<p>Does anybody have any experience with University of Michigan's Bachelor of Musical Arts program? It allows the flexibility to develop a secondary field of interest. My son is interested in piano performance and the audition requirements are the same as for the BM.</p>
<p>Do you mean the dual degree programs? Students can apply to BOTH the School of Music and one of the other schools of the univerity (LSA, Engineering, etc.) and pursue both degrees if accepted. Because there is a fair amount of credit overlap, this can usually be done in five years or less (especially if students take advantage of "spring term" classes in May-June or can make use of AP exams). Our daughter is a freshman performance major at the School of Music and is also doing a degree program at LSA, although for now she finds the work load pretty heavy. Her friends who are doing only music still have a chance to take other classes at the university, so it's a great school for pursuing other interests. By the way, because music students do take courses at the university, there are academic criteria for admission to the school of music in addition to auditions which is also true for other dual program schools like Northwestern and Oberlin, but not true for most conservatory-only schools. hope this helps</p>
<p>Yes, that is helpful information. Best of luck to your daughter.</p>
<p>The musical arts degree could be interesting. Eastman and Vanderbilt also offer the BM in Musical Arts.</p>
<p>Also Indiana, Penn State and Ithaca College have similar programs.</p>
<p>I am currently a University of Michigan LSA student, but I am interested in adding a BMA in Voice to my current degree program (English, minor in Community Action Social Change). In regards to my professional aspirations, I would like to partake in community outreach to impoverished, urban communities through music (and the Fine Arts in general). It is incredibly important to me that I have a legitimate background in music if I am going to do this. My question is: in my personal statement to the Umich SMTD, do I tell them my actual aspirations, or will the admissions office not like seeing someone who is not a strictly performance track? The BMA is a more academically distributed degree, but the direction is still performance…</p>
<p>Some BG Info: While I do not plan on taking on the lifestyle of a performer, I do LOVE performing, and I do not take singing lightly. I have studied voice for six years, and I do believe I am on a competitive level with other performances in the Voice Performance program (I have been in productions with voice majors, and I am in the University Choir).</p>
<p>Piano mom, I didn’t think BMA students actually had to apply separately to lsa because it’s not a dual degree program but more like a double major or cognate. You ay wish to check.
Cheers,
K</p>