@compmom and @iasetter - I understand what both of you are saying. I think it’s absolutely true at many schools which have a School of Music or Conservatory that there would be fewer high level options for those not majoring in performance. Bard is an oddball in that the music program in the college was well established for decades before the conservatory came along. The Conservatory is classical only. And no undergrad voice. For those students interested in jazz, world music, electronics, vocal music - all those classes would be in the college itself. And most of the music analysis and history classes are actually college classes, not conservatory - which has only a few courses reserved for conservatory only students (the music theory sequence called Conservatory Seminar, and the aural skills classes.) The college has its own Music Theory courses taught by preeminent musicologists and composers. The Conservatory students fulfill many of their music requirements taking classes from the College professors. The difference is the one on one with the professors for lessons. As a Conservatory student, from the very first one studies privately with a teacher - either for performance or composition, as a full credit class. In the College one can take private lessons for half credit, or group seminars. And most of the performance teachers are a different group - except for composition. In addition, the Conservatory has its own ensembles, and it’s a rare College student who can successfully audition into them. Often, if they’re that good, they’re encouraged to just take the plunge and go for the double degree.
The other issue with the double degree is that sometimes the student finds that really all they want to do is music - and the second degree must be in another field. One friend of my son’s ended up dropping the BM degree in his third year and just got a BA in music from the college instead and ended up with a Masters in Conducting. There can be financial implications for that route however, if there is Merit Aid from the Conservatory.
Anyone with questions about Bard should always feel free to PM me.