<p>I want to pursue music to a decent degree in college (most likely minor but possibly a double major), however I do not want to attend a conservatory or specialty music schools. Which normal, and by normal I mean non-music based schools, colleges have the strongest music departments? My general range of applications are in the low-mid ivies and other higher tier schools. Thanks</p>
<p>ps: As an electric guitarist I am more interested in jazz/world/contemporary music rather than the standard classical repetoire. I realize that music majors study this field but I would like schools that have opportunities for contemporary musicians as well. Thanks</p>
<p>according to USC, it's music school is in the top 1% of all non-conservatory music schools in the US...not bad if you ask me. of course, they have a Studio Guitar in Jazz Performance Major. and because of USC's Renaissance Scholar ideal, they also make it fairly accessible to double major and at the very least minor.</p>
<p>and it's pretty close to Walt Disney Concert Hall, giving you access to top notch performances. on the radio (KUSC appropriately enough), i've even heard a few performances from USC students there. most notably i remember the Mozart Requiem performed by the USC Thornton Choir with i think the LA Phil.</p>
<p>If you're looking for World Music and AVANT-GARDE contemporary (I stress the "avant-garde"), Wesleyan has an amazing music department with particular strengths in ethnomusicology and experimental music (a la John Cage, Stockhausen, etc.)</p>
<p>Oberlin is REALLY great for music, but I did some research for someone and there are some issues. The conservatory classes are supposed to be open to everyone, but the reality is that conservatory majors get firrst crack. This means that many classes are de facto closed to non-conservatory students. </p>
<p>I'd certainly check out Oberlin, but I'd ask some tough questions about whether I can really get the classes I want.</p>
<p>In checking these out, you might want to determine whether a program constitutes a major field at a university or is essentially a conservatory program housed at a university. For example, the Northwestern B.Mus. program will take up about 2/3 of one's 120 hours. Carnegie Mellon music students on the other hand will take one Math course, one English course, a one-hour computer skills seminar, and all the rest will be conservatory-style training. Oberlin, Johns Hopkins and Lawrence are conservatories - physically on college campuses, but still conservatories. The last time I checked, a music performance degree at Rice required 99 out of 120 credits. From the original post, it appears that the question is "where can I have BOTH good Music preparation and a good varied college experience." You'll have to visit websites and look through degree requirements to discern that, but I think that Northwestern, Michigan, Vandy, and Furman would be good examples of the latter.</p>
<p>Note that it's quite possible to study music at Oberlin without being enrolled in the Conservatory. One can major in Music as a student in the College of Arts & Sciences.</p>