<p>I don't know if anybody already asked this, so I apologize.
I was told instead of going to major in music education (I play many instruments, but I'm not exceptionally good at them, which is why this was suggested) to get a BA in music and then get a degree in education. I was told most colleges don't require and audition for a BA, however, I am having trouble finding any. I'd prefer if they were in the northeast, maybe a little of Ohio. Thanks!</p>
<p>There are so many choices, not sure how you couldn’t find any. What kind of schools are you looking at? If you were choosing a college for other reasons than music, which colleges would interest you? And, of course, what colleges will fit based on your grades, scores, and financial needs? Once you narrow it down that way, then see if they offer a BA in music. We could start listing schools - but could use more guidelines than just a geographic area.</p>
<p>Most BA programs for music do not require auditions. You apply to the college, and once there, declare a music major, usually sometime in your sophomore year.</p>
<p>If you are an excellent player, or have extensive music experience, you can choose to submit an arts supplement to the Common Application, which could include a CD or DVD of your playing, a music resume and letter(s) of recommendation from music teacher(s). But that is not at all necessary. Once admitted, you can go explore all kinds of classes and decide on a major, as I said, in your second year.</p>
<p>For extracurricular music activities, there are sometimes auditions, but those generally occur in the fall once you are actually attending.</p>
<p>You might also want to consider schools that offer lessons for BA music majors, preferably subsidized, though you can always study privately in the area where the school is.</p>
<p>Are you aware of the curriculum for a BA in music, and that it is not a performance degree? You would take music history, theory, aural training, ethnomusicology, composition, that kind of thing. Make sure to look at courses on the music department websites, for schools you are interested in.</p>
<p>So, to get back to your question, perhaps the most helpful thing here would be for you to post the schools that you have found, and that you are interested in, that DO have auditions. Perhaps there is some misunderstanding, or perhaps you are looking at one of the few exceptions: there are always exceptions.</p>
<p>mini: Does your state offer a state wide music level playing tests? In NY, the students are encouraged to participate in NYSSMA level playing tests each year. They range from 1-6 with 6 being the most difficult. If you are playing at a level 5 or 6 you and get a score above 97 then you would be ready to audition at most music ed schools or for a BA in music. (Conservatory bound students generally hit their level 6 earlier and are playing much harder pieces for their auditions.)<br>
If you are not yet playing at a high enough level, SUNY Oneonta offers a Music Industry major that you would not need to audition for. Once you are accepted you could keep taking lessons and apply for the BA in Music that is by audition. Also, SUNY Oneonta is right across the street from Hartwick college which offers a Music Ed Major and there are opportunities to take courses at each school once you are there. Good Luck.</p>
<p>Even if you’re not confident about your playing level, don’t disregard programs just because they have an audition requirement. At a smaller program, your ability to play multiple instruments may be an advantage and they won’t be demanding such a high level performance as a larger music school might. In other cases, the audition is simply to give the faculty a chance to get to know you musically - remember that they are looking for “potential for growth” in their program as well as any technique you may currently possess. While a performance major (BM) might be held to a strict musical standard during the audition, the panel is also looking for other qualities in potential music education majors (like a true interest in teaching) and BA students (general musical interest). Don’t sell yourself short! :)</p>
<p>And of course, one good way to find out if you would be competitive for admission is to schedule a sample lesson now with a faculty member at a school near you. Most faculty are happy to hear you play and talk with you about your goals for half an hour or an hour, and you could get some helpful feedback. They may ask you to pay for the lesson (no one ever charged us but it happens), but that could be money well spent.</p>
<p>I’ve mostly been looking into Slippery Rock University and possibly Kent State, just because I need to stay close to home. I also looked into Clarion University a little, but I was told their music program isn’t the greatest. We do not have state wide playing tests in Pennsylvania, or my school may not participate in them.</p>
<p>What about Susquehanna?</p>
<p>glassharmonica: I just checked, and Susquehanna requires auditions for all their music degrees.</p>
<p>I noticed that Clarion has a Liberal Studies in music, would this normally require an audition? and is this any different than a BA in music?</p>
<p>I just looked at all of the schools you mentioned and the BA degrees in music at Slippery Rock, Kent State, Susquehanna, and Clarion are all degrees that include performance, and require auditions. The Clarion Liberal Studies major in “music, music education” is a Bachelor of Science degree and does not require an audition, apparently. Kent State has suspended admissions for the BA in music program.</p>
<p>In most schools that I am familiar with (I am in the northeast, and am referring to Ivies and LAC’s mostly) you don’t even have to be able to play an instrument to major in music for a BA (except for piano in theory class). It is entirely an academic subject. Some schools with performance aspects to the degree require auditions and some don’t. I guess it will take some more searching through websites, for you…</p>
<p>There is a great book entitled “Creative Colleges” that lists schools with good music programs, and by that I mean, everything from freestanding conservatories, to music schools at universities, to programs that have non-performance BA’s. </p>
<p>So in PA alone: Albright, Allegheny, Bloomsburg U., Bryn Mawr, Bucknell, Carnegie Mellon, Cedar Crest, Chatham, Cheyney U., Clarion, Curtis, Dickenson, Drexel, Duquesne, Eastern U., Edinboro, Elizabethtown, Franklin and Marshall, Gannon, Geneva, Gettysburg, Grove City, Haverford, Holy Family, Immaculata, Indiana, Kutztown, La Salle, Lafayette, Lebanon Valley, Lehigh, Lock Haven, Lycoming, Mansfield, Marywood, Mercyhurst, Messiah, Millersville, Moravian, Muhlenberg, PA State, Phil. Biblical, Rosemont, St. Joseph’s, St. Vincent, Seton Hill, Settlement Music School,Shippensburg, Slippery Rock, Susquehanna, Swarthmore, Temple, U of PA, U of Pittsburgh, U. of Scranton, U of the Arts, Washington and Jefferson, West Chester, Westminster, Wilkes and York. Phew!</p>
<p>I looked randomly, and Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore do not seem to have auditions, but, say, Edinboro (which only has a BA) and Marywood do have auditions. Maybe you can find a school or schools on that list that suit your needs. Good luck!</p>
<p>compmom: Thank you so much! But is this a list of schools that just have BA’s or that don’t require an audition for them?</p>
<p>Again, I ask, where would you want to go if music was not part of the equation? What are you looking for in a school? Do you need to be within a certain distance from home? Will you qualify for financial aid? Do you have the grades to get in anywhere you want, or do you need to limit your search? A non-audition program will be solely dependent on your high school academic record, although your arts supplement, if submitted, could give you a boost. There are so many schools - you need to start narrowing your search based on things like size, peers, ultimate cost (after factoring in financial aid), location, course offerings, extracurricular offerings, frats/no frats, etc. Have you used any search engines on places like College Board to narrow your search?</p>
<p>This is a “comprehensive list” of schools with strong music programs: BA, BM, BS, dual major, and including music education. As I said, a random check of their BA programs, if offered, showed that some are audition and some are non-audition. You have to explore the websites very carefully.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that some non-audition schools may want auditions for merit scholarships.</p>
<p>Here’s something else to read: [Double</a> Degrees | Peabody Conservatory](<a href=“http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/conservatory/admissions/tips/doubledegree.html]Double”>http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/conservatory/admissions/tips/doubledegree.html) - a good explanation of the different music degrees.</p>
<p>I got the book “Creative Colleges” by Loveland, online. It has a lot of information, sample curricula, tips for auditions, programs by state, etc. etc.</p>
<p>I was surprised, honestly, that all the BA programs you first mentioned had auditions. Some of the schools that offer BM’s in a conservatory, such as Oberlin or Bard, will also have a BA in the college that is on the same campus. So check carefully to see if the academic music major, versus the performance major, in music, has auditions or not.</p>
<p>I think Spirit Manager makes some good points about finding schools that you like based on other criteria and starting with a narrower list, but hope that long list helps you find a few.</p>
<p>SpiritManager: All I really care about for the college is that they have a good music program and that I’m about an hour or 2 from home (I live about an hour north of Pittsburgh). I have a 3.6 GPA. I have used the College Board search engine, however, they take out a lot of schools that would fit my criteria because apparently a college having “music education” as a major isn’t the same thing as “music teacher education”, so it would remove a lot of schools that I could look at. I just assume it would be better to get opinions from real people and not an engine. :)</p>
<p>What is the difference between “music education” and “music teacher education”?</p>
<p>stradmom: That’s what I was wondering, too. Apparently to College Board it’s not the same thing.</p>
<p>Also, have you tried the search engines just searching for ‘music’ and not music ed? For instance, my son’s college offers a BA in music, but not music ed… Although you say all that matters is the music program - you’ll find there are many other factors which will contribute to the experience you seek. Don’t the other students matter to you? Whether it’s a residential or commuter college? Whether the classes you take will be interesting to you? I think you need to think a little more about what you’re looking for. “A Good Music Program” won’t be hard to find. A program where you’ll flourish is something more.</p>
<p>At the moment, I’m just trying to find the colleges that don’t require auditions, and then I’ll look in and see how good their programs are for me. I’m mostly just paranoid of not passing any of my auditions and need other schools to look at for back up.</p>
<p>So you can also look at schools in Ohio, as you said, and maybe NY areas like Buffalo, or Albany-? My geography isn’t great!</p>
<p>I would rely on websites. You cannot look at 62 websites though (there are 62 schools on that PA list). </p>
<p>I googled “music education degree PA” and “music teacher education PA” and got some results that are on the list.</p>
<p>Here is a list of music education programs that I found:
http://**************.com/search/sm2-music-teacher-education/</p>
<p>Remember, you also have the option of doing a BA in music at a non-audition school and then doing a master’s in music education.</p>
<p>p.s. the above link is not working, but it is on college ******* and came up when I googled music teacher education programs PA</p>
<p>compmom: I mostly just looked at the websites that I knew were close by (with my bad geography). If I can’t get in an audition school, what you mentioned is what I was planning on doing, but I’m having trouble finding schools near me that have a non-audition BA music programs, even though people said there were a lot. It just irritates me how I recently found out I learn instruments pretty easily, but it’s too late for me to get good enough on them to pass a college audition. I guess this is what I get for being a dumb, impatient child. :)</p>