Hello! I was active on these boards a few years ago when my oldest son was applying to/auditioning for jazz studies programs as a guitarist in 2019 (class of 2023). He ended up at USC Thornton and loves it there.
It’s time to start the process again with my twin 16 year old juniors, both of whom are also interested in music. One of them is a singer/songwriter that plays guitar and piano and is interested in studying music production in college in a program that also includes some elements of songwriting and performance as well. Based on the little bit of research I’ve done so far, we are looking at these schools:
USC Thornton
Occidental College
Indiana University
Connecticut College
American University
Oberlin College
Elon University
Does anyone have a kid in the music production programs at any of these schools? Would love to hear about how things are going for students that went (or graduated) from these programs.
No clue - but I live in Nashville and people from around the country flow into Belmont and MTSU - neither prestigious - but very much so when it comes to most things music - I’m sure production.
My oldest thought about the music business for 2 seconds. Belmont is well known for this and in Nashville. Syracuse has the Bandier program. Maybe more business than you’re looking for. Maybe Emerson or Berklee in Boston ?
We have an acquaintance at University of Rochester studying audio & music engineering. It is a technical program but lots of opportunity for performing (No Jackets Required and various ensembles), music minor, recording sessions in the lab. It helps balance the “artsy” with “job prospects”, according to his parents.
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) also has a Music and Technology Minor that fits well with some of their other major programs.
The terminology for these fields vary and programs do too. The focus can be creative or technical or both. I will PM you with some info.
You might add Miami Frost, Berklee, Loyola New Orleans, U of Denver, Columbia College Chicago, Ithaca, Hartt…well, I could go on, and will include more schools in PM. Elon is a good one as is Thornton of course.
The big decision is whether to seek a BM program (3/4 music classes), a BA in music (1/4 music classes), major in something else with music electives, lessons and extracurrular performance, double major,double degree or major/minor. I suggest reading the essay Double Degree Dilemma in the Read Me section if you haven’t.
My junior is studying Music Engineering at University of Miami. He has adored every minute. I would make sure you know totally what your child wants, though, because Music Engineering and Music Production mean crazy different things at different places. In the end he chose between U Rochester, U Vermont, Elon, Syracuse, and Frost at U Miami. Visiting showed that the programs were VERY different from each other. He wanted more tech. At U Miami there is both a Music Engineering program AND a music production and writing track AND a music business track. He has friends who started in his program and switched to those less engineering-intense programs and friends from Engineering who switched into Frost. Happy to answer any questions. He is very happy.
My senior is applying this year and their favorite program is the RAMP (recording artist + music production) program within the music industry major at the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts + Design at Drexel which they got an acceptance from (early action). Definitely worth touring - 8 recording studios and impressive professors. Other schools that were considered are Univ of Michigan, USC Thornton, NYU, Berklee, Frost at U of Miami and Columbia College in Chicago. They only want to be in a major city and not interested in Belmont or University of Cincinnati although those might be good for your kids. Also looking at tech colleges like Georgia Tech + the Stevens Institute of Technology. Another to consider is Indiana.