<p>I know most of the posters are of the college/conservatory variety, but I just wanted to start this thread in the hopes of getting some feedback on the Musician's Institute in Hollywood, CA. Didn't see much on a search through the forum.</p>
<p>At the suggestion of a few of you, we have investigated this college for my more contemporary-minded son. He has had several conversations and some correspondence with the admissions folks there, and we've gotten some valuable info. My primary concern (is this a college?) has been addressed (yes it is, although the BM Performance majors are a very small, select group, or so we are told). We are asking lots of questions from everyone we know about this place. Being from the east coast, of course, it's all about Berklee around here (not a bad thing).</p>
<p>So, if anyone has any first, second or third hand knowledge (facts, anecdotal or otherwise) about MI now or down the road, please do add it to this thread! Son is only a junior so we still have some time.</p>
<p>By the way, I've been following everyone's progress as college acceptance/decision time has come upon us and didn't want to butt in since we are not there yet, but Congrats to all the music majors in their acceptances and choices for next year. My poor neighbor (a great kid) didn't get into any of her choice schools (not music) - such a tough year for graduates and college admissions this year - and it makes me grateful that S has a passion for something that may give him an edge one way or another. Good luck to all the musicians and enjoy college!</p>
<p>guitarist's mom, If you aren't already aware, please be advised that Musician's Institute is a for profit institution, like Devry University, McNally Smith College, Porter and Chester Institute, University of Phoenix and similar schools.</p>
<p>As such, it's not in the same category of the bulk of schools discussed at CC, which tend to be private or public not-for-profit educational institutions.</p>
<p>The difference in terminology changes the focus of the institution in my opinion. </p>
<p>There may well be great instructors, dedicated and caring staff, and very viable worthwhile programs, particularly technical or speciality offerings at any of the schools I've named.</p>
<p>I'm not here to denigrate these schools. My god daughter is enrolled full time as a Univ of Phoenix online degree candidate , and from what I know is getting a very good education in her major. (She had tried a conventional college, but health issues dictated an online degree as her best option.)</p>
<p>I would not expect merit, talent or need based scholarships or grants at any one of these types of programs. I'm assuming financial assistance would be available on a limited basis through federally administered programs, state programs, and veterans educational benefits.</p>
<p>Please be forewarned, and remember to compare apples to apples. Investigate completely.</p>
<p>I did not know that, violadad, thank you for the information. Obviously there is something different about the place but I couldn't quite put my finger on it (other than that there are no merit scholarships - that one I already figured out). You are correct, they do offer financial aid if we qualify. In all other respects it seems to offer the programs and intensive musicianship instruction that my S is looking for, and they do require SAT scores as well as fulfillment of core liberal arts courses from other universities (community colleges and the like) for the BM degree. It was alarming to hear that they wouldn't accept my son's AP courses, however, for those credits. But I am not sure if Berklee accepts AP courses either, does anyone know? </p>
<p>For my S, the intensity of the music degree courses and overall program is primary. For me (not sure if I count), I do want him well educated. Hopefully there is a happy medium out there somewhere for a non-classical musician. What I am finding in my search is that we need to find a school with: strong music department and a myriad of courses; a guitar faculty; several ensemble groups from which to choose to participate; at least near a city if not in one for outside music opportunities (clubs, etc).</p>
<p>There are several very decent, even excellent, music programs/conservatories attached to liberal arts colleges that would offer solid music education to your son. When you say he is interested in "contemporary" music, exactly what do you mean? I know a boy who graduated from The Hartt School last year, and when he started as a freshman, his guitar playing was focussed on popular rock music. He had zero knowlege of jazz. During his time at Hartt he became a much more diverse musician, learned a great deal, and got a liberal arts education as well, but still has a focus on contemporary rock music. He is now in graduate school getting a MM from Five Towns College on Long Island, another music school that has a broad approach to guitar music.</p>
<p>thanks jazzzmomm - I agree that some great music programs (with intensive study in theory and the like) are attached to conservatories. I think the issue is that S sees the conservatory based programs as requiring focus (and passion) in either classical or jazz. Even the auditions would require playing those types of music, wouldn't they? </p>
<p>S is interested in those genres, and certainly does play them, but is more the classic rock kind of kid. And his concern is that he won't be able to find ensembles or other group sessions that offer what he wants and will be forced to play classical or jazz if he goes the conservatory approach. We are definitely open to suggestions if others know how conservatories like Hartt operate!</p>
<p>I don't think you have to have a background in jazz to enter Hartt. You might have to demonstrate a rudimentary knowlege of jazz in the audition. But, like I said, the student we know who went there for guitar had no interest in jazz and wanted to be a rock and blues guitar player. That is what he is today, after graduation. I don't know what his ensemble experiences, were, however. I guarantee he learned the audition material just for that audition. But you do take a regular music curriculum, including theory and ear training, music history, etc.
The town of Hartford, CT has a little bit of a blues scene, too, which seems to draw the guitar and drum students. </p>
<p>Have you looked at Five Towns College? They have an emphasis on contemporary music and offer a "technical" music education where you learn about recording and engineering music while also offering performance.</p>
<p>My husband attended MI for their percussion program many years ago and still feels that it is an incredible program for a musician. We visited this year as my son is applying to college for music/percussion programs. He loved it but finally decided to go to a 4 year state university. I know I had a lot to do with that decidion as I really want him to have a full college experience and his interest is in the music industry as a business and recording more than just performance.<br>
It does look like a great program for musicians. It is fully in the center of the LA music scene. There is no school housing although they have part of the website to help connect with local housing and possible roommates.<br>
Music is all they do there.</p>
<p>guitarmom, search of advanced placement credit using Berklee's own search function revealed this from their "Proficiency Assessment and Exams" webpage: </p>
<p><Proficiency Assessment and Exams </p>
<p>English Proficiency Exam (required)
All degree students are required to take the English proficiency exam, which is administered during registration. However, if you have received transfer credit at Berklee for English Composition taken at another college, have received credit at Berklee for Advanced Placement (AP) English Composition, or have successfully completed the IMELI program, you are exempt from taking this exam.></p>
<p>Seems like they do accept some. I would suggest what, if any, additional AP course credits Berklee might accept be addressed with them directly.</p>
<p>Hi guitarmom - did you make a final decision yet ? Would be curious to know.</p>
<p>My son is also very keen on MI - did anyone get more information on this ? Particularly is the Bachelors Degree recognized , say if you wanted to pursue a Masters Degree later at a regular college - they do claim on their website that it is accredited but I am not sure what that means.</p>
<p>I was going to suggest Hartt, too. If you are in MA, UMass Lowell is a possibility. In general, have you looked at any state universities? Berklee, NYU and USC Thornton might have programs that would appeal: others here would know more. U. of Arts in Philadelphia is more jazz-oriented, but you might want to check.</p>
<p>Other colleges worth looking into are CalArts, UC Boulder, USC Thornton, Belmont, and Columbia College Chicago. Those schools plus Berklee are pretty much it for contemporary/rock guitar. My S was originally in the same boat as yours, wanting a rock performance major. (He has since switched to composition.)</p>
<p>Musician’s Institute has a pretty strong reputation in the guitar world, from what I can tell. I have seen a few faculty members at several top schools with degrees from there. But if you are willing to go to LA, you should also look at CalArts and USC Thornton, both of which have contemporary or popular music majors along with a more traditional college experience.</p>
<p>Hi metalMom – I just happened to be taking a look at recent posts on the music forum and see you revived this thread from awhile ago (almost 3 years, actually).</p>
<p>My son is very happily a 2nd year student at Berklee. The summer of 2008 (this thread was started in April 2008), he went out to do a summer week at Musician’s Institute. He enjoyed it, and thought the instruction was very good, but he had also participated in several summer programs at Berklee and thought there was no comparison as to the quality of education - both musically and otherwise - he would get at Berklee vs. MI. MI just wasn’t really like a college; more a trade school with part-timers everywhere. </p>
<p>During that trip out to CA, at the recommendation of one of his instructors, we went to a small club to see Scott Henderson (a top jazz/fusion guitarist) perform. He was a great guy and he sat and talked with us for quite awhile. We discussed colleges and options, and even though he is CA-based, Henderson was firmly and with no second thoughts in the Berklee camp for my son. He did mention that some great jazz guitarists were coming out of both UCLA and USC, but that for all-around, contemporary stuff, Berklee was a no-brainer. My S liked and played jazz but it wasn’t his primary focus.</p>
<p>In the meantime, USC was just starting its popular music program. S auditioned there and was accepted. Also auditioned at NYU Steinhardt but that was way too straight jazz for him. It was a tough decision between USC and Berklee (the allure of CA for an east coast boy), and the pop music program at USC was really cool, but at the end of the day, he felt it would be better and more challenging for him to be at a place with tons of excellent guitarists (small fish in the big pond) and a really wide variety of instructors, courses and genres. He loves Berklee. He plays in several bands aside from classwork (including a metal band, btw) and Berklee ensembles and finds a lot of the music classes really challenging. </p>
<p>So that’s where we ended up. Musician’s Institute was interesting and he would definitely take classes there if he lived there, but he wanted more of a true college experience.</p>
<p>Cross posted with HonestMom - agree on some of those other options. I forgot the other one with a contemporary music program he auditioned and considered was University of Colorado at Denver. Really liked the guitar guy he met with there, but the program was too small for him.</p>
<p>On the accreditation issue, it’s not a factor, IMO.</p>
<p>I don’t know what year in HS your son is, metalMom, but I highly recommend doing a few of the summer programs if you can swing it.</p>
<p>Hi guitarist’s Mom:
Thanks for your post (from a year ago!) - just happened to come back to this site today - so yes my son did do a summer course the 5 week at Berklee and thoroughly enjoyed it and got very good grades. He applied to both MI and Berklee and skipped all the regular colleges as we was focused that he did not want a college where they “also did music” - he wanted a 100% music college. </p>
<p>He was not accepted at Berklee, however we had decided earlier on to go with MI. The reason being that music being the difficult career that it already is, we felt that Hollywood and LA being the center of the Industry would give him far more exposure and opportunity early on and also provide more opportunities for internships etc. </p>
<p>At MI he was accepted into the small select pool for Bachelors Degree students and so far we find the courses have been challenging, the instructors great - furthermore he has already got to go to NAAM along with the MI contingent - this is the largest convention of the organization the National Association of Music Merchants. And ofcourse a lot of world famous guitarists and musicians drop by on a regular basis to give clinics. </p>
<p>We were keen on Berklee because we felt Boston was a safer environment, however weather wise California is much better and MI has a more compact campus with a smaller student body making is easier to manage. And if you live on the right side of Hollywood it is really equally safe (or unsafe !!) as Boston I think. </p>
<p>So there is where we are ! Hope this helps the others on the look out there.</p>
<p>My son is in a similar situation to yours. He cannot get into a traditional college like USC Thorton or Berklee. All he wants to do is play rock music 24/7, so we have pretty much decided that he will go to MI. How is your son doing since graduating from MI?</p>