<p>Hi, I'm a high school senior, and I finished my Kenyon app recently. I play violin and I'm very interested in music, but I don't want to go to conservatory because I have other interests (history, writing, etc.). It's possible I might pursue a music major, so I wanted to know if anyone could tell me about the music dept. at Kenyon, especially if you can comment on composition classes and some of the ensembles. Is Kenyon a good place to study music?</p>
<p>It depends on what you are looking for. Since you are not interested in going to a conservatory, and instead would rather have a broad curriculum, I would say that you would be home in the Music Dept. at Kenyon. Since Kenyon offers the B.A. rather than the B.Mus., there is less of an emphasis on performance or other applied skills. There are still lots of opportunities for performance, but the major is mainly focused around theory and history. I really like the fact that you are free to choose your own focus within the major. While I am more interested in musicology/arts admin., there are a lot of students who focus on composition. As a major, you will be required to complete a couple composition projects in your theory classes, with the option of taking elective classes that focus solely on composition. I know in the past there has been a seminar in composition, along with classes on counterpoint, midi/electronic music, digital audio, etc. As part of the music major requirements, you must complete some sort of senior project, and one option is the public presentation of a 15 minute composition and an accompanying 20 page paper. Let me know if you have any other questions, I hope this helps.</p>
<p>Thanks so much, this is exactly what I was wondering about. Have you been generally happy with the music faculty?</p>
<p>Absolutely. I never intended on majoring in music, and I would have to say that it was probably the faculty members that attracted me most (among other things). There are usually 10 to 12 majors a year, which means lots of one on one interaction with the professors. My advisor has been one of the most helpful and resourceful people I have met during my 4 years at Kenyon.</p>