I have been looking at colleges for a while now, as I am a senior, and really like William and Mary. I feel like I could definitely see myself there. I am very involved in music and was hoping to major in something with Vocal Performance or Arts Management. I have done research and they seem to have very strong choirs and a cappella groups, but I haven’t heard anything about the major. Does anyone know what William and Mary’s Music major is like? Any tips or suggestions would be very helpful.
@17mhanrahan - I could be mistaken, but I don’t think W&M has a BM (Bachelor of Music) option, just a BA in Music, which is more of a liberal arts music degree than a performance degree. I’m sure they probably have strong ensembles, though, given the strength of high school music programs in many areas of Virginia. Hopefully someone in this forum will have more specific information on W&M’s music major. You could email the department to get a list of required course work for the major if you can’t find it online.
Typically BA programs have 1/4 of course work in music and 3/4 other liberal arts subjects, whereas most BM programs are more like 3/4 performance and music academic coursework and 1/4 general education course work. The ratio of music to general ed can vary by school, however.
Performance/BM programs almost always require an audition, so if you are looking for that type of program you hopefully have been preparing audition repertoire already with a private teacher. If not, then you are probably wanting a BA program at a school with strong voice teachers and good ensembles, and W&M may be a good choice.
Are you a Virginia resident? If so, and if you want an auditioned BM program in state, take a good look at JMU’s School of Music. It has very strong BM options, including Vocal Performance and Music Industry. George Mason may be worth a look, as well. They are very different schools from W&M, though.
The Music Major forum here at CC is an excellent resource. Start with the sticky threads at the top of the forum. I have learned a lot there, and the veteran parents known their stuff! One of the first things the parents there typically suggest is to read this article from Peabody Conservatory, which is about double degrees in music and something else but which also offers a lot of good information about the different ways to study music in college and what type of program is best for different types of students. It may clarify a few things for you: http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/conservatory/admissions/tips/doubledegree.html
Good luck!
Thank you! That was very helpful. I do have audition repertoire prepared for other school auditions, but I was also curious about W&M. Thank you for the resources!
No problem! Good luck with auditions!