S likes several LACs that graduate few music majors each year (NCES data show Wooster/6, Denison/3, WUSTL/5 vs Butler/17 DePaul/36) and I’m wondering how much we should consider this in building a college list?
S24(3.8uw, 30ACT) plans to apply as a music major (BA*, violin) ideally with a double major in Arts or Non-profit Mgmt/Public Administration. *He read the double degree dilemma and is firm on wanting a BA not BM. His private teacher says he isn’t a contender for top conservatories (which is fine by S) but he is preparing standard audition repertoire so on level but not a superstar. He isn’t interested in a performing career, more oriented towards working in music non-profits possibly with a private studio.
S is firm on starting as a music major and envisions a peer group interested in collaborating/forming ensembles. He loves LACs but is open to an honors college in a larger U scenario. Budget is 35k/year absolute max and we qualify for need based aid.
Interested in opinions. Should S avoid schools that graduate very few music majors? Even if they seem like an otherwise great fit?
I would guess that it should be one (of many) considerations in choosing a college. Such a tiny department may have few professors, limited course offerings, fewer outlets to perform etc.
He should do some research to determine if the department is sufficient for his needs. Some ideas might be to: contact the department head with questions, look online at the professors, courses offered (keep in mind not all classes listed will likely be offered every semester), performance groups etc.
A department with very few graduates may be small in terms of number of faculty, number of course offerings, and frequency of course offerings. But it would be best to check on these matters directly. The small number of graduates is mainly an indication that more investigation on the matter would be a good idea.
One thing I was going to mention, is if you’re looking at programs with grad schools, you need to consider how many of those students may be in the program, performing in ensembles,etc. I think DePaul graduates about 40 w/a master in music every year too. That program is not huge, but it feels robust.
I honestly don’t think with the right teacher fit and ensembles a small program is necessarily a deal breaker. My oldest kid applied to a bunch of options including double degree. We often found really good faculty at programs near/adjacent to major metros even if they weren’t known for music.
Have you looked at Lawrence University (LAC w/conservatory)? This sounds right up their alley. I think they are expanding their entrepreuership offerings right now.
I will say my double degree kid did get a great financial deal at a large public university and he had a lot of flexiblity and leeway to carve his own path.
Thanks for giving me some things to think about. I’ll take a closer look at the departments, course offerings and ensembles. Wish it was easier to figure out who is truly faculty and who is adjunct/private lessons only.
@KaylaMidwest Thanks for mentioning the grad students factor! I hadn’t considered the value of their presence in ensembles and studios in general. I was looking at it too narrowly, not wanting undergrads to be outnumbered and thus end of the line for opportunities. But its also true that their presence could be a real boon. Hmm…
Yes, Lawrence is on our radar as an LAC w/a conservatory but a low wall. I think it could be a great fit!
My high school junior will likely major in studio art, likes the idea of a broader liberal arts education, requires substantial financial aid, and is attracted to LACs and smaller universities. In our search, there are a number of LACs with smaller fine art departments that otherwise seem like great fits. Here are some of my random thoughts from my own exploration of the subject, which I’m very much still working through:
Fewer dedicated students and fewer professors in the program probably translates to greater student-professor relationships, which isn’t a bad thing.
But given that intimacy, it’s critical that the student have a potentially good relationship with those professors. For example, it’d really suck if your kid went to a school where the principal violin professor happens to be a jerk. This seems unlikely in most LACs whose focus is on teaching, but it definitely merits some due diligence. In this regard, we’re hoping to talk to one or more art students at the smaller schools to get a sense of things.
I expect that career and internship advising and resources will be less extensive at an school with a small music/fine art department. This might, however, be partially offset by having close relationships with the professors, who might play a more advising role. Again, this is something I’d want to inquire about beforehand on a school-by-school basis.
How important is it for your kid to have a sizable community of fellow music students? If your kid is looking to form a larger ensemble, it could be very important. But larger isn’t always better. It’s very possible a music department of 50 total music students might have a better sense of community than one with 500 music students. And, many, many great musicians and artists were not trained in large conservatories or academies but either taught themselves or learned as part of a small apprenticeship.
Schools with larger departments will have a greater variety of classes. This is especially important if a student is looking at a specific sub-genre. For instance, if a kid wanted to study animation, most LACs would be a poor fit. If you’re kid wanted to study, I dunno, Kentuckian bluegrass fiddle, that’s less likely to be an option in smaller music departments. That said, most schools offer independent study projects that allow students to explore subjects not explicitly offered. Many subjects can be learned without being taught.
Fit is important! I reckon a bad-fit school with a big art/music department would do more to dampen a kid’s artistic/musical ambition than a good-fit school with a small department.
I find that stereotypes in the arts don’t always the match the reality of the individual. For example, there seems to be an expectation that young artists want to spend 90% of their waking time on their art (as opposed to other studies), need the “vibrancy” of large cities, prefer the exclusive company of other artists over mingling with the non-artistic hoi polloi, and are apathetic toward things like school spirit and sports. In reality, artists/musicians come in all shapes and sizes.
Study abroad may be a way to broaden your kid’s musical education beyond the confines of a small music department. For example, we like schools that offer opportunities to study for a year at places like the University of Arts London. It’s a dedicated art school with 18,000 students. So, even if my kid goes to a small LAC with a small art department, she might nevertheless get a full academic year of the full-on “art school experience.” Some colleges also have programs in which their students study at a domestic art college for a semester or more. I imagine there are schools with similar study-away offerings for music.
As mentioned, I’m still working through these issues with my kid and I reserve the right to reverse course on any point at any point.
