<p>I am not a music major but I am very involved in music currently (All-State Musician, play both Saxophone and Flute at a high school with one of the best music programs in the Midwest). I am used to a pretty high level of performance, my high school has sent bands in the past 10 years to Midwest Jazz and Orchestra Clinic (2 times), Essentially Ellington Jazz Contest in NYC (2 times), Illinois Superstate Contest (10 times), Monterey Jazz Fest (California)(2 times), Honor Band at Purdue Jazz Festival (3 years), etc. We sent 16 players to all state this year and average 14 over the last 10 years.</p>
<p>I am looking at the following colleges and wondered at the strength of their music programs, some have very little to no programs, while others, (st olaf and luther) have some of the best in the country.</p>
<p>How would you rank the following schools and what level of music do they play at?</p>
<p>Beloit College
Knox College
Grinnell College
Bowdoin College
St. Olaf College
Cornell College
Luther College</p>
<p>Thank You!!!!</p>
<p>St. Olaf and Luther are both excellent, well known and well supported programs. </p>
<p>The others will serve an avocational musical student, or one wanting to study with a particular applied faculty member, but I would expect a range of talent and possibly a lack of peer depth (in comparison) in some instruments. Whether these programs will serve your needs is contingent upon what you want, need and expect from a participatory experience.</p>
<p>The best way to put a handle on it is look at performance rep over a few seasons, venues, or talk to current participants. If you visit and music will be an important part of your college experience, schedule time with the music department to ask questions, view facilities, and try to attend a rehearsal (as a spectator or participant) or see a performance.</p>
<p>I would not necessaily judge quality by a a recorded sample on a website. That it is not always indicative of the typical level of play, or could well be a number of years old. In smaller programs, the peer group can vary widely.</p>
<p>I have had two children attend Beloit College. One played violin and one played cello and both began as preschoolers in Suzuki. By high school they were very accomplished players and their high school has a very high level orchestra with a renowned director. Neither of them wanted to go into music professionally, but both enjoyed playing throughout college. They each received very nice music scholarships at Beloit. I think they both enjoyed the orchestra at Beloit, and there were some other good players (and also mediocre players) at the times they were at Beloit. But the best thing to do is find out is to try to listen to a concert and talk to current students.</p>
<p>Thank you for your responses I know the Knox Jazz Band is very good and a professor at the college directs the knox galesburg symphony (a semi-professional group) that students are able to join.</p>
<p>A friend of mine who went to Beloit whom also when to my high school told me that the music level they played at was at the level our middle school band played (however our middle school band is just as accomplished as our high school and plays at a high school and even some college level music)</p>
<p>I don’t know much about Grinnell and Bowdoin, but the couselor at Cornell College said they had a pretty good fine arts department but focused in choir.</p>
<p>Agree with OP’s assessment and that of violadad; St. Olaf and Luther would be the stand-out music programs in your list. They are both respected nationally for their undergraduate programs. Both routinely send students to top-ranked universities and conservatories for graduate study and place students in professional music groups upon graduation. Both have enough exceptional musicians to support 2 orchestras and numerous additional ensembles. In both schools, many students who particpate in the music ensembles are non-majors – many of whom receive music scholarships.</p>
<p>St. Olaf and Grinnell would likely be the most challenging in their overall academic rigor. All the of schools are academically well-regarded and would provide a sound education.</p>
<p>Cornell is quite different in its “one class at a time” curricular structure.</p>
<p>Best of luck.</p>