UMich vs Sarah Lawrence

College Majors Music Major
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<p>Hi! I'm deciding between UMich's School of Music and Sarah Lawrence College. I heard that Sarah Lawrence has a good music program..and lots of individual attention (and less compitition and more performance opportunities for each musician)....but does it make a really big difference to go to an actual music school? I'm concerned that though SLC lets you spend 2/3 of your credits on music, but it still forces you to spend much time on academics (and treat music purely as a hobby)...I believe that if you want to become a professional musician, you really have to fully commit to music. Although, as SLC claims, you could explore both music and, say, literature (which is also one of my passion) during your four years of college experience, with 2/3 of the time spending on literature and writing, it is evident that you will end up doing literature.</p>

<p>Odd as it may sound, SLC students only has to take 3 courses per semester (along with its conference projects); however, they seems to have a pretty heavy courseload. I do not really know much about being a student at the school of music. Do students take 4 courses every semester? How are the general academic courses, music history and theory courses (conducting, education, etc.) and private lessons balanced?</p>

<p>How many performance opportunities will you get in UMich's School of Music as a music ed major? I got accepted into the choral music ed program with a piano emphasis...and what are the chances to transfer to a voice performance major with teach certificate?</p>

<p>Regarding housing, is it possible to get a single in your freshman year at UMich? (SLC has seems to have poor housing...and you'll only get a triple as a freshman...) Also, SLC seems to have a less diverse environment...white female predominates...some international students say that such an environment make them feel uncomfortable...</p>

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<p>Did you visit SLC? If you didn’t, you must before making a decision.</p>

<p>SLC is a fine liberal arts college. We had an extensive visit there, last spring, D’s junior year, including a lesson (D LOVED the teacher, who also teaches voice at MSM), interviews with multiple music professors. We watched a performance of singers doing classical voice and musical theater pieces, and ate lunch with/conversed extensively with a current music student and her mom, a SLC alumna. So, we got a very good idea of music there, and the school in general. They have wonderful study abroad for music, and it is very encouraged. Language programs are excellent. There is lots of personal attention. At first, my D loved it, and was planning to apply. However:</p>

<p>The performance we saw was mixed in quality. Some singers were well-trained, some seemed to be beginners. There was no prerequisite required to be in the course that culminated in this performance, and it seemed under-rehearsed, with some very good solo performances, and some really bad ones. Overall, the performance energy was good, but technically… bad with a few exceptions. It was very poorly attended. D said it reminded her of a mediocre high school recital, with a few bright spots.</p>

<p>The music third is divided up into lessons, performing ensemble, concert attendance and theory/history-type courses. So, you’re really taking 3 or 4 classes to make up the one third in music. I believe you can get most of the info you need regarding details on line. Yes, you can do 2/3 music, but not every semester.</p>

<p>Every course at SLC (except lessons, maybe music composition, art, dance, calculus…) requires a tremendous amount of writing. SLC grads will graduate with excellent communication skills, particularly written. Most courses will have a 30-50 page paper due as a culminating project–no final exam. LOTS of reading for any class, including music. Most students will be writing at least 100 pages every term. Everyone warned that procrastinating would really be a problem at SLC.</p>

<p>My D is an excellent writer, and likes her work to be really polished. Hence, she’ll spend a lot of time on writing assignments. So, she realized that at SLC there was NO WAY she could put proper focus on music. She imagined that days, even weeks might go by with no time to practice piano–too busy working on one of the 2 or 3 50 page papers due next month…</p>

<p>We thought the campus was a bit run-down, even though it was beautiful. Overall, my impression is that it could suit a music composition student just fine, because it’s a very creative atmosphere, and presumably a comp major is not practicing her instrument 3 or 5 hours per day.</p>

<p>Ultimately, D wanted a talented peer group focused on music. She didn’t want to be in any music course that would include untrained beginners. The SLC students seemed very focused, mind you–but that focus shifts to whatever class or project they are working on that term. There are no majors at all there, you just take whichever classes sound interesting to you, except that you are required to pick broadly. In fact, I believe there is a limit as to how many “thirds” you can take in any one subject area, and that limit is far below what would be needed for a music degree. With all the writing required, I don’t see how anyone really works on music performance. Maybe just play in an ensemble, and practice just enough to keep your chops up, but really develop as a musician? I don’t see how, especially for piano, or strings. The one voice student we talked with is a really talented soprano, very well trained, and she’s interested in singing opera eventually, and getting a liberal arts degree. She takes advantage of opportunities in NYC and in the summers. She isn’t working hard at improving piano skills, for example.</p>

<p>Students at SLC seemed very pleased with the school and their education, and they love their teachers. We wanted to love it, and we especially loved the voice teacher (and she loved my D, was very encouraging), but ultimately my D decided that it was not for her.</p>

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<p>

Hi sooldmoon - I’d posted on your thread over at the UofMich site. Glad you got feedback on SL.
I see I previously missed your question noted and might direct you to [UM</a> School of Music, Theatre & Dance](<a href=“http://music.umich.edu%5DUM”>http://music.umich.edu) to current student resources – there you will see your program outlined.
For example, most music school students end up taking about 17 or 18 credit hours (main classes are worth 3 credits, some are 1 credit, some are 2). So one might be music theory written, plus aural, one musicology (which is music history), you’ll have piano studio, choral studio, then likely one or two of your concentrator courses for your SOM degree, and likely a first year writing course first semester.
In later years, eg. jr. sr., your schedule opens up more as you’ve met your pre-reqs.</p>

<p>Hope that makes sense. Also, you are likely to have an ensemble performance requirement.
If you contact the SOM admission’s office, maybe they can connect you with a student in your program to ask questions, or ask to speak with one of the gsis. Exams are almost over so you only have a few days to catch them.</p>

<p>Good luck with your decision.
Cheers,
K</p>

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<p>sopranomom92: Thankyou so much for shedding light on Sarah Lawrence. I did go to the admitted students day. What they said at the students panel is basically that at SLC you can’t really “concentrate” on performing arts; otherwise why wouldn’t you go to a conservatory? One thing I get from the SLC students, either current or prospective ones, and the SLC interviewer is that they expect you to take courses that are out of your interests, and someday you will find them interesting What you and your daughter thought is exactly what I have anticipated before, and your response to my concern firmed my decision to choose UMich. At my high school performance level was really “mediocre, with a few spotlight.” I feel like what makes one really improve is to be in an advanced and professional music environment. Like your daughter, I do enjoy writing and have a strong interest in literature; I would spend as much time as I could to make the writing perfect. We do have performance opportunities at my high school; however, with all the academic courses, I hardly have any time to practise piano. We do have an amazing mezzo-soprano who is studying at MSM’s pre-college, but she is not good at academics; in fact, she doesn’t care about academics at all. True, why bother if all she wanted is to become an opera singer? I do feel that SLC would be exactly like my high school (one of the courses I chose requires at least 100 pages reading over the weekend, not to mention all the writing and all the ap courses…). I do get a lot of performance opportunities at my high school as a pianist and a soloist (and sometimes I even get to play the organ or harpsichord with the orchestra). However, I have had very little improvement over the two years (no good teachers, no time/place to practice). Sometimes it really gets annoying when cramming for things I don’t really enjoy; or going to the practice room far far away from the dorms and have to come back after 15 min for in-room. Nobody really pracitise. Singers don’t (they said themselves). Some talented ones are ok with it as long as they get the experience and lessons through MSM’s pre-college (plus they are already good enough). Overall, nobody really cares and my school seems to have very little respect for people who seek time to practice and to explore music. I don’t want to repeat this same pattern again in college (I do realize there will be more freedom, but still, all the time you commit to academics will never make you become a fantastic musician). Again, thankyou for sharing your opinions about SLC!</p>

<p>kmccrindle: Thankyou very much for responding to both of my threads! It seems that UMich’s SoM would have a lighter load than SLC…I am visiting UMich next week…even as a music ed major, I do think I’ll get more time to practise than I would at SLC…I saw on the requirements that one has to take 8 hrs in at least two departments of Natural Science and Social Siences, along with 8 hrs of writing seminars. (what exactly does the “8 hrs” mean?) It seems to short for a semester elective. How long in total will it take to fulfill all the non-music requirement?</p>

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<p>What I believe they mean by that is the equivalent of 8 credit hours, which is based on the number of in-class instructional hours (so a 3 credit course requires 3 hrs of instruction each week). Meaning either two or three semester courses over the period of your degree. I believe those requirements are connected to the Ed part of the degree, as well as the writing. I can tell you that you will most definitely find yourself in an environment where people not only choose to, but generally must practice and rehearse profusely. </p>

<p>I suspect you will in some ways find the load much lighter (in terms of the amount of reading and writing at SL) but that you will also find your days fairly full nonetheless with things equally critical to success in the performing arts. So it might be the same number of hours in terms of total work (in class an out) but it will include things such as actual practice, performance, attendance at concerts/analysis, listening (in musicology, for example, you will find yourself identifying 40 pieces on each listening quiz, interviewing a musician, writing shorter response papers, blogging/analyzing music etc.) </p>

<p>You will get very good counseling at orientation, and they will very precisely map out the ideal course progression for you.
In my son’s department, which is very small, his adviser even created a spreadsheet unique to his course of study and adjusted according to course availability, etc. But in his particular degree (PAT - BFA music) the programming is very tight and only a few spots really exist for electives once the requirements are met.</p>

<p>I wish you the very best and suspect you’ll really enjoy the environment. Congrats again.</p>

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<p>Congratulations on your decision! U Mich is a great school, and it sounds like a fit for you!</p>