8/16/13

Top Music Colleges, School, and Universities

Students interested in a career in music can pursue undergraduate and graduate degree programs in music performance, direction, instruction and composition. Several of the top ranked national universities offer well-respected music programs, as well as specialized fine arts and music schools.
Top Colleges and Universities in Music

1. Harvard University in Cambridge, MA

In 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranked Harvard University number one among the best national universities, making this 4-year private institution the highest-ranked school to offer a music program. Harvard University's Department of Music offers both undergraduate and graduate programs, including a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Music, a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Performance Practice and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in several areas of emphasis such as music theory, composition, ethnomusicology or historical musicology. In addition to practice rooms and a music library, the Department of Music houses the John Knowles Paine Concert Hall and the Harvard University Studio for Electroacoustic Composition (HUSEAC).

2. Princeton University in Princeton, NJ

Princeton University, another school in the Ivy League, ranked second among national universities by U.S. News and World Report in the Best Colleges Ranking of 2011. This 4-year private university hosts a Department of Music, which offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. At the undergraduate level, students can pursue a bachelor's degree in music with an emphasis on writing music. A Certificate in Musical Performance and a Certificate in Jazz Studies programs are also offered. At the graduate level, students can pursue a Ph.D. in Musicology or Composition. There is also a performers-in-residence program named after the composer Edward T. Cone, which currently hosts the Brentano String Quartet.

3. Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA

The Berklee College of Music is a well-regarded music specialty school founded in 1945 and currently hosting over 4,100 students with a passion for music. Berklee offers students 12 different majors that include composition, contemporary writing and production, electronic production and design, film scoring, jazz composition, music business and management, music education, music production and engineering, music therapy, performance, professional music and songwriting. These majors are offered as 4-year bachelor's degrees or 4-year professional diplomas; however, there is also an accelerated Master of Business Administration (MBA) program offered in conjunction with the Suffolk University for students in the music business and management program.

List of Ten Good Music Colleges, Schools and Universities

School NameDistinctionLocation
Berklee College of MusicUnique international college that offers 12 music majorsBoston, MA
Cornell UniversityCornell Gamelan EnsembleIthaca, NY
Duke UniversityNine distinctive student performing ensemblesDurham, NC
Harvard UniversityFacilities available to music students such as the Ethnomusicology Lab or the HUSEACCambridge, MA
Juilliard SchoolNew historical performance program established in 2009New York, NY
University of Notre DameInterdisciplinary Master of Sacred Music programNotre Dame, IN
Princeton UniversityThe Edward T. Cone Performers-in-Residence programPrinceton, NJ
University of California - BerkeleyCenter for New Music and Audio Technologies (CNMAT)Berkeley, CA
University of ChicagoThe EthNoise! and Perception and Understanding of Music workshops offered through the Department of MusicChicago, IL
Vanderbilt UniversityThe Pre-College and Adult Program in musicNashville, TN

Jacobs School of Music

  • The curriculum is far reaching and thorough at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Subjects range from conducting to composing, opera studies to organ, ballet to bands.
    The school also features the Center for Electronic and Computer Music, which emphasizes up-to-date technology in digital synthesis, recording and editing. The center provides instruction for students with no electronic experience, and also welcomes advanced students who want to use the equipment.
    Jacobs School of Music - Indiana University
    1201 E. Third St. Merrill Hall 003
    Bloomington, Indiana 47405
    (812) 855-1583
    http://www.music.indiana.edu

Eastman

  • Students learn to participate in the local and global community when they study at the Eastman School of Music, part of the University of Rochester in New York. The undergraduate and graduate programs include certificates in arts leadership and world music, and the graduate program covers community teaching and ethnomusicology.
    The school also offers a variety of specialties, such as chamber music, conducting and ensembles, jazz studies, voice and opera, and winds, brass and percussion.
    Eastman School of Music - University of Rochester
    26 Gibbs St.
    Rochester, New York 14604
    (585) 274-1000
    http://www.esm.rochester.edu

Cleveland Institute

  • Along with musical studies, the Cleveland Institute of Music includes two other areas of emphasis. It stresses the importance of a humanistic, liberal arts education, plus it teaches students how to use electronic technology.
    Its basic music curriculum includes subjects such as instruments, voice and opera, chamber music, conducting and composition. Specialized studies cover topics such as audio recording and music theory and literature.
    Cleveland Institute of Music
    11021 East Blvd.
    Cleveland, Ohio 44106
    (216) 791-5000
    http://www.cim.edu

Berklee

  • In Boston, the Berklee College of Music concentrates on preparing students for the worlds of art and business. With an emphasis on the contemporary music scene, students can choose from a range of subjects such as film scoring, business and management, production and engineering, music therapy, song writing and, of course, performance. Berklee's famous graduates include Diana Krall, Quincy Jones and Donald Fagen of Steely Dan.
    Berklee College of Music
    1140 Boylston St.
    Boston, Massachusetts 02215
    (617) 266-1400
    http://www.berklee.edu

New England Conservatory

  • Also located in Boston, the New England Conservatory of Music has a three-part goal: to encourage new, creative expression; to educate its students as leaders in the world of music; and to expand the audience for its students' music. The conservatory's varied subject matter includes performance, composition, contemporary improvisation, intercultural studies, liberal arts and music in education.
    New England Conservatory
    290 Huntington Ave.
    Boston, Massachusetts 02115
    (617) 585-1101
    http://necmusic.edu
  • Click HERE for the 7 Things Music Ed Majors Can Do When Facing the Job Market.

    Click HERE to see what it takes to be a music major.

No comments:

Post a Comment