<p>I don't know about contemporay music interest - but if you are looking to cut down a school based at all on musical theatre - take away purchase - they have given up pretending that they do musical theatre. Meanwhile, and these are not close to NYC - but I wonder why Syracuse, Fredonia, Ithica are not on your list - unless your not interested in a four year training program - and, conversly more interested in being close to the professional work so as to take advantage of whatever opportunity might come up,</p>
<p>MTDog, Angst's D is not looking for MT programs. Your information is correct if you are talking MT. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>Correct mtdog...D. wants to be close to the city. I recognize what you all are saying about the school vs. the city..however this girl has been driving me nuts for years saying she wants to go to LA or NYC..and now that its coming in college time..she is a junior..I think its a reasonable thing..she has in mind that this is her desire and I respect that..
She also loves HEAT..so Syracuse was eliminated due to distance and temp.</p>
<p>We have made major inroads at looking at NY schools soon we will put up our CA list..</p>
<p>Yes Susan is right ..we eliminated MT as a major. She really enjoys MT..but it's not her goal for a career.</p>
<p>Hmm excellent points as usual Susan..!</p>
<p>We are looking at CA schools coming up this weekend and Musicians Institute is on the list! As are others. I will share the final list this weekend.</p>
<p>We have a friend whos D. goes to Belmont and she said it was mainly country..so thats what turned us off there. D. is definitely not country and Berklee appears to be more Jazz though that is probably going to be a safety.</p>
<p>BTW Susan..the five schools you say BINGO too are</p>
<p>Belmont
Beklee
Musicians Institute
CArts</p>
<p>and what is the other?</p>
<p>NY is not looking too good at this point. </p>
<p>D. thought NYU had a commercial music program..(not sure why..but does anyone know for sure)</p>
<p>Purchase sounds like its classical
Pace more theater</p>
<p>So that leaves 5 Towns..which I think is likely too small.</p>
<p>Ok..</p>
<p>Angst, I'm not sure what you mean by a 'commercial music program' but I don't think that any of NYU's programs is what your D is interested in. Here's what they have:</p>
<p>Tisch -</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Musical Theatre in CAP21
*she doesn't want MT</p></li>
<li><p>Clive Davis Dept. of Recorded Music: this is a program for students who want to be music producers. Here's the description of the program:</p></li>
</ol>
<p>During the first year of study, students are introduced to the recording studio, both the business and administrative aspects of running a studio and the studio as a creative laboratory. They study a diverse range of recording techniques and learn about the history of the recording industry from its initial stages in the beginning of the 20th century to today's bustling marketplace of mass-produced images and sounds. In the second year, students have the opportunity to study the "artist," how material is selected and arranged, and how a complete album is constructed in the studio. The third year focuses on the business, including artist development, radio promotion arts and repertoire, contracts, songwriting, and music publishing. Students examine distribution, marketing, publicity, and promotion, such as film, music videos, etc. The final year culminates with a required internship and a capstone project in which students develop a full creative plan to launch a new artist.</p>
<p>As is the case with all Tisch programs, professional training is combined with a solid liberal arts education. In addition to the 56 points taken within the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music, students are expected to earn a total of 44 general education points in courses offered by Tisch (including courses through the Department of Art and Public Policy) and the College of Arts and Science. Students also earn points in elective courses taken at Tisch, the College of Arts and Science, the Steinhardt School of Education, and the Stern School of Business.</p>
<p>*she wants performance and does not want any liberal arts.</p>
<p>Steinhardt-</p>
<ol>
<li>Vocal performance:</li>
</ol>
<p>a. Musical theatre
*not what she wants</p>
<p>b. Classical voice and opera
*not what she wants</p>
<p>c. Music Business - Steinhardt Music Business undergraduates participate in a core music curriculum in music theory, history, and keyboard skills, along with a rich liberal arts foundation. Students take classes in the Stern School of Business and follow an intensive and rich sequence of specialized music business courses.
*also not what she's looking for</p>
<p>Those are the music related programs available at NYU, none of which appear to be what she wants. Also, keep in mind that at NYU, every student has certain liberal arts requirements, regardless of what type of program they're in. She may find that this is the case at many colleges.</p>
<p>I can help advise you about L.A. I lived there for 6 years. But I am still not understanding what exactly your daughter wants to study.
Can you give me more info as it relates to L.A? How far do you mind driving for auditions, etc.?</p>
<p>xxx,Mary Anna</p>
<p>Angst, </p>
<p>For contemporary or commercial music...
I was saying...
Berklee
University of the Arts (in Phila...NOT Cal Arts)
Belmont
Five Towns College
Musician's Institute</p>
<p>William Patterson is worth looking at with jazz vocals anyway.</p>
<p>For now, I've looked at each of those. Have you looked at the websites for all these schools? Example...Belmont does not bring up country music. It talks of contemporary music. Do not simply go by what one person says. Read the site and ask questions of the school for yourself. </p>
<p>I've gone down the list of the ones I originally had and some are more fitting than others. So far, those above fit the TYPE of study your D wants. But I still think SHE should examine the paths I was describing in previous posts as to what the options are be it a specialized major, a vocal performance major, being in a certain city, a gap year, etc. </p>
<p>Have you looked at music at Sarah Lawrence? Just talk a look at the philosophy and courses. Better yet, equip her with these posts and these lists I find and have her explore each one to see the differences and to be familiar with what is out there. It is very easy to just say I want to be in LA or NYC and not really have looked into colleges to see the various options and to list the pros/cons for each school and then to weigh those options. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>Hope you saw some of the others I've posted to look into. I just read about Millikin's courses and they have commercial music in relation to vocal performance. It is in Illinois. </p>
<p>Have you read about Univ. of the Arts yet or Belmont? Take a look at their sites, same with Musician's Institute. The thing with University of the Arts (Philly), it is not THAT far from NYC in the sense of being able to go there often. Did you explore what Five Towns or William Patterson had? You have to DELVE but doing it online is not that hard. I have checked almost every school that I listed initially, some were spot on, some weren't. But you do have to check them yourself and read what they are about. Give your D this thread and have her go from there. It means exploring the paths/options we discussed, plus her going to the websites for each school and jotting down points about each one and then figuring pros/cons, which fit best, which to explore more.</p>
<p>So far, then, already ones that seem to fit what you've been talking about other than merely location:</p>
<p>Berklee
University of the Arts
Belmont
Five Towns
Musician's Institute
Millikin</p>
<p>related....William Patterson
Susan</p>
<p>Angst, I realized when you wrote in a previous post that Berklee seemed like mostly jazz...this is NOT correct. They do have jazz but they also have rock and pop music. Have you read the site thoroughly? I know two kids going there from my little town. Both studied voice with the same voice teacher as my daughter. One went to high school with my girls and has a talent scholarship at Berklee, took a gap year, deferring his admission and is now a freshman. He is going into rock/pop music. Neither kid is doing jazz. Both also had done Musical Theater growing up. I have read Berklee's site and know of its reputation for contemporary music as one of the best out there and that is why for a year now I have been suggesting it to you. I would not have if I thought it was just jazz. They have courses specifically for rock and pop. Same with performance ensembles. Please take a look. Same with Belmont, which does not get into country music in many of its descriptions and has contemporary music (commercial) too. Have you taken a look at University of the Arts? It has so much of what your daughter is interested in!! And your daughter wanting to be a pop star would benefit from more dance and they even have strong dance there as well as commercial/contemporary music degrees.</p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>I didn't read all the previous posts so not sure if someone said these already, but Hostra University in Hempstead, NY (long island area i believe) has a music merchandising program with good internships in NYC available, and also the College of St. Rose in Albany, NY (colder here I think, and not as close to NYC) has a similar type program.</p>
<p>I don't think Angst's D wants music merchandising but rather wants performance in a program that emphasizes contemporary/commercial/popular music. In some earlier posts, I mentioned that Hofstra has a major in Jazz and Commercial Music and I asked Angst to look into if this major includes vocal performance and not just instrumental. She'd have to delve further or even contact the school. This was one I would have looked into as at least they HAVE commercial music. I hope they have contacted Hosfstra about the major which I read about on their website and mentioned earlier as a POSSIBILITY though more info. is needed to ascertain if it is geared also to singing in that major. I hope they look into that one and the others I found that I listed above that DO have her field. </p>
<p>I still believe that a decision as to which path to take is at the forefront here. I would not use a college as a way to get to NYC or LA. You can go to those cities and try to make a go of a career without college. If you want college, then you need to find a college that offers the programs you want and if the program you want is specialized, then you have to go where the colleges are and upon graduation, then go to NY or LA if you desire. </p>
<p>As a parent, I can see wanting my kid to go to college because an education serves you well in life. There are BA degrees and vocal performance majors that are not specialized in commercial music but would still serve her well in terms of an education or in becoming trained in voice. Look at someone like Nora Jones. But I also believe that many who are in commercial music do not need a college degree to get there. That is why a gap year to pursue the field is also an option. I mentioned the girl from my town who is pursuing this and now has several albums out and is on a national tour and came to perform in our hometown last night and it seemed like the whole town turned out. She is making it. While she did go to a liberal arts college for a short time, she has stopped going (is now 22), plus took a GAP year before college to cut her first solo CD but now has CD's with her band and has quite the following and is on the road to success. I can't help but think that if Angst's D wants to pursue this passion, that there are things she can do besides college to get there as well. But if college is the route, then going to a place that has the specialty of commercial music no matter the location, will set her up and there will be networking and help on how to get into the industry. That's what schools like Berklee or UArts or Musician's Institute are about. But going to a regular college and studying music and pursuing pop music on the side is also an option. I would not, however, pick a college in NY just to get to NY. You can get to NY way cheaper. I also think that realistically going to NY is not how you necessarily make it at age 18. You often must start regionally in the commercial music field. Get gigs in your region. Cut CD's. Get a following. Make contacts in the field, etc. </p>
<p>These are the issues to be decided on before picking out which college to attend. Perhaps a teen needs guidance on the ways to get into this industry, the various educational paths, and so forth. Having eyes set on NYC or LA is an ideal but how you 'make it" in the field is something to learn about and talk to those in the industry. Going to a big city to make it is something you can do without college. If choosing college, however, choose the college itself that will match what you want in an education, not simply due to its location. If you want a college in NYC so you can audition, you won't have much time to pound the pavement to get work, as you'll be a student. Why not take a GAP year and pound the pavement if you want to try that out? IF you pick a school in a city so you can be in that city, you might not stick the program out if it really doesn't have the programs you are interested in. If you definitely want a college education first, then find the best program to really help you hone your craft and there are well regarded programs out there but they are not necessarily in those two cities. Talk to those at these schools I've mentioned and ask them how their graduates do and how they get into the commercial music field. Some really make it and they did not start out at 18 in NYC to do so but rather went to these programs that prepared them for a career in the industry and how to get there. </p>
<p>That's the discussion I'd be having. </p>
<p>Susan</p>