“Would there be a big difference in my experience if I do not audition to be a music major and minor instead?”
When DS first started at USC he was SURE he wanted to do at least a music minor- that is the reason he auditioned . As time went on he realized he would not be able to do both a minor in music- class scheduling conflicts, etc, etc- as well as all the classes required by his major and another minor that was important to take, but he was always able to take lessons from USC music teachers, take a few classes [in music composition], and continue to practice any time he wanted in the music practice rooms. All that because he had “passed the bar”- shown that he knew his stuff- by auditioning when he first arrived.