Moxess

I've tried researching this on my own but can't find anything.

Lauren591

I'm not a CFA kid, but one of my really good friends is a music major. It's pretty intense, but has a lot to offer if you're serious about music. There are many extracurricular programs to be involved with as well, like an incredible Wind Ensemble, Pep Band, Marching Band, Chamber Choir, playing for theater groups, etc. I also saw their practice rooms, and as a musician during high school, I thought they were very cool. They have a special system where you can turn on different virtual atmospheres to practice in like an arena, small room, big room, cathedral, etc. I hear the professors are very good and dedicated as well.

thumper1

The "extracurricular" ensembles Lauren lists in the above post are actually for NON-music majors. There is a wind ensemble for music majors too...and a symphony orchestra, chamber orchestra, opera orchestra, choruses (there is a choir and a woman's chorus at least)....and multiple opportunities for chamber music ensemble work.

The practice rooms were recently renovated and are gorgeous. A HUGE improvement over the old ones.

The music program at BU is billed as a "conservatory type program within a large university". I think my son (a BU graduate in performance) would agree with that description. He found the program to be challenging and very rewarding. The faculty was terrific, and the conductors excellent.

When my son was there, they also had a study abroad arrangement with the Royal College of Music in London. I don't know if that still exists or not, but my kid found that term to be very rewarding as well.

Lergnom

And don't confuse what the rest of BU gets versus the music school; the latter is bigtime. BU was the first degree program in music in the US.

fiddlefrog

BU's School of Music is very good. It's on the smallish side for university music schools-- about 500 students, 200 more than the Shepherd School at Rice, but 250 less than at NEC, and less than a third of the number at Indiana's Jacobs School. What do you play/sing? The faculty (and, commensurately, student) quality is not uniform across departments; I'll comment further if you can give a bit more information. In addition to the distinguished history Lergnom refers to, this is a school on the up. The old facilities are being revamped, there's a new director, and the College of Fine Arts will soon have a new dean. John Silber, chancellor and former president of BU, recently donated $1 million to the music school.
(I'm a recent graduate of the BU school of music, and am now a graduate student at Rice)

Moxess

I'm a guitarist. I'd be going into the program focusing on Composition, Theory, Jazz Performance (and obviously Jazz Theory), and Classical Guitar

fiddlefrog

Well, for starters, you'll need to choose a major. It looks like composition is your only choice. Guitar is not actually offered as a major; neither is jazz, although I think it may now be possible to minor in jazz.

Moxess

Yeah I applied with the pending major of Comp and Theory