable intention of continuing in music professionally and frankly lack the means to do so even if they wanted to. </p>
<p>The program lacks solid leadership and seems to be run by people who have never had conservatory-level training anywhere. It’s been a major source of frustration for me and I regret transferring from USC Thornton School of Music very much.</p>
<p>*As for the Curtis/Penn relationship, it’s limited and isn’t a dual degree program. You can take a few courses, but that’s it.</p>
<p>wow ^^^ ididnt know it was that bad…
but im no professional here, nor ever plan to be. if i end up at penn i’ll be studying econ/math, but i would like to continue with my music as a hobby, particularly at an orchestra. are such programs only open to music majors or can others be in bands(i dont mean the scramble band) /orchestras/ensembles as well?</p>
<p>wayward_trojan clearly knows what he is talking about, and has stong feelings. I ought to report, however, that my son’s best friend since forever is a sophomore maybe music major at Penn, and he describes it completely differently. He has adored his music classes. He thinks he is getting real learning, especially in analysis and theory. He likes the orchestra and respects (without really liking) the director. He is a multi-instrumentalist who was accepted at a number of conservatories, and he earns decent beer money as a musician (more in the summer when he can take more jobs). His parents are both serious musicians, too – his mother a full-time piano teacher, his father a very talented amateur, and music is really what they do – and they are totally enthusiastic about their son’s experience at Penn.</p>
<p>What about ensembles for non-music majors? I would like pursue orchestra as a hobby in college (without the intensity of practicing 4+ hours a day) Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Ensembles can be great for non-majors, but don’t register for them as classes unless you want a B (specifically orchestra or wind ensemble). Chamber music is always a good option.</p>
<p>JHS:</p>
<p>Who’s your son’s best friend? What does he play?</p>
<p>Though I am not a music major, wayward_trojan pretty much hits it. I don’t know of ANY Penn Students who are majoring solely in music. If they are music majors, they are also Math/Econ/Biology/Language-of-some-sort/etc. majors. The music program is weak to say the least.</p>
<p>Penn does not require students to take courses for credit in order to continue music performance/education, though. The Performing Arts Council (PAC) controls all student organizations which involve the performing arts. These groups are separated into Dance (DAC), A Capella (ACK), Theater Arts (TAC-e) and Singers, Musicians and Comedians (SMAC). There are several jazz combos around campus (none of which, unfortunately, are tremendously good), there is the marching band, and there are some others as well. The music department does offer orchestras and wind ensembles, which you may take for credit or for fun.</p>
<p>To be honest, my high school’s pep band was better than the Penn Marching Band (I’m in the Glee Club, and we hear the Penn Band rehearsing every Monday… granted, my high school band was phenomenal, but the Penn Band is really just not too terribly good…)</p>
<p>In general, performing arts at Penn are made up of people with an moderate amount of talent. Very few graduates go into the performing arts for a living, and honestly one of my gripes with the system Penn has set up, there are so many different organizations that the best talents typically go to groups which have very few talented members so that they may stand out. If you were to have the members of the 14 a capella groups be widdled down to one group of fourteen members, it would be fantastic; however right now, there are a lot of mediocre groups, a couple (frankly) atrocious groups, and no truly GOOD groups. If you look up Straight No Chaser out of Indiana University, you will see what would happen if Penn’s a cappella groups were reduced into one. They are TALENTED, and coincidentally there are not all that many groups at IU.</p>
<p>So basically, the groups are fun for the most part, and some are even pretty good, but none are absolutely tremendous.</p>
<p>how difficult is it to double major in music and something? i’m probably going to do BBB (pre-med) and music. or i’ll minor in it if the double major is too difficult.</p>
<p>also, is it hard to get opportunities as a piano player? i’m interested in solo and chamber music, but i’m also interested in “collaborative piano” aka accompanying.</p>
<p>i also play oboe and flute and will probably join the penn band on flute because i won’t feel bad about being bad at flute…haha. penn band kids get to go to games and stuff for free, right?</p>
<p>p.s. chrisw, i have a friend in glee club.
p.p.s. off the beat is EXCELLENT imo</p>
<p>Music major will be hard as far as theory and ear training go (assuming you have no experience yet). The minor is very easy, though.</p>
<p>thanks wayward_trojan!!
i hope having perfect pitch will pull me through ear training because i absolutely SUCKKKK at rhythmic dictation…it’s going to be a long road…</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>is it…Wogan??</p>
<p>Yeah I’d agree that especially with a BBB major and premed minor, it’d be hard to do a music major, but not impossible. </p>
<p>Music minor is pretty easy to get, I think. The intro theory courses are, apparently, pretty easy, so yeah.</p>
<p>Who do you know in Glee Club? You know, we’re ALWAYS looking for accompanists… </p>
<p>Playing piano gives you a lot of opportunities in different areas around campus. Just gotta find them. I have to say, piano is one instrument at which Penn has an abundance of talent.</p>
<p>And you know, I saw OTB perform, and though they’re good, they weren’t as impressive as people said they were. Again, I’m coming from a high school with a lot of talent, and my best friend goes to a school with a band the size of our nursing school. haha</p>
<p>ahh. i want to accompany the glee club next year!</p>
<p>i’m on FB and CC at the same time, and i’m looking at the glee club guy’s page.
apparently you called him a commie nutjob (assuming ilovebagelss’ guess is correct). that’s friend i was talking about. haha. i feel like such a pro stalker…</p>
<p>ahaha I also have perfect pitch and terrible rhythm</p>
<p>Forget OTB, it’s all about the Pennsylvania Six-5000! wooooo!!</p>