College Discussion - View Single Post - The time of big decision. Need "musical" help.

mamenyu · 04-04-2008, 01:08 AM

UC Berkeley, at the top of your list, offers a huge number of language courses, including a strong slavic department; it has a top-ranked music department, focused on music history. Their most prominent professor is Richard Taruskin, who specializes in Russian music and wrote the monumental Oxford History of Western Music. They do not have a theory department, but do teach musicianship courses (harmony, aural skills); there is an ethnomusicology program as well, part of the same department. There is not a performance major, but performance is part of the general music major and there is a chorus and orchestra which perform regularly in an attractive (and recently renovated) music hall; a new music library with a world-class collection of scores and texts; there are excellent piano teachers in the area, for private study. The music department does subsidize lessons but only a fraction of the actual cost. It would be possible to double major; there is no obstacle, as both music and languages are in the College of Letters and Sciences. The Bay Area is great for music -- MTT at Davies, lots of early music, ethnic music. There are practice rooms. The music department is in a set of buildings in a lovely part of campus.
UCLA is presently divided between specialties and divisions, but that may change with the infusion of money from Herb Alpert. Performance and ethno (which includes jazz performance) is in the College of Arts and Architecture; music history is part of the College of Letters and Sciences. They are separate in terms of admissions and even Regent's Scholarships. It might be tricky trying to transfer into the College of Art and Architecture if admitted into the College of Letters and Sciences and doing a double degree might be a challenge. The performance degree is a B.A., not a B.Mus. The music programs are housed in one building, Schoenberg hall, named for the composer, who lived in L.A. An attractive facility, with practice rooms in the basement. L.A. is a vibrant city for music; new conductor coming to the LA Phil. Colburn and USC are located in the area.

04-04-2008, 01:08 AM	#2
mamenyu Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 852	UC Berkeley, at the top of your list, offers a huge number of language courses, including a strong slavic department; it has a top-ranked music department, focused on music history. Their most prominent professor is Richard Taruskin, who specializes in Russian music and wrote the monumental Oxford History of Western Music. They do not have a theory department, but do teach musicianship courses (harmony, aural skills); there is an ethnomusicology program as well, part of the same department. There is not a performance major, but performance is part of the general music major and there is a chorus and orchestra which perform regularly in an attractive (and recently renovated) music hall; a new music library with a world-class collection of scores and texts; there are excellent piano teachers in the area, for private study. The music department does subsidize lessons but only a fraction of the actual cost. It would be possible to double major; there is no obstacle, as both music and languages are in the College of Letters and Sciences. The Bay Area is great for music -- MTT at Davies, lots of early music, ethnic music. There are practice rooms. The music department is in a set of buildings in a lovely part of campus. UCLA is presently divided between specialties and divisions, but that may change with the infusion of money from Herb Alpert. Performance and ethno (which includes jazz performance) is in the College of Arts and Architecture; music history is part of the College of Letters and Sciences. They are separate in terms of admissions and even Regent's Scholarships. It might be tricky trying to transfer into the College of Art and Architecture if admitted into the College of Letters and Sciences and doing a double degree might be a challenge. The performance degree is a B.A., not a B.Mus. The music programs are housed in one building, Schoenberg hall, named for the composer, who lived in L.A. An attractive facility, with practice rooms in the basement. L.A. is a vibrant city for music; new conductor coming to the LA Phil. Colburn and USC are located in the area.