<p>I am already a music undergradate studying in the UK. I am in my second year. I am looking to spend part of Summer (June - August) 2008 at a US College studying. </p>
<p>I am not sure where to start looking as I have no idea which universities are good for music. Also, I have the problem that I am limited in terms of my financal position. I know the best schools will probably charge a lot more than some other schools.</p>
<p>I am mainly a composer and would be interested in course which involve some study in this but this isn't a major consideration as it will be my focus in my final year.</p>
<p>I also have no idea where is the US I would like to study. I am in a pretty sub-rural university in the UK and would perfer to attend a more urban based college but as it will be my first visit to the US, I would like to escape on a couple of weekends an explore a little. Also, a university within a good location to an international airport would be handy.</p>
<p>I like the look of Boston University but the course details have not been released and I would like to consider some other places in case the course offered isn't to my likely.</p>
<p>Sorry if this sounds a bit confusing but I am really unsure about any of this. All I know is that I want to come to the US next summer. </p>
<p>Perhaps you can investigate where some of the composers who intrigue you might be this summer. Many summer in the New England area. Another idea is to visit a music festival which has performances of genres in which you like to work. Aspen has some exciting events, but you would have to investigate if there is a category for you. Tanglewood is another idea. Good luck.</p>
<p>I'm not clear on whether you definitely want a college experience - that is, for credit, or if you are open to a summer camp or festival like Lorelei mentioned. (Some of those summer festivals DO offer college credit, though.) I personally think you would enjoy a summer camp/festival/program more than "summer school". There is a thread somewhere on here talking about various summer music programs. Some of those programs also offer scholarships. I'm not sure which ones are open to composers.</p>
<p>Here's one I found that looks interesting. It's just an example of what's out there -- Bowdoin International Music Festival:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Two-hundred highly talented young performers of graduate, college, and high school levels further their artistic development through a concentrated program of instrumental study and composition with the festival's outstanding artist faculty, composed of many of the world's most renowned teachers and performers.
<p>Don't Aspen and Tanglewood have programs for composition students? The TMC (Tanglewood) program is a full fellowship program. I would think that international students would be welcome. Ditto Aspen (not a fellowship program but they do have scholarship money). Neither is a "college program" but both would provide a summer program. You can apply for college credit for the Aspen program for an additional fee. I would think the opportunity to participate in a good summer composition program would trump the need for college credit.</p>
<p>Other than a few colleges and universities that offer some masters level music ed courses, I am unaware of any that actually offer a for credit performance based curriculum during the summer.</p>
<p>There are many high level festivals and programs in the US, UK and on the continent that may well suit your needs. These run from as little as one week to full 8 week programs. Some are full scholarship, tuition free programs, others offer some financial assistance, some none at all. </p>
<p>Basically, I am interested in maybe doing my masters in the US rather than the UK so I think I would maybe be better off at a college.</p>
<p>I don't need credit because I will have all the credit I need from my university course here in the UK but part of the reason for wanting to spend this summer studying is for the experince and for something to back up any applications I make for graduate studies. Also I am on a term out (due to the need to re-do next term - long boring story) and I am missing my lectures right now.</p>
<p>I don't really mind not doing anything composition based this summer if I was studying something that would benefit me. I would love to one day be a lecturer myself and compose on the side so if I got the chance to research and write a paper on a topic I enjoyed then I would think it would be a summer well spent.</p>
<p>I am really only just looking it to all this now because as I say, I am on a break from university and it is really getting to me because apart from working I am doing practically no studying.</p>
<p>Edit - I would like to just thank you all for your replies so far as this is really helping.</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure Aspen and Tanglewood have composition programs, as well might Spoleto USA. Bard may also have a summer composition workshop. University of Nebraska at Lincoln has an intensive one week chamber workshop that actually pairs a student composer with a student ensemble. It is a full ride program, and highly competitive. The year my son went ('06) there were grad ensembles from Juilliard, Yale, and Michigan. The link to the program is inoperative; historically they disable it and reinstate it when new info for the program is available. The person to contact at Nebaska in the interim is Janet Sievert, email <a href="mailto:jsievert@unlnotes.unl.edu">jsievert@unlnotes.unl.edu</a> and ask about the Chamber Music Institute.</p>
<p>You would need to have a good portfolio of compositions to be competitive for these things. The problem about summer school in music programs is that the premiere faculty members spend their summers doing other things, i.e. summer festivals, performing, composing, etc., so who you will find where is questionable.</p>
<p>Aspen does have a composition program, which I think is for only part of the summer, and they do offer some courses with credit through the University of Colorado (I think that is the college). But the OP seems to be looking for a college program, even one without composition courses over the summer, and also one located near/in a city.
One possibility is to look at the summer programs at Universities with top music departments. How about UC Berkeley? It has a top ranked music department and summer programs at UC Berkeley are fairly reasonably priced; there are several sessions. I don't know whether they will be offering any courses of interest to the OP but it is worth checking out. The location is wonderful for exploring and the weather is unbeatable (no rain, no humidity, temperatures around the high 70's most of the time). UCLA is another possibility, if Southern California has more allure. Also look at USC, which has an excellent music school (I don't know if they offer summer courses).</p>
<p>Good point about the teachers not being there in summers, Lorelei. I don't believe attending college during the summer is necessarily beneficial at getting you into a grad school. But attending a summer festival where the faculty is from the college you hope to attend -- now that's a different thing entirely!</p>
<p>Here's an idea -- look at schools where you might want to study. Get the names of the composition teachers, and Google them. See if they are on staff at any camps or festivals over the summer. (Or do the reverse -- look at the lists Violadad linked to, and find out who the composition teachers are, and see where they are on staff during the school year.)</p>
<p>For instance, I looked at Yale. This is not an in-depth study, only what I found quickly.</p>
<p>Martin Bresnick:
--Composer-in-Residence, Australian Youth Orchestra National Music Camp (2001 and 2004)
--works have been performed at Tanglewood, Banff, etc.</p>
<p>Aaron Jay Kernis:
--written works for Aspen Music Festival
--composer in residence for the Minnesota Orchestra Composer Institute</p>
<p>Another example -- North Carolina School of the Arts: </p>
<p>Lawrence Dillon:
--Dillon has been in residence with numerous summer festivals, including the Cooperstown Chamber Festival, the Appalachian Summer Festival, the Charles Ives Center, the Saugatuck Festival, the Swannanoa Chamber Music Festival and the Killington Festival. </p>
<p>Also, look at any student bios you can find, and see if they mention summer festivals. (I found a graduate student composer who listed Tanglewood on his bio, for example.)</p>
<p>It is something I will look into. However, I doubt I would get Tanglewood or Aspen (I took a brief look at the Tanglewood application form and they need a lot of stuff I haven't got and won't have by Janurary). Maybe Summer 2009?</p>
<p>I have not been looking really to go to the US and impress someone to make an application easier in the future. I have been looking because I want something which I can talk about and would be slighty different to the norm when applying for funding for my graduate studies.</p>
<p>I don't want to dwell on it too much but I don't have any parents as I disowned them when I came to university. I don't get any financal help from anyone. Its just me so I work part time outside of my classes and do not get anytime to pursude my interests. </p>
<p>Its my major concern that I will not get to study at a graduate level because I will not get any funding. Getting accepted at the moment is a minor concern because without the funding I can not to it anyway.</p>
<p>I took a big decision in even deciding to give up 8 weeks worth of full time pay to do this. I will get some holiday pay but it won't be nearly enough to make up being away from work.</p>
<p>I didn't really know about summer festivals until this board mentioned in so it takes my search to an even more confusing level. I had sort of picture me attending classes and studying musicology rather than composition this summer and if I get time starting research on my thrid year project on Mozart's string quartets. </p>
<p>I don't think my compositional studies have progressed to a level where I could consider a festival - maybe I am wrong on this. I have not yet had a work performed and given my employement I don't have much of a portflio and while I could turn out a few new things, Janurary I think is a little too soon.</p>
<p>I will have a nosy at the festivals but just returning to my orginal question for the present - where is good for music?</p>
<p>My knowledge of US music schools would suggest, as others have mentioned, is that a large portion of top faculty across a number of music disciplines (performance, composition, conducting) tend to be engaged in teaching committments at the numerous festivals, camps and summer programs, often at venues NOT associated with their parent institution.</p>
<p>For areas such as musicology or music history, I don't necessarily think that may be true.</p>
<p>I would suggest that you identify the schools that may interest you, and then research their potential summer course offerings. You may find alot, you may not. </p>
<p>Once you've identified some programs, numerous people here can give you their advice on the specific school.</p>
<p>A frequent poster to the board, cathymee, has a daughter pursuing a doctorate in musicology. You may wish to send her a private message or an email for her suggestions/recommendations.</p>
<p>The top schools for music history include Harvard, UC Berkeley, Columbia, Barnard (for girls, in New York, on the same campus as Columbia), University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton, Yale, UCLA, NYU (New York University), CUNY (City University of New York), University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), Stanford. Check their websites and see if they offer summer courses. I know that UC Berkeley does (as do other UC's, including UC Davis, which offered a course on Mozart last summer), taught by regular faculty and visiting faculty. Professors of music history/theory do not generally have anything to do with summer festivals, which are performance oriented. A number of these schools (if not all, I haven't checked) offer summer programs with fairly open admissions. Most of these schools are in urban/suburban settings and would provide many opportunities to meet other students, including international students, and to travel around.</p>
<p>I don't believe that the University of Chicago offers any summer courses for college students (other than summer quarter courses for current students). They have a high school program, but that's it I think. </p>
<p>Do take a look in case though. UChicago has one of the US's best composition departments.</p>
<p>Most US schools require some kind of financial sponsor, proof of support, family usually. It will be difficult for you to fund anything here without it. Lorelei</p>
<p>Just for informational purposes, this is what UC Berkeley requires, in addition to a visa:
"All international students must demonstrate proof of sufficient funding for living expenses in the U.S. over the summer. Since tuition is pre-paid before arrival, the only funding we must verify are your living expenses. UC Berkeley requires you to show a minimum of $2500 for each student regardless of the number of sessions you enroll in.</p>
<p>For example, if you come for Session A only you will be required to show proof of $2500. Likewise if you come for both Sessions A & D, you need to show the same amount of $2500."</p>
<p>Last summer the offerings included introduction to Western music, basic musicianship, Jazz, music in American culture, choral conducting.<br>
The fee was about $500 - $1,000 for non-UC students (the sessions are of varying duration).</p>
<p>I already checked in terms of the financal support proof and a letter from my bank is ok for it. The max I could possibly strech to is about $5000 but that includes my flights, passport (I don't actually have one at present) and any costs involved in getting a visa. I would still have money left in the bank for emergencies. </p>
<p>I can up this budget if needed but right now I am trying to stick below that.</p>
<p>I just came across this for all the young talented violinists on the board. Sounds wonderful - plus it's in January when New Zealand is having their summer! I believe it may be too late for this year.</p>