<p>Hi fellow music geeks (: I'm only a sophomore, but it's never too early to start looking. I would like some suggestions of good schools for music that fit these requirements:
1. In Wisconsin (preferably not a UW), Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, or Michigan. I'd be willing to go a bit farther, but not too much.
2. Must have a good music program.
3. Must offer BMs in composition.
4. Price doesn't matter that much, but I'd like some cheaper options...
5. Nothing giant like michigan or indiana please
6. Not a conservatory. If it's a conservatory within a college, that's fine, but I don't really want to go to Juilliard or New England or anywhere like that.
The schools I am currently looking at are Oberlin ($$$$), Lawrence, University of Iowa, DePaul, Illinois Wesleyan, St. Olaf, and Western Michigan.
Thanks guys (:</p>
<p>Northwestern?</p>
<p>Wooster?</p>
<p>We need to know more about what kind of composition program you’re looking for to properly guide you. between now and freshman year of college your aesthetic and interests are bound to change, but for now what kind of music are you interested in composing/studying? Are you looking to write concert music, or are you more interested in composing for film/games or popular music? Why do you feel you must have a BM in Composition, rather than a BA in Music with a composition track? (This can be just as good, in my opinion.) And when you say it must not be a big school, note that all composition departments are relatively small (perhaps not UMKC) and you will be in an oasis within any large institution. Or do you want a comp program with a limited number of graduate composers? Do you know anything about the professors at the schools you listed, or the ones you’ve written off (Michigan, Indiana?)</p>
<p>What kind of experience do you already have composing? Have you participated in any summer programs, entered any competitions, had your works performed? Do you currently study privately with anyone, or take any kind of group lessons such as in a pre-college program? What kind of music do you listen to, what kind of concerts do you go to? Do you play an instrument? Lots of questions. The more you tell us about yourself, the more we’ll be able to help.</p>
<p>My S liked DePauw in Indiana and Baldwin-Wallace in Ohio for voice performance. But I don’t know about their composition programs. </p>
<p>I’ve been composing since I was 10, and seriously composing since 15. I am currently studying with a professor who has a DMA in composition. I am also studying college level music theory. I’ve been playing piano for 10 years, percussion for 4, and I also play guitar and organ, but I would consider piano my main instrument. I mostly compose concert music, with an emphasis in catholic liturgical music. I have not had any works performed yet, but I hope that is coming. Also, my teacher is published and I am hoping that he will be able to help me get published as well. I mostly write choral, piano, and wind instrument works. I would really like a BM because of the focus of music classes rather than the focus on liberal arts, but if the right school came along, I would probably also consider a BA with composition emphasis. Thank you for your help everyone :)</p>
<p>Sorry, typo up there. I meant I’ve been seriously composing since I was 13.</p>
<p>With the emphasis on choral music you might want to check out Westminster Choir College and Luther. St. Olaf, also sounds like a good choice for you. Maybe Drake in Iowa. I would advise you to listen to the music of the professors at some of the programs on your list, such as University of Iowa and Oberlin. Tonal choral music is not their forte. </p>
<p>Wooster would be a great fit, because they have a senior capstone project/senior recital that blows every other one in the country (except Princeton, supposedly,) out of the water! You’d essentially be doing professional/graduate-level work your senior year because you can’t leave without making an original (and lengthy) contribution to your field. The music people I knew from Wooster are ALL employed and gigging. </p>
<p>I think, honestly, that most composition majors do a major work in senior year. </p>
<p>Your list plus Wooster and Northwestern are good choices. If you are open to LAC’s, maybe Macalaster, Carleton, Grinnell, Kenyon. CCM and CIM are in Ohio of course, but are conservatories. Eastman and Ithaca (conservatories affiliated with college/university) aren’t that far from your area, nor is Carnegie Mellon. Just off the top.</p>
<p>Read websites thoroughly and listen to music written by students and professors. Different schools have different aesthetics, as Spirit Manager said.</p>
<p>I googled “sacred music programs” and Westminster, U. of Florida and Florida State came up, along with Notre Dame and Franciscan U. at Steubenville for “Catholic sacred music programs.” There are several master’s degree programs as well, including Boston University. I would see how your compositional interests might fit at those schools as well.</p>
<p>You will find that that compositional world is very different from, say, Oberlin, but that doesn’t mean your interests won’t change. I would try to find a place where you can be comfortable composing the music you are interested in, but also a place where you will be able to stretch and develop. Sometimes, going to concerts at schools can be helpful: diversity in style can be a really good sign for a composition program in many ways.</p>
<p>You mentioned U of Iowa. I would say that it might not be a great fit based on your musical interests because of the particular aesthetic (European modernist in more of an old-fashioned sense). Most of the composers there tend to write in a similar style- can’t say if that’s due to the influence of a particular teacher or whether that it’s just that those students who are attracted to the school for whatever reason, but my impression is that it might not be an open environment where you can pursue your own voice.</p>
<p>Westminster has a very strong vocal and choral program and will have plenty of organists, but the school lacks an instrumental program and orchestra readings are only available with a not-great community orchestra. Even if your focus is on sacred music, being in an environment with greater resources and a variety of instrumentalists will help you to grow more as a composer. I think it might be harder to develop a more diverse portfolio with limited performers at one’s school.</p>
<p>If you have any questions regarding Ohio schools, feel free to PM me. CCM is a conservatory, but it’s one college within UC, so you take university classes for electives and gen eds. There is a strong choral program & a new commissioning program between CCM choruses & chosen composers happening on a biannual basis. I can’t say that OSU, OU, Miami have really strong composition programs. I know there are some good things being done by a CCM alumna teaching at Ohio Wesleyan (liberal arts college with music program, not a conservatory), but it’s a newer program. CIM only has one professor and about 10 composers, so very small, and haven’t heard much about the program. One current CCM grad student went there and seemed to like it. Compdad knows a lot about Oberlin and should be able to chime in!</p>
<p>Stephen Dembski at UW-Madison is fantastic, but I know that the school doesn’t offer much/any scholarship. He’d be a really interesting and open person to study with, though! </p>
<p>I have another composer friend at Saint Olaf who is having a great experience there. The ensembles are very good (& not just for chorus) and he’s having plenty of performances and opportunities there.</p>
<p>Anyway, sorry for so many separate posts (it’s easier when typing on my phone)! You definitely have time as a sophomore (I was barely thinking about composing when I was one!). I would focus on writing, doing score study and a lot of listening, & trying to have your music performed and see where that leads you! When I was applying for schools, I looked to find the most musically open environment possible where nobody sounded the same and I think that’s a sign of a healthy program. Listening to professors’ music can be useful, though this can’t necessarily tell you if the person in question is a good teacher or not. Plus, it can be good to study with someone with a very different aesthetic (a good teacher wouldn’t force theirs upon you). Talking to current students can be immensely useful as well!</p>
<p>Musician 34 has a lot of great information! </p>
<p>One additional suggestion might be to attend a summer program next year. That may be one of the best ways to get a good recording for an application portfolio. There are threads on here on the various summer programs for composers.</p>
<p>We have hinted at the important thing for composers: a school that allows you to develop your individual “voice.” That is why diversity of style in a student concert can be a good sign. You might want to read Alex Ross’ book, “The Rest is Noise,” and listen to some 20th and 21st century composers. Are you familiar with works that Musician 34 terms “European modernist”? The aesthetics really do vary from school to school and you want to make sure you land in a place where your own “voice” can be supported.</p>
<p>When the time comes, you can apply to a variety of schools, including conservatories and LAC’s or universities, and choose in April of senior year.</p>
<p>Summer programs are a great way to find teachers that you want to study with in college. Probably too late for this year so make that a priority for your junior year.</p>
<p>As spirit manager suggested I am curious about your perception of “huge” programs like Michigan and Indiana, particularly when you have a school like Western Michigan on your list. If your reasons are departmental aesthetic, fine. But if its strictly connected to size of school, spirit mgr is correct that you will not “feel” it; that you would be part of a compositional oasis, so to speak 
</p>
<p>I would think that in terms of composition, having a handful of peers to work with (eg at U Mich you might have 8 cohorts in your stream) and a wide variety of accomplished profs and great selection of styles might be desired because it can actually offer MORE opportunity for specialization. And at a larger school, there is of course a corresponding wealth of opportunity to have your work performed and to network with a high calibre (and number) of professionally-tracked musicians, plus foray into additional areas given the breadth of course availability.</p>
<p>So I wasn’t sure if you were concerned about size of the overall student body or size of the music department specifically, and why. Some who prefer a LAC style size and environment in general terms might not have Western on their list for example…while its music program is respected in these parts, its also a school not particularly distinguished for general rigor and with a bit of a rep as a party school ;)</p>
<p>While for your purposes I don’t suspect that the latter matters, I must assume that if you don’t want a straight conservatory, and do want the music dept to be part of a university, that academic caliber would be germane.</p>