<p>I'm looking for a school that has a good jazz or contemporary music program as a major but also has a strong acting program. (I also would like to know of other schools that have just the opposite, acting major, music minor). I see myself doing these two things as a career as I do just music now and get by on it. I enjoy the West coast so I would probably try to stay on this side but I also know you gotta go where the prospects are so moving is fine. I just got into Portland State University and will be hopefully starting their jazz studies program this Spring with a minor in theater. Idk how auditions will go because I just got in a car accident two weeks ago and can't use my right hand :( Doctor said I should be able to in the coming months. Just working hard to get better at the moment.</p>
<p>I already researched the obvious top choices like SUNY, Tisch, etc. Was thinking maybe some cool private schools with a good track record. Thanks again everyone</p>
<p>University of Southern California.</p>
<p>Go to [Music</a> Major - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/]Music”>Music Major - College Confidential Forums) and do thread title searches on both “jazz” and “contemporary”; you might also want to add “commercial”. <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/892168-search-tips-other-insights.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/892168-search-tips-other-insights.html</a> For contemporary, your options will be fairly limited (Berklee, USC/ Thornton, New School, UDenver/Lamont, CalArts, U of the Arts, UColorado Denver, Belmont). You might also have a look into some of the CTOC (colleges that change lives) schools.</p>
<p>As for acting, combining two performance disciplines even as a minor can be nigh on impossible. Performance is a time and credit intensive pursuit, and you will in most cases have scheduling conflicts and course availability issues.</p>
<p>Know the difference between BM and BA performance options, and what the flexibility of the BA may negate in terms of professional musical development.</p>
<p>Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Some of those schools look really great and I’ve started making a list to contact! I already have an AA degree with a GPA of 2.6 and never took the SAT or ACT’s. I feel this might hold me back from quite a few schools 
Really I just had a handful of terrible quarters in community college that hurt me for the other 2 years because in the last 1.5 yrs my GPA hasn’t fallen below a 3.0 at the very least. Does anyone have any input on how strong the audition process and recommendations is compared to grades? I also just found out my tuition benefits pay for certificate degrees as well as undergrad (real diploma) official degrees so if anyone has any info on that I’d appreciate it! Can’t seem to find anything on that.</p>
<p>Northwestern and Carnegie Mellon come to mind.</p>
<p>Neither Northwestern or Carnegie Mellon are hot beds of jazz, let alone the contemporary/ popular genres. The Northwestern jazz program has been in flux for a number of years; both programs are rooted in the tradition of classical performance. And while CMU had one of the few bagpipe performance majors in the US a few years back, trying to carve a musical niche within a program not geared to your goals, aspirations and performance specialty is not the smartest path.</p>
<p>Development as a musician, especially one aspiring to a professional level/potential career is a multi-faceted puzzle, but a few of the major factors are finding instructor(s)/mentor(s) that can get you to the next level, a group of equal or greater talented musical peers, performance and collaborative playing opportunities and a general body of peer musicians (students and faculty) of “like minds”. </p>
<p>As for the effect of audition versus grades, this will vary greatly by institution. The straight conservatories place little (if any) focus on grades or stats; conservatory level programs attached or within universities and colleges will consider both, and while the audition is what will determine if you are accepted musically, the academics will determine if you meet the admission bar for the parent university. At some, a strong audition may override academic weakness, whereas at others (like Northwestern) a top audition candidate with stats below the minimum most likely will not be admitted. The amount of “flex and give” is institution (and often instrument) specific. There are programs like Oberlin, Eastman where you can be admitted and matriculate at the conservatory, yet not be admitted at the college. You need to research EACH school. There is no one answer.</p>
<p>If you are considering an audition based admission, I strongly urge you to ask a moderator to move your thread here [Music</a> Major - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/]Music”>Music Major - College Confidential Forums). There are nuances and caveats to music based admissions beyond the scope of knowledge of most of the contributors to the search and selection and admission forums. Your best bet for accurate and knowledgeable responses for the performance and creative disciplines lie within the dedicated subforums. If nothing else, read this <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/258796-so-you-want-music-major-one-familys-experience.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/258796-so-you-want-music-major-one-familys-experience.html</a></p>
<p>(Undergrad) performance certificates are typically three year programs encompassing the BM curriculum without the academic general education requirements. In a nutshell, music theory/history, aural skills, piano/keyboard basics, applied instrument instruction and studio classes, and performance requirements for large, small and collaborative ensemble work in addition to a culminating recital(s). These can be viable alternatives for some. Most of the conservatory level music programs offer an undergrad performance certificate, but you’d have to dig deep to find one with a contemporary focus. Be extremely wary of for profit offerings such as Musician’s Institute, Full Sail in comparing what is out there at the typical not for profit educational institution.</p>
<p>Once again violadad proves himself to be one of the best contributors on CC. Bravo!</p>
<p>If you’re looking for a school that holds the audition as the most important factor and won’t be too competitive grades-wise, I’d for sure check out The New School. They have a dual degree BA/BFA program which allows you to obtain a BFA in The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music and a BA in their Eugene Lang College for Liberal Arts. Lang has an “Arts” major which allows you to take some gen ed and general arts classes as well as choosing an artistic emphasis (theatre is an option).</p>
<p>Just looked on The New School’s website and they also have a plain ol’ Theater Minor if you aren’t interested in another major.</p>
<p>Wow! I’m taken back by the amount of knowledgable and informative advice from you all. Thank you for taking the time. San Fran state U, SUNY, CUNY, and new school look very cool. Im basically looking for something with strong jazz/contemp as well as the city/thriving music/theater scene because I also play in indie rock, adult contemp, and hip hop groups as well as act. I know this is a lot of things to do and I would much rather take time to really focus on the music with some acting and drop some of the bands I’m in. The multi-instrumentalist who I’m in a band with now said he would move wherever I do for school as long as it’s a good music city and that’s why I think San Fran, NY, or maybe Austin would be cool spots. The band is just kinda waiting on the fence about a UK and Australia tour right now but I’d rather not neglect my schooling to bank on making money off of indie rock. I love all music and want to be a real musician! Read, write, understand, and communicate the language of music well. I am def skeptical of musicians institute and private for profit schools.</p>
<p>I’ll also ask the admin about changing this to music forum as that seems to be more of my academic focus. I just didn’t want to minor in theater at a school that has a weak theater department because I’m sure just like all students and parents on here, as we do it for love and like to have fun, we take our craft very seriously.</p>
<p>can I get this thread moved to the music major section? I don’t know how to go about doing that</p>
<p>If you click “report problem post” and ask the mods to move it, they probably will.</p>
<p>I don’t know about acting, but the University of North Texas (UNT) has a reallyyyyyyy good jazz program. And they have the alumni to prove it (Norah Jones, Bob Belden, Bob Dorough, Jimmy Guiffre, Tom Malone, among many more). I always thought it was one of the best in the country (one of those niche things in a school that people don’t hear about often unless they are active in the field).</p>
<p>Ya I have three friends that went to UNT. One graduated and is MIA but I’m sure doing well, one moved back after less than a year but I think he was just afraid to pursue music even as talented as he is, and the other graduated and is living in LA trying to make it while working at Starbucks. I’m really torn between Portland State U, San Fransisco State U, and UNT. I live 15-20min from Portland and for drummers we have Reinhardt Melz, Mel Brown, and Donny Osborne to name a few. My employer went to San Fran and loved it there, I know there is a lot of good players there too. UNT is pretty much a given thumbs up for drummers. My gf is also kinda pressuring me to move to San Diego and go to school around there because she is transferring this year. Ahhh starting to spend time stressing instead of enjoying myself. Time to practice!</p>
<p>Did anyone suggest Berklee?</p>
<p>Berklee has a good jazz and contemporary program, but no acting program the original poster was looking for.</p>