I’m interested in songwriting and performing (singing and playing an instrument) but I’m not sure what I should major in. Should I just choose a BA in music or is that too general?
If you want a liberal arts BA, choose Music but take some Writing and English classes (preferably with a poetry focus). If you are looking at BFAs, some Music schools have Composition majors, and most will have some songwriting classes available. Get a sense of the school’s environment, and the surrounding community, to see what live music venues exist for emerging artists.
Several schools offer a songwriting major:
https://www.berklee.edu/songwriting/major
http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/music/songwriting
http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/CAM/programs/meis/Pages/singer_songwriter.aspx
http://www.mtsu.edu/programs/commercial-songwriting/
http://www.meiea.org/Ezines/Vol5No1/songwritingmajor.htm
http://www.lacm.edu/songwriting/
http://www.anderson.edu/sites/default/files/migrate/academics/support/advising/songwriting.pdf
http://www.uws.ac.uk/masongwritingperformance/
http://www.webster.edu/catalog/current/undergraduate-catalog/majors/music-songwriting.html
http://www.aim.edu.au/courses/contemporary-performance/songwriting
http://www.mcnallysmith.edu/degrees-programs/majors-areas-of-study/songwriting