<p>Good to hear you are making progress. Since you have a pretty good idea of what you are seeking, now you can do some research. USNews, although the rankings are meaningless, will give you a list of LAC's that you should investigate. You might also look at one of the college guides. Fiske has fairly detailed descriptions. From these sources you will start to get an idea of what the colleges offer. If you have a guidance counsellor, that person should be able to help with realistic assessments of where you could be admitted. The good news: there are lots of excellent LAC's you can pursue. The bad news: few of them have the money to offer generous financial aid, and some of the wealthiest, like Swarthmore and Williams, are only slightly less competitive for admissions than the Ivies. Grinnell is still a top school, not famous so your parents may not approve, but very wealthy and somewhat easier admissions. I know nothing about its surroundings or music programs. I don't know its policies on merit aid. Check it out, and discuss merit aid with your GC.</p>