What schools should we consider?

kmcmom13
Tue, 15 Mar 2011 10:47:15 +0000

FWIW, all of the above is possible at the University of Michigan School of Music, which due to its size, has ample offering available for students in a) composition b) music technology and or engineering as a dual degree c) music education and of course, great winds performance and piano programs. Michael Daugherty heads the composition department and notably won a grammy this year for his Metropolis release.

UMich is getting to be a hard academic admit and a 3.5/1800 range GPA might be statistically on the low side (just a touch – lately admits have been in the 3.8 unweighted/2000 SAT/31ACT range). HOWEVER, the SOM has a lower academic admit bar (in theory) of 3.0 and most of the admit weight is talent/(or in the case of composition and music tech) portfolio-based.

Dual degree programs with LSA or Engineering via the music school normally require 5 years, but Umich ranks well in just about every undergrad degree so it’s usually worth it.

If he has a strong technological aptitude, I’d encourage you to look into the Performing Arts Technology program early so that he could train/create the kind of portfolio work required to be a strong applicant (that’s the “music tech” part – I was referring to.)

Michigan also has excellent and robust grad programs.
So, not the northeast, exactly, but a very strong candidate for a composer with a tech orientation whose interested in education/grad work.
Comparably, my next favorite for this combo of interests would be McGill, which has an outstanding graduate program in music engineering/technology.
Good luck in your search! PM me if you’d like more details. My son attends UMich and had/has similar interests to yours.

PS While Berkelee has the advantage of having some very specific sequences regarding film and game scoring, I’m not certain you’d find the academic depth there comparatively. UMich’s PAT degree includes courses in C++ programming, scoring for film (if you elect to take that course), psycho-acoustics, and generic game/moving image/graphic arts/music business courses as part of the sequences available but with a little more fluidity/flexibility.

Generally, the assumption in composition for media is that first a given student will master the elements of music composition, then complement with technical experience in media. So a vocational style, highly structured “film or game scoring undergrad” is not necessarily a pre-requisite (or even useful if music composition itself is not really mastered) to ultimate vocational success.