copyright ©
1997 by Larry Solomon
Choosing the right music school can be a daunting task, but well worth the effort to plan ahead. This is not an easy process unless one chooses by blindsight, which is not advisable. Further, there isn't one universal "best school". This really depends upon what your specific goals are. The first step in choosing a school, then, is to carefully assess your goals and priorities. Here are some common ones:
1. You want to get a job writing music or teaching composition and/or
theory in a university.
2. You want to get a degree in music in order to make it your life's work
(probably as a teacher), and you want to study composition because that
is the area that most interests you.
3. You want to study music composition but are not seeking a vocation as
a composer. You love to write music, which you are already doing, and want
to acquire the traditional skills to write in a variety of genres and forms.
If your goal is to get a job writing music or teaching composition, I'm afraid that that is unrealistic at this time and the forseeable future. The number of job openings for a composition instructor in a university music school is very tiny as opposed to the huge number of graduates in composition each year. Very few people, even with a doctoral degree, are lucky enough to get such jobs. You are more likely to find work if you have an unusual and desirable group of talents: say composition, theory, and bassoon. If you think you can support yourself writing music, think again. You'd better look at a different profession and write music as a hobby, like Charles Ives.
Assuming that you are independently wealthy and your primary goal is to learn to write, rather than get a job, chose a school based upon a composer whose work you love and admire and try to go and study with him/her, wherever that may be. But, you should also consider the theory area, the music department, and the school as a whole. After all, you will have to live with it for a while. The general "reputation" of a particular school matters a lot less than you think. Once you have a degree, your own work and personal recommendations are what matter the most. In composition the reputation of a school matters very little unless that reputation is very outstanding or very poor, and not everyone in the profession agrees about this anyway. As you are working on your degree and compositions, be sure to document your work, including scores, recordings, performances, analyses, and publications.
In choosing a college, my suggestions are as follows:
1. Get the College Music Society publication entitled Directory of Music Faculties in Colleges and Universities, U.S. and Canada. It lists all the faculty, where and what they teach.
2. Think about what your compositional focus is, or what you want it to be. Think of composers who write music along those lines. Look them up in the directory (They may or may not be listed -- but many composers teach nowadays). If you think you are interested, phone in an order for a graduate catalog and a detailed description of the music program.
As you read the catalog, write down questions. Phone back and ask them. Try to get as much information by phone as possible. It's well worth the small expense involved. If your phone calls get nowhere, it's probably best not to go there. E.g., find out what kind of scholarships are available and how to get them. Cost of living? What is involved and how long (on average) does it take to complete the degree? How many PhDs in composition have they awarded? How have their graduates fared after graduation? If you are concerned about getting a job after graduation, ask for statistics on their graduate placements. Also, ask if they have a Web page.
3. Phone the instructors and talk with them. Explain your interests, and try to get some feeling for their accessibility and interest in students. Some composers/faculty do not enjoy teaching and actually avoid students -- it is best to avoid THEM. If you can, also talk to some doctoral composition students and other composition or theory faculty by phone. Try to get the name and phone of some recent graduates, and talk with them.
If you get this far:
4. Make plans to visit the instructors and the schools while classes are in session. Take a portfolio of compositions, recordings, and analyses with you (and any other impressive projects). Phone to find out if you can attend some classes when you arrive, and schedule them in advance. Plan your visit carefully, and stay for a few days if possible. Make advanced arrangements to talk with faculty (especially in theory and composition), a counselor, and (especially) composition students. Try to get a room on campus, and try to visit when there are composition concerts going on. Attend them and make notes on your impressions. Arrange for any placement tests or scholarship qualifying exams/forms before you arrive. Don't forget to show your portfolio to both the composition and theory faculty.
5. Make a written assessment of your impressions while you are visiting. How accessible and cordial are the composers and other teachers you will be studying with? How interested are they in you? Does the faculty work together well? (Is it a healthy department/environment?) What is your impression of students' compositions, performances of student and faculty compositions, and accessibility to performers? How much are the instructors willing to do to arrange for performances of your works? What is your assessment of the general level, frequency, and quality of musical activity on campus? Is there a composer-in-residence program? Visiting composers? Contemporary music focus/festivals? Do the performance faculty and their students support new music and perform the compositions of composers on and/or off campus? Is the whole school supportive of new compositions?
