School List for music composition major(film scoring bent)

College Majors Music Major
1

I’m a Chinese student seriously considering to major in music composition majors. Since I am not able to visit any schools in the US, I read a lot from school websites, online discussion pages and emailed the professors about some questions. Now I’m reconsidering about my school list because I’m worried about whether I would fit in style of the schools I’m applying for and whether they are too competitive for me.
I have learned music theory a year ago and piano for six. Then I have done some basic film scoring practice under a film scoring undergraduate student in Beijing. It’s not until this summer have I started to take private composition classes. I’m struggling on music portfolio currently. Therefore, I’m looking for schools that both have good academic side and can help me to build solid music foundations. I’m also looking for music programs that has film scoring opportunities.
Here are the schools I’m considering:
Oberlin(BA Music)
UMich PAT(Probably Dual Degree with School of Literature, Art & Science)
NYU Steinhardt(Film scoring)
Bard(BM Music+BA dual degree)
Occidental(BA Music) They’ve got a new composition professor who is specialized in film scoring.
UCLA(yet I’ve just heard that they just accept 5 students a year so its far too competitive for me)

Schools not sure: wesleyan, UNCCH, USC, Skidmore, Bucknell, Berklee.

Based on my condition, do you have any recommended schools for me?
Thanks a lot for your patience to read this…Please forgive me for any possible grammar/vocabulary mistakes…

2

It sounds to me like you could benefit most from applying to BA programs at any school that you like. it does not have to be a school with a conservatory. Many composers do not go to conservatory or music school, and many do- there are many paths for composition students. But since you have only been studying composition seriously for a year or so, and are “struggliing” with the portfolio, the lower stress route of applying to colleges for a BA degree will get you to the same place ultimatelty, with no need for portfolio or audition (though you can always send a piece as an arts supplement if it is very good).

You can major in music as a general music major and learn theory, do solfege, study music history, composition, ehtnomusicology and most likely some classes in music and technology, which would point you toward film at some point perhaps.

You can also major in something else and take music classes, study privately, and continue to compose.

You can double major or major/minor too.

Film scoring programs at the undergrad level (Nerklee for instance) can be very hard to get into, yes, but also, it is good to get a foundation in music and composition before going into film scoring. There is a reason that USC has film scoring as a grad program only.

I would stop looking for schools with conservatories or with film scoring and focus on schools that fit your interests that you can get into, with some “reaches” that are harder to get into perhaps.

Wesleyan has always been very strong in world music. Skidmore, Vassar, Sarah Lawrence are all good schools for music. Bard might be a good choice- Spirit Manager tells us often here that composers who are not in the conservatory have opportunities there.

Tell us whether you want small or large, city or country or suburbs, and what kind of “vibe” you want.

There is a book (and a website) entitled “Colleges that Change Lives” that might interest you. I think you can broaden your search.

3

Thanks a lot for your reply!
Basically I’d like a college either in a city(like Barnard), in the suburb or near a city(like Bard). I’m looking for a college with close student community, student-teacher relationship and alumni network. A college with strong culture and seek to be “special” in any aspect would be attractive for me. Because I’m trying to major in music composition, I want a college with strong music atmosphere and great music programs. I don’t care too much about size of the school, yet a small university or a large liberal arts school would add additional points. Last but not least, I would like the campus to be beautiful architecturally(like Oberlin) with good cafeteria.
ps As the book you’ve mentioned, I’d already bought it after I saw your recommendation to another student in cc. It’s a very helpful book!

4

Bard is a terrific school, but it is not near a city. It’s in the middle of a very beautiful countryside–the Hudson Valley.

5

Loren Pope also wrote a book entitled “Looking Beyond the Ivy League” that has a lot of good information :slight_smile: Some non-conservatory, BA programs will have general music majors that include composition, and some may offer an actual composition focus (like Brown, for instance). Either way can work. Barnard is near Manhattan School of Music and might be a good choice- you could check into taking classes at MSM while at Barnard. Columbia, where Barnard students take classes, has an excellent composition department as well.

6

Up til now I’ve checked Oberlin, Bard, Oxy, Barnard, Wesleyan, Harverford, Colby, Williams, Richmond, Grinnell, skidmore and St. Olaf. They are all very strong in music, yet some of them seem to have not much composition classes. I still want a college with film music courses or faculty from that field, and few of them meet with my need. I am aware that general music composition is necessary foundation leading to film scoring, yet I just worried about the style of music composition from a school that pay attention to only classical or contemporary music. I don’t really like atonality… Anybody have further insights on the schools I’ve mentioned above?

7

Bard Conservatory is the wrong choice for film scoring. It is also extremely competitive - admitting no more than two composition students per year - those who’ve been composing for years with significant recognition or performances. I’d never heard of anyone going to Occidental for composition, but sounds like you found a professor there you like. You would be looking at admission there academically and your composition background (or lack thereof) would not be a factor. Neither would it be at Bard College, Wesleyan, Skidmore, Swarthmore, Tufts, and Williams which will all give you a good grounding in theory and composition as a BA (rather than BM) degree, with a wide range of taste and styles - but none will particularly focus on film scoring. Never heard of Barnard for composition. NYU does offer an undergrad track in film scoring. UCLA is grad work, as far as I know, and the undergrad composition department is very competitive. Michigan’s program would require a lot more experience than you currently have - it would be a long shot at best.

Colby, Haverford, Richmond, and Grinnell are not schools one usually looks for when looking for a composition program. However, there could be some great teachers there that I know nothing about - as is a possibility in almost every program across the country.

What I think you’re looking for are schools which offer commercial music programs such as Belmont, Denver, Middle Tennessee State, and Berklee - but none of them are particularly known for their academics. San Francisco Conservatory offers a new undergrad degree in scoring - for film, and video games - but no academics. You might also look at CSU Long Beach or Chapman in Southern California. The University of Missouri, Kansas City has a very large composition department, and many Chinese students. It would be worth a look, but it is a classical department.

The truth is - film scoring is a graduate pursuit in the US, not undergrad. It is considered more of a professional degree, than an academic one.

8

University of North Carolina School of the Arts and SUNY Purchase have film schools and composers work with film students I believe. Miami Frost seems to come up a lot for contemporary work along with Berklee, Belmont, NYU and other schools listed in Spirit Manager’s excellent post. I don’t know if Cal Arts would be another idea-?

Many composition programs are not focused on atonal work or “new music”. You are smart to think about the aethetics of a particular program and one way to check that out is to listen to faculty works.

You might also want to look into areas like music production, digital arts, etc. if you want to do studio work right away. These are more career-oriented majors. UMass Lowell and Northeastern are schools in my area that are good with these, also Hartt at U. of Hartford. And some of the schools mentioned above.

I don’t know that much about film scoring these days but would repeat what Spirit Manager said, that undergrad tends to be foundational at many schools and in that sense, you can go almost anywhere. Find a school with a composition class that you can take more than once, a school with access to teachers, or a school where you can do your own work and are more likely to get it played. Many schools will meet these criteria.

9

You should definitely consider checking out Berklee. They have a film scoring major with good alumni connections. 30% of their population is international and getting larger. They travel to China for auditions which would be very beneficial to you. Campus is an urban setting in the back Bay Area of Boston. The school is very liberal and is part of an arts consortium so you can take classes at other schools if you want. You won’t be accepted into the film scoring major initially but will have to apply after your first year at the school. Their facilities are state of the art. They travel all over the world to find their students which is sort of unique. Good luck to you!

10

Berklee is competitive. A young person who wants to compose, but hasn’t done a lot yet, as the original poster stated, could possibly do better at a college rather than a conservatory. And admission requirements (portfolio, possibly audition) might be difficult at this stage of the game too. Many composers go to college and develop there.

You mention struggling with the portfolio but have worked with a teacher and done some film scoring. Do you have a portfolio that you think will help you be admitted to a conservatory or to the schools on your list? They are competitive, yes. Are you underselling your work and ability to produce a portfolio that could get you into these schools? Maybe you are being modest. It is hard to tell.

We don’t know anything about your academics so it is hard to say anything about that part of your admission process.

Again, I think you can widen your list because you seem to be applying to several schools that DO have a conservatory, but want to do a BA and possibly study other things as well. The presence of a conservatory can be a drawback when you are not in it- but it depends on the school and needs to be checked out. You really need to check out the particulars on, as you have implied, websites :slight_smile:

You do mention a BM at Bard, which is very competitive for composition in the conservatory. You could instead do a BA there in music or any other subject and still work with the composition faculty and have performances- so it is an option to apply to the college rather than the conservatory and not lose out on opportunities at that particular school.

The main thing is, for a composer, things can work out no matter whether you choose BM or BA, and things can work out if you attend any of a variety of schools. Sometimes it takes patience because many schools want you to get a classical foundation before you move on to grad work in film work.

If you want to go directly into film work, and your portfolio is better than you seem to think it is, by all means try for Berklee, and other schools that DO have undergrad film scoring. Good luck!

ps Many BA programs do not have a lot of courses in composition. This is misleading in terms of judging a curriculum. There might be one course or seminar that can be taken more than once. You take theory and music history. Undergrad is foundational. In the meantime, you can work with a teacher in a class or you can work on your own and hope to produce, in four years, a portfolio for grad school. In your case, yes, you would want to take a film scoring course or do some of that work as an extracurricular. Again, the aesthetic of a program is going to be important to you.

11

I can speak to Barnard - I’m studying composition at Columbia, and based on the Barnard website it seems like music majors at Barnard pretty much work entirely in the Columbia music department.

The composition faculty here are extremely good, and there are a lot of undergrad filmmakers at both Columbia and Barnard, many of them ridiculously talented (especially at Barnard, where a lot of film classes take place!). If you’re not a big fan of atonality, or quote-unquote “avant-garde music,” though, you might find Columbia/Barnard a little too out-there. I would really recommend stepping outside of your comfort zone, but almost all of the composers here are pushing the boundaries in some way, at least those who are actually studying composition. If you want an education that focuses on film music specifically, you’re not going to get that here - you would really need to take control of your own education, and decide what you need. It won’t be decided for you.

Good luck!

12

@Tshiknn - Great to see you posting! I hope Columbia is going well for you. Been thinking about you!

13

I just want to say more directly, that unless you have an unusual talent that has blossomed without much time to develop, you will not get into conservatory-based programs or programs for film-making. Instead, I think you should apply to regular colleges for a BA- doesn’t have to be music even. Take classes in theory, a seminar in composition, and most of all try to find someone to study with. Go to summer programs. Continue to develop your composing. It doesn’t sound like you are ready yet for competitive programs specifically geared to composition of film scoring UNLESS you are an anomaly and are writing full fledged, fully worked high quality compositions after so little experience. I am being honest to save you trouble. That does NOT mean you cannot composer or score for films. There are prominent composers who didn’t even start until mid-20’s.

You might want to google Bennington as an example too- an alternative kind of curriculum with a lot of independent work and faculty who would work with you.

14

THX for so many information you’ve bring up!!
I’m aware that I am lack of music composition experience because of the limited time since I’d decided to major in music. I would definitely apply to Bard or Oberlin in BA music. In fact most of the schools I’ve been considered to apply to are liberal arts colleges with a good BA music program, including Bard, Oberlin, Wesleyan, Occidental and Barnard. There’re just two BM program I plan to apply, including NYU and UMich. As for my academics, I’ve not received my SAT score for December yet, my October SAT score is 2100, and my weighed GPA is 3.98. Moreover, thanks for your insights on the courses offered in BA program. I would pay more attention on the course descriptions and maybe emailed professors to ask about their curriculum. It is quite hard to get the sense of the aethetics of a particular program, yet I would keep trying.
ps I’ve just finished my application to PAT program in Umich and received invitation to the audition. I’m very excited about this!!!
pps I’m still trying to widen my school lists by all of the information you’ve provided, and I decide to concentrate on BA programs which might be more suitable for my situation.

15

Thanks for your insights on the music composition major in Barnard/Columbia. I’ve been visited Barnard in October but did not have the opportunity to visit Columbia. When I talked with the music professor in Barnard, she told me that music composition majors would mostly take place in Columbia. She also recommended me to “self-design” a interdisciplinary major in music and film if I want, so I believe I could make myself a path if I could study in Barnard.
ps Do you know is there any possible cooperation between music and film students in Columbia?

16

I know a student doing composition at Columbia who is very happy there, and I also know a young woman who graduated from Barnard and did vocal performance while there, and sings professionally. I think Barnard is a great idea. Someone else will come on here who knows specifics, but I am sure that route will give you opportunities to work with film. Columbia has an outstanding electroacoustic studio (Sam Pluta runs it I think) and work in that area will help you with film too. And don’t forget that a lot of work can happen outside the academic structure, as extracurricular projects. You might work with a student doing a film project that way too. And in NYC there are lots of internship opportunities. Good luck!