<p>okay so... i realize that schools like usc and miami have schools of music. is it possible to take music classes without being in the actual school of music? for ex: miami has frost. if i want to major in music, do i have to get into frost? or can i just take music in miami itself? i am just so confused right now. why would auditions be necessary if you want to study music technology? o.O</p>
<p>I forgot what year you are, but I think I remember that you have a few years. If you want a meaningful degree is something associated with music technology or recording engineering, you really need to do it 100%. The classes aren’t just book learning and the projects can be intense and time consuming (but fun if you’re into really making/recording/fine tuning music). I would suggest you look into summer programs befoe you zoom in on one college or a major called ‘music technology’. There are several colleges and music schools that have them, and it may be too late for this summer. Look at Berklee in Boston as a starting point, even if that’s not the right location, and branch out from there to zoom in on a program that could help you look up close for as short as a weekend or as long as 5-weeks.</p>
<p>Okay, I am going to try to tell you the same thing I’ve been telling you on three different threads, but I am going to try to make it a little more clear, then I will ask you to do as I’ve asked and GO READ THE WEBSITES AT THOSE SCHOOLS:</p>
<p>First off, most programs either need auditions OR portfolios that include you playing because to write, record, sequence, program or acoustically reinforce music at the level those programs offer the degrees you NEED TO KNOW MUSIC. You need to understand notation and have an ear; to take and pass theory and musicology. Your hearing frequency has to be highly highly developed. You have to understand enough about instruments and instrumentation to be able to “hear” and “define” the most appropriate mix for different genres, whether live or recorded. I’m not sure what you think music tech is. That said, they do not necessarily adjudicate a player the way they would a performance major (although some could argue it’s just as tough to get accepted.)</p>
<p>Secondly, I think what is confusing you is an issue around DEGREES.
A BA is an academic degree. To pursue a BA one only needs to gain acceptance to a school. However, general BA students do not have access to specialized programming of the type you’re seeking, other than “for non majors” which would be a less than professional tracked level.</p>
<p>A BFA, BSC, or BMUS in music technology is a professional-tracked type of degree with a specific sequence of generally SMALL classes that are career or skill focused and unequivocally are TALENT<em>BASED</em>ADMITS. That’s because there are highly limited openings/infrastructure/studios/resources etc.</p>
<p>So in response to your question, NO, you CANNOT “MAJOR” IN MUSIC TECHNOLOGY AT FROST OR USC OR NYU OR UMICH OR IU OR BELMONT WITHOUT SUBMITTING A PORTFOLIO (OR IN SOME CASES AUDITIONING, OR BOTH) AND BEING ACCEPTED TO THE PROGRAMS.</p>
<p>You CAN at some of those schools take an academic minor with your “BA” degree in music, which is NOT music technology or music performance or at the schools of music. You WILL NOT get access to the courses that the MAJORS get who were talent-based admits.</p>
<p>For example, UMich takes approx 12 PAT students in 4 disciplines because it only has that number of WORKSTATIONS and STUDIO TIME for those students. Non-majors can sometimes, BY PORTFOLIO and with the instructor’s permission, access a course or two if they’re REALLY REALLY DEVELOPED, but in general, the work is in a sequence designed only for majors, with courses that build cumulatively.</p>
<p>MAJORS are the only ones who get overrides to enroll in those courses in general. The only way to be a MAJOR is to be a talent-based admit.</p>
<p>If you’re worried about getting in, some students will take a general BA program and then attempt to transfer into a music tech program once their portfolios are more developed. Out of 12 students in the jr. year of PAT all four disciplines, there is ONE who has done it that way. So the odds are even longer ;)</p>
<p>Hope that helps clear you up. You can certainly learn a lot MORE about the programs at their respective websites, and by looking at the actual sequence of courses at each school by asking for or downloading course calendars. That should help refine your understanding of the field.</p>
<p>kmcmom’s thread is as good as any I have read and I think it is pretty definitive when it comes to the differences between a music degree (BA) which is academic (you study musicology ie history of music, ethnic music or other fields). I believe with music as a BA you basically get admitted to the school, and then like any other academic field, can choose to major or minor in it. Performance degrees are in playing an instrument/singing, and are aimed at becoming a working musician, and you usually have to audition to get in. </p>
<p>WIth something like music technology, you are talking a program that goes beyond music recording, which is something a lot of technical schools like Connecticut school of broadcasting teaches, it is a combination of the variety of technology used in recording and producing music and requires knowledge of things like music theory and ear training and so forth (similar to a performance degree) along with the hands on side of producing recordings, engineering them, working with other pieces of technology…(I a not an expert on this, trying to distill what I have learned about it as a complete dunce on the subject). The reason they want portfolios or auditions is because they want people who already have shown some interest in the subject and want to jump in. I know a bit about NYU’s program from some of the stuff I get as an alumni, and it is pretty intensive, it isn’t something you take an intro class to, like for example some kids might do with a philosophy course and decide to major in it. It is more akin to a music performance major on violin, where you don’t pick up the violin in college and get a BM (or singing, or any other instrument,or composition), you already have spent a number of years gaining mastery of the instrument before auditioning to the school.</p>
<p>okay thank you.
i visited the websites and yeahh. </p>
<p>“If you’re worried about getting in, some students will take a general BA program and then attempt to transfer into a music tech program once their portfolios are more developed. Out of 12 students in the jr. year of PAT all four disciplines, there is ONE who has done it that way. So the odds are even longer”</p>
<p>i guessing by this you mean, apply as a graduate student?</p>
<p>itsjungggg, I don’t think that she neccesarally means to “apply as a graduate student”, although that certainly may be a possibility. </p>
<p>I think that she means it may be possible to enroll as a BA student and then eventually transfer to a BM program, but you would likely still have to audition. And the same for grad school, if the program you wanted to enter as a grad student required an audition, the same major in grad school will likely also require an audition.</p>
<p>No, junggg, what I meant is that sometimes if a student doesn’t get into the program at a given school (say UMich school of music PAT program) sometimes they’ll attend a regular degree at the school (at UMich, that would be the college of LSA) where they’d take any NON-Major music tech classes, and as such, develop a stronger portfolio and then attempt to transfer into the program as a sophomore or junior. As I mentioned, it has happened in my son’s program. There is also a student in his program who studied the tech end of music tech at a vocational school, worked independently, and was admitted to the program much later in life (eg. late 20s). Yet another studied at a cc, then gained admission by portfolio. </p>
<p>So there are a number of ways to access what you want. The first and most obvious since I believe you have strong stats is to attempt to access one of those “portfolio-interview or audition” programs (your strong GPA will increase your attractiveness – the programs closely consider your math and science performance as well). A second would be to study electrical engineering and then seek a grad program in music tech, but you’d need to continue developing your musical skill via private lessons, etc. while an undergrad. That said, there are programs, such as Stanford’s terminal Masters degree in Music, Science and Technology (a grad program) that is not portfolio based but is geared to people with an engineering undergrad degree.</p>
<p>So there are many roads to what you want to do. If it’s what you want to do for a living, you may either want to attempt to directly access the talent-admit programs, or alternately take an undergrad degree in electrical engineering or programming and take as many music tech and recording classes as you are able to, seeking special permission or accessing vocational training external to the university.</p>
<p>It’s kind of a complex area and there are a lot of nuances that are different from program to program. One thing that helped my son clarify the type of program he wanted was asking himself “Do I want to be the “creator” of the work, or do I want to be the technical producer of the work, or do I want to do both and continue to perform?”</p>
<p>So, based on his experience, his answer was “all of the above, plus I want to continue my work in film as well (he has a strong film portfolio too).” In his case, he needed and wanted the additional music theory, composition, and skill training that he gets at UMich. He also gets enough of the programming and engineering to be competent in all areas of sound, but he also has a substantial interest in multimedia and scoring, so in his particular curriculum, there’s more emphasis on sound and sound design for film/video/videogames than the other sections. To do so, he had to forgo the full engineering degree (BSc - Curriculum D). My son’s degree is a BFA Mus.</p>
<p>In his degree, then, he studies the following in a sequence of courses a) music b) composition c) recording tech d) programming e) sequencing/aka computer composition f) film g) multimedia/graphics/software f) the science of sound (psycho-acoustics).</p>
<p>Someone in the same program but in the straight engineering curriculum (Bsc) will have taken two to four more studio recording courses than he has, and will have spent more time in programming and calc and eng courses, but might also spend equal or greater time in music performance or composition.</p>
<p>Someone else in the same program but in the BMUS curriculum will have taken two more theory courses and musicology courses than him, spend more hours in performance and ensemble, and less time in multimedia and film. (His curriculum has several requirements in film production.)</p>
<p>Each of the three types of students will have taken music business, theory, musicology, studios and have access to most of the courses in the overall PAT program, but the non-engineering students will only get access to senior level recording studio classes if there’s room since the engineering stream has first dibs (and students from the entire school will only have access AFTER those students, if at all – usually not.)</p>
<p>I am compressing a few years worth of understanding into these posts, so I hope I’m not confusing you further.</p>
<p>Can you be more specific about where you see yourself earning a living? Do you want to work in a recording studio? Do you want to work on films or videogames? Do you want to produce live sound events? Do you want to create, record and distribute your own music? Do you want to “DJ” – as in people like DeadMaus?</p>
<p>A useful read is the application material for the Clive Davis Recording Arts program at NYU – it will walk you through which of its three streams you want to apply to (eg. as an artist/producer, a producer etc.). That might help you refine your vision a bit.
Best wishes.</p>
<p>P.S. When I say “DJ” I don’t mean “DJ playing a wedding.” I mean “DJ” electronic music mixer/producer/artist like Deadmaus, who would have hated that I just called him a “DJ” ;)</p>
<p>alrighty. thank you so much kmcmom13 for explaining so thoroughly. i really appreciate it.
i went on their websites checked it all out, and wow. lot of work to do. i better get to it. hahah.
i’m not sure what i quite want to do yet, but i would def love to create, record, and distribute my own music. that’s probably top on my list. this and working at a recording studio is the closest to what i want to do. the others are kind of iffy, but i think it would be interesting. so not sure yet. </p>
<p>once again, THANK YOU SO MUCH for taking your time to clarify the MANY MANY questions i had. :D</p>
<p>Believe me, we’ve been through it, and it’s a bit of a wade to get it sorted. Good luck now that you have a bit of direction!
Cheers, K</p>