<p>I know most of the schools discussed here are on the east coast, but does anyone have opinions about the two music programs at these universities?</p>
<p>I consider the USC program to be one of the best in the US. I don't know anything about UCLA's music program. Others can post on it.</p>
<p>I went to USC Thornton School for jazz studies. I had a lot of friends in music composition, jazz/ studio guitar as well. I can honestly say that USC music is a great program, but it is a lot more hype than it should be. Furthermore, it is a rip off. In addition to the already expensive tuition, you have to pay an additional $800 a semester for private lessons! That is just absurd! And supposedly you get the "Trojan network" to get jobs into the music industry, but honestly, I had a lot of friends who graduated with a degree in jazz performance who can't even get an entry level corporate music job. I suppose I am not completely dogging Thornton, I just think that you would be better off simply not going to college to study music performance- if you want to study music, do music education, music business, or music composition, or at USC, Humanities with an emphasis on music- a major which involves more electives and a little more well rounded experience- firms DO recruit music humanities majors. I think you'd be better off just playing gigs, connecting with people in industry and taking private lessons on the side if you truly want to be a performer. And it's atleast 1/1000 of the price!</p>
<p>Enough of my ranting, I think USC will provide a good experience if you need a very structured music program for you to learn. But for me, I learn best by playing gigs with new people, transcribing new songs, and practicing on my own. I don't need a JURY to perform in front of to learn corny jazz standards- just play some gigs and you will learn it! Furthermore, the majority of the BEST players in jazz atleast- Taylor Eigsti, Gerald Clayton, the big name kids at the dept., dropped out. Do you wanna know what they did? They played music! Shocking!</p>
<p>Comparing programs at USC and UCLA, I had the problem of trying to choose between the two out of high school. I think both are good for music predominantly because of their proximity to the entertainment powerhouses in LA. I chose USC because most of my friends went there, but there are good players at both. There are GREAT players at both actually. There are huge classical departments at both, and pretty big jazz programs at both. But the UCLA department focuses a little more on ethnomusicology- or study of pretty much every type of world music. You can take courses in pretty much every type of style around the world not just at the intellectual level, at the performance level too! The USC program doesn't encompass as much of the world music scene, but focuses a little more intensively on jazz and classical. I think the best program at Thornton is the film scoring program- but you better be a really GOOD composer already for that. If you are set on working in the film or entertainment industry as well, I think USC is the place to go so that you can network with the overly ambitious film students, connect with the rich kids whose daddies are in executive positions in Corporate LA and who went to USC for generations before. There is a lot of recruiting done by entertainment firms on campus as well..</p>
<p>Shouldn't you rate a music school based on its graduates' success in the field of music performance, not in corporate life? And what do you mean by "entry-level corporate music job," anyway?
USC is second only to Indiana University among university-based music schools in the US, at least for classical music.</p>
<p>Thanks for some interesting replies. It gives food for thought.</p>
<p>UCLA for sure.</p>
<p>ucla is cheaper, more prestigious, located in a safe, and rich neighborhood. usc is absurdly expensive, and located in a, for the most part, unsafe neighborhood.</p>
<p>USC has a world class music department that is second only to Indiana. That said, it is expensive. However, in terms of education, you will get the classes you want in the time you want to graduate. Try doing that at UCLA in 6 years is a challenge. USC also has alot of connections in the industry and is most respected by those in the music industry. I am not sure that this is the case with UCLA. What USC lacks is musical theatre, so if that is your interest, UCLA is the best in California Universities.</p>