duogmeg

So... I got accepted to UC Santa Barbara as a music major. I originally applied there as sort of a fallback school but as I didn't get into where I had originally planned to go next year it's a serious contender now. Does anybody know anything about the music program/voice faculty there (is it good/is it bad/just what I should know before I commit myself to two years there - I'm a transfer student)???

musicamusica

Five years ago, my D was told by someone within the music program at
UCSB to avoid the vocal music program at all costs. It was described as
"imploding". BUT that was a while ago ....and hopefully things may have changed.

duogmeg

Aaaaaah, thank you for responding! I sorta hope I don't have to go there anyway (UC Berkeley is my other option at this point, and I don't find out from them if I'm admitted or not until April 30th... I'm doing a double major that's academic so I didn't apply to conservatories; maybe for grad school..well, definitely for grad school I want to go to a conservatory). Crossing my fingers then that it's Berkeley! :/

singermom2

This is just hearsay, but D of a friend went there last year and had an awful year. She got assigned to a vocal studio with a professor she did not like and they would not let her switch until the next year. Also took music theory with a grad student who could barely speak English. Whole class struggled and many had to repeat the class. If you decide to go there, check out the profs now and make sure you get into a studio with someone good, as it is mixed.

mamenyu

UC Berkeley has no performance faculty for private lessons; there is a chorus with a faculty conductor, though. The department is academic, not performance oriented. In that sense, the UCSB program may have some advantages.

duogmeg

ah well. I realized when I applied to both of those schools that they weren't ideal for music... I rushed into transferring anyways (finished JC in 1.5 years) and though I know it would have been better for my vocal development to not rush it like I did, at this juncture I'm more concerned about continuing my education next year (key: not taking a year off) at some institution than making sure I get into a perfect undergrad performance program. I wasn't prepared enough for auditions, and I know that extra year would have made all the difference. The location and prestige of Berkeley appeal to me more than UCSB does, and that's really the only deciding factor at this point.

thx everybody so much ;D

mamenyu

Although UC Berkeley is more prestigious, UCSB is nothing to sneeze at -- it has great faculty and is a smaller, more undergraduate focused institution; there is also an honors program that allows you to work directly with faculty, rather than TA's. You might consider visiting both before making a final decision.

duogmeg

That's true... from what I've heard undergrads get short shrift @ UCB 'cause it's primarily a research university. Visiting will probably clear a lot up for me... I've spent enough time in the bay area and @ Berkeley to get a feel for it there but shall have to make the trip down to SoCal for UCSB.

musicamusica

Duogmeg---the following caveat applies to all schools---(and to UCSB in
particular) ---be VERY careful who you study with. As a vocalist, you only
are given one instrument--take care of it.

gdtmsailor

I live in SAnta Barbara and I will be attending MAnnes College of Music last year and I did not apply to UCSB because the vocal faculty for the past 6 or 7 years has been progressively getting worse. There is a aura around teh school, at least with vocal teachers here in santa barbara, that it ruins people's voices! I would be very careful who you study with as many people have told me that the vocal faculty at UCSB is not good at all.

duogmeg

Should probably consider taking that year off then... waiting another year would be better than essentially spending thousands of dollars to ruin my voice...

thank you guys for saving me from certain vocal doom. and gdtmsailor: congrats on getting into Mannes