Music School/Conservatory suggestions..

College Majors Music Major
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<p>Bassdad has it very much correct. A BM is much closer to what you need than a BA.</p>

<p>You may want to look into the “Conservatory of Music at Baldwin-Wallace College” - google that phrase. </p>

<p>What made me think of the place was that I know of someone who is not only a professional performer, but also a college professor who went to school there. the guy is very much like you, he considers himself a musician first, and an academic second (although he did eventually go on to a very prestigous graduate school). His background was very different from yours, but also very similar in the fact that he wasn’t a “typical” music or conservatory school student. He didn’t “discover” his life calling in music until his senior year in high school, but once he did he was 100% focused on it. </p>

<p>Anyhow, the school is basically a conservatory within a small college. They do have a variety of music degrees, including a BM in Composition. I took the liberty to look up the degree requirments, it seems to be very close to what you are looking for. More academics than most “high brow” conservatories, but a lot of flexibility within those general education requirements as they most all electives with few specific courses required. The degree requires 96 credit hours of music, just 32 credit hours of very flexable general education classes. You would start composition classes the first semester.</p>

<p>The school is fairly easy to get in, but has produced a heck of a lot of students who have gone on to music grad schools. With your financial situation, affordability may be difficult though.</p>

<p>Maybe someone else on this forum knows more than what I do about it (all I know is from that one person, and what I read on their website.)</p>

<p>If you find out that it is too late to enroll in the fall, you do need to immediately (TODAY) find a good private music instructor who can teach on the college level. It will take someone like that to lead you through the college audition process. There are probably a lot of things musically that you are not doing correct (by “correct” I mean to classically trained college standards), and don’t even realize it. A good private teacher can work with you to correct those things in just a few months.</p>

<p>Just a side note, I went to college with a guy who was very brilliant but he dropped out of high school the second semester of his senior year. He was in his last semester of college before the college realized that he didnt have a high school diploma, they required him to take the GED before they would award him the degree. I thought having to take the GED at that point was absurd - he graduated from college with a perfect 4.0 grade point average.</p>

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<p>There is, of course, a fair amount of difference from school to school. In general terms a BA program in music involves 30-40 semester hours in music classes and 80-100 semester hours in everything else. (At some schools it is more nearly an even ratio with about as many music classes as non-music.) You would be looking at one or two music classes per semester and the rest in whatever subjects the school requires. Some have fairly extensive and very specific requirements in lots of different areas. Others allow you more choice. Hence the need for thorough research. This is not going to the butcher for bread, rather it is more like going to the supermarket where you can get meat, bread, pickles, motor oil, milk, salad dressing, beer and laundry detergent all in one place.</p>

<p>A typical non-conservatory BM program, if there is such, has the proportions roughly reversed. You would still be taking at least one and sometimes two non-music classes in any given semester. Again, there is some variation among schools on what needs to be covered in the non-music classes. A stand-alone conservatory (i.e. not associated with a college or university) BM program may require even fewer non-music classes.</p>

<p>A few schools offer a BFA rather than a BM or BA. I do not know of enough such schools to make generalizations. Carnegie Mellon, for example offers a BFA that seems as slanted toward music as most BM programs.</p>

<p>It is very late in the process to be applying for admission this fall, and that will certainly limit your choices. A normal schedule would be applications and paperwork due anywhere from the beginning of December to the end of January, an audition or portfolio review somewhere between mid-January and mid-March, a decision by April 1 and a deposit required by May 1.</p>

<p>Before going into serious debt, if indeed anyone will lend you the amount of money it will take, it would be a good idea to calculate the monthly interest payments that you will face upon graduation and try to figure out how you will be able to pay that in addition to your living expenses. The conventional wisdom is that it is not worth going beyond the Federal Stafford Loan limits (currently $27000 total spread over four years, resulting in a monthly payment of about $310 over ten years) for an undergraduate degree in music. Given the total cost of attendance at many schools, that may not even cover 20% of the total, so you would need some serious scholarships or need-based aid, and most of the financial aid money for the 2011-2012 school year is spoken for this late in the game.</p>

<p>I agree with imagep that, if the acceptances and finances do not work out for this fall, it would be good to take private lessons and look to start in the 2012-2013 school year. You are likely to have far more options and better offers of aid then. Some schools (Berklee for one) have a mid-year program where you start in January rather than September. Applications are generally due in June or July, so you should be able to meet deadlines for those.</p>

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<p>You are looking to start this fall?</p>

<p>Are you aware that you will be taking music theory, music history and a variety of classroom music classes? </p>

<p>Not sure if they have certificate programs for composition or what your long term goal actually is as it seems having a degree is not important to you.</p>

<p>Depending on what type of music you are into and what you mean by eventually working in music you might look into moving to a city with a great deal of music production and try to get an entry level or intern position. At least for a year until you can make a real run at applying to schools in November to February not May.</p>

<p>You just threw me and it seems others with your original question. The term conservatory is thrown around a great deal and many schools now use it in their name but really there are only a few true conservatories and from what you have said they are not what you are looking for.</p>

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<p>Thanks Bassdad, very informative… </p>

<p>In all honesty I haven’t looked too far into the financial aspect yet. I was finding out where I could and wanted to go first. All I really know is that it’s long term debt, and the initial process is a lot more complicated than I initially thought.</p>

<p>Trumpet57,
yes I’m aware that I will be taking music theory, music history, etc. I’m counting on it. </p>

<p>The long term goal would be composition for film, television, game, theatre, concert music, and from what I’ve seen - teaching seems to be what music grads end up doing to pay the bills.</p>

<p>Having the degree isn’t nearly as important as the actual education and contacts/friends met. But I imagine it would come in handy in certain circumstances.</p>

<p>Type of music would be all music. But as far as school goes, classical/orchestral.</p>

<p>I understood “conservatory” to mean a specialized music school Independent of a greater university. Which is what I’m interested in - I’m just not primarily interested in developing my skills as a performer. I’m open to it as part of a curriculum, but I’m looking to develop my skills as a composer.</p>

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<p>this is a terrible plan… I don’t know how else to say it.</p>

<p>It’s not a good plan for an 18-21 year old, and it’s not a good plan for a 28 year old.</p>

<p>How do you plan to re-pay the debt?</p>

<p>How much do you think a degree from Cornish or Columbia/Chicago costs?</p>

<p>You cannot approach this research without considering the finances… </p>

<p>It’s like deciding you need a new car, or a house, and not knowing how much you can afford to spend on the payments… I’d love a house on the beach, or a BMW, but it’s not financially reasonable.</p>

<p>Set up a spreadsheet for yourself, perhaps with Google docs or something. Log in the Cost of Attendance for each of the schools you are looking at. Do not spend much time on the schools that you can’t afford.</p>

<p>Once you have found affordable options, then go back and learn more about the pricier options.</p>

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<p>EDIT: (too much time elapsed to edit my post)</p>

<p>Sorry if I was too abrupt about all that, but, a high school junior or senior needs to sit down with his/her parents and discuss finances. And it’s really no different for you.</p>

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<p>Cornish:</p>

<p>As of now I’m out $40.
Once I find out whether they’ll have me or not, I see about scholarships and grants.
Once I know that - then I know exactly what Kind of debt I’m looking at.
I measure that against what kind of jobs I may be able to find with said degree… and against standard of living vs. my current standard/prospects (which, trust me, You’d probably wince at)… and against how much I’ll gain personally from the experience…</p>

<p>THEN… I decide if it’s worth the leap. If it doesn’t look worth it - than I’m still only out $40. And I’ve learned a great deal about I personally can expect.</p>

<p>I’m not ignorant of the financial implications, I just haven’t looked too far into it yet. It hasn’t become relevant yet.</p>

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<p>Just a few points:</p>

<p>Many composition programs do not require that you play any instrument at all, though rudimentary piano is used in theory classes.</p>

<p>Conservatories do not have good financial aid, for the most part, though there are a couple that are tuition free (for tippy top students). The are, for the most part, very expensive. Looking at state schools with BM programs might be good, or at other colleges with music/composition depts. where financial aid it good. This should be a priority criteria, before you go any further.</p>

<p>A music major, whether BA or BM is a tough path, with rigorous classes in theory, history and so on. Just want to make sure you know that. At my daughter’s school, music history is up there with premed sciences is difficulty.</p>

<p>Teaching music usually requires a music education degree, or a master’s. BA in composition is less likely to lead to a position as a teacher.</p>

<p>Getting a GED should be no problem. One of my kids is a dancer and left before senior year, and had no obstacles to admission at colleges. You should know that most states will grant a diploma if you successfully finish a year at college. I don’t know if you have to let colleges know about your failures at CC. Perhaps they can not even be mentioned. Doe anyone know if this is ethical?</p>

<p>There are a gazillion schools where you can study composition, and for some reason, I cannot get a handle on your story and goals enough to recommend. </p>

<p>The kinds of goals you state might mean schools with programs in those areas (commercial), though many film scorers etc. have the classical education at conservatory or college, and then get into the field later.</p>

<p>Music has to be a passion. I would be careful about committing to it if your goals are strictly about making a living. Also, composition depends on creative juices flowing on demand. Some people don’t like to create within that structure, and you sound like you could be one of them. Maybe better to learn something else and write music on your own, or with a private teacher.</p>

<p>Maybe you would like a school like Hampshire, Sarah Lawrence, Lewis and Clark…google them and their music depts. They do have aid at these schools.</p>

<p>Just some things to think about. Good luck…</p>

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<p>“It’s like deciding you need a new car, or a house, and not knowing how much you can afford to spend on the payments… I’d love a house on the beach, or a BMW, but it’s not financially reasonable.”</p>

<p>Or knowing how to drive yet. If this was an 18 year old you would say wake up, grow up and get a dose of reality but you want to be kind even though every word you read shows they just do not understand what they are doing. As you said it is tough to give the tough advice without seeming harsh, but it is the best way to help someone in that situation.</p>