<p>Can anyone recommend a college that is in Seattle area that has an awesome music dept.?</p>
<p>I’ll let the composition experts provide more specifics, but you might waant to take a read through the links here in the interim: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1063934121-post21.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1063934121-post21.html</a></p>
<p>You may want to check out Cornish College of the Arts.</p>
<p>I don’t have any solid info on Seattle composition. But check out University of Puget Sound. (What kind of composition and what does awesome mean to your son?)</p>
<p>Have you ever heard anything about them personally? - that is who I have spent the most time researching online…</p>
<p>Hello!
We live about 2 miles from UPS…but have never heard anything about their music dept. - have you?
He composes his own music - classical & film (major motion picture)…he plays the keyboards & piano - and also violin for his schools for past 6 years. He is VERY gifted.
By awesome - we mean a school, instructor that will help him grow & not pigeon hole him into the just the strict teachings of composition.
He wants to learn the “science” behind composing.
THANK YOU and hope to hear from you!</p>
<p>I googled “music composition Washington” and BM programs at both the University of Washington and Washington State came up. Sonoma State is south of you, but that is a possibility, as are other CA schools or conservatories. (Also Peninsula College and Central Washington U.). I thought of Cornish, but don’t know much about it.</p>
<p>Does your son have teachers who could advise him?</p>
<p>Is he limiting his choices to Seattle schools?</p>
<p>By “science” behind composition, does he mean theory?</p>
<p>Does he want a college program, or conservatory?</p>
<p>If he is willing to go outside of Seattle, I’m sure many here could make recommendations.</p>
<p>If he still has time in high school, I think many people would suggest that he take some composition lessons with someone who can help with these decisions, and, of course, help him develop as a composer. A class in theory is helpful too. If you are located in Seattle now, a call to the music dept. at either Washington State or U. of Washington might result in a referral. Many high school students study with college professors or conservatory teachers in their final years of high school.</p>
<p>Maybe check into admissions requirements as well. Many Bachelor of Music programs want a portfolio of 3-5 works, and it is good to try to get some recordings for that purpose. A BA program at a college (meaning a music major at a liberal arts college) would not have the same requirements, and submitting just one composition on a CD can be enough.</p>
<p>Keep asking questions here, and as you provide more information people will answer helpfully :)</p>
<p>p.s. Washington State has an interesting-looking Festival of Contemporary Art Music in February, which might be worth checking out.</p>
<p>The reason Univ. of Puget Sound came to mind - my son’s new music ensemble will be playing a premier of a graduate from the program this fall - Brendan Faegre. (He is now getting an MM at Indiana.)</p>
<p>My DS will be starting UPS this fall in music, so I will have first hand info soon. If your son wants strong music and film departments, look at Chapman University. Southern California, not Seattle, but otherwise might be an option. Also USC, if his academic stats are high.</p>
<p>University of Puget Sound seems to have no BM program in composition, but students can study composition as a BA music major. They do have a BM for instrumentalists. They don’t list audition requirements for composition students (BM or BA), only for instruments and voice, so there may not be a composition portfolio required. It would be good to check that out.</p>
<p>Washington State has a BM in composition and also a BA in music, but they also don’t list audition or application requirements for composers, and the same seems to be true at the U. of Washington.</p>
<p>This may mean that composition applicants to all of these schools are expected to be also applying for an instrument, and need to audition for that. This was true at our state university and at Boston University. Would he be able to audition for violin or piano? It sounds like he would do pretty well, from what you say…</p>
<p>So anyway, looking at the websites doesn’t totally answer questions. Calling the music departments or admissions office for the music department might shed some light.</p>
<p>Does he want a “classical music” program? If he is interested in film scoring, folks here will have other suggestions. I think that the University of Southern California at Thornton comes up a lot for that, but I forget the others…</p>
<p>Finding a teacher for the last high school year(s) at any of these schools that might be close by, could be helpful… Good luck!</p>
<p>COMPMOM:</p>
<p>Thank you for replies!
My DS would most love to also apply for piano, as he composes all his own works on his keyboard (we cannot afford a piano - but we find coffee houses and such and he plays for fun whilst I drink!).- he actually never consisdered that others would play his pieces - only himself, so def performance in piano would be a plus.
The reason we are choosing SEATTLE is becuase his father, my DH, is disabled now and will not be able to travel far to see him for visits, and we are all very close/tight.
We live so. of Seattle near Tacoma.</p>
<p>DS would most likely appreciate the ‘classical comp’.</p>
<p>SPIRIT and MAMAKIN: would appreciate any info you come up with about UPS, and congratulations to your kids on both ventures :)</p>