Choosing the Music School For You In Seven Steps

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Notice

The opinions contained herein are the sole opinions of Bill Zuckerman &
his organization Music School Central, and are not to be construed as fact.
This free e-book should be used for personal purposes only. None of the
content in this book is to be considered legal advice.

Copying and republishing of contents from this document are allowed when
credit is given in full to Music School Central.

2015 Music School Central

Choosing the Music School For You In Seven Steps

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2015 Music School Central

Choosing the Music School For You In Seven Steps

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Introduction
Choosing a music school can be an incredibly daunting task for
a family. There are so many factors to consider when making
the decision to apply for and choose the music college best for
you.
Depending on your major, there are myriads of considerations to
choose. I certainly remember the stress and struggle I
constantly felt when looking into music school only 8 years ago
as a composition major.
Have things changed since 8 years ago? Yes admissions
processes at music schools have become even more complex,
confusing, and challenging.
That said, there are seven basic principals that will guide you
into choosing the music school best for you.
Although you can look on my site for suggestions on what the
top schools are, keep in mind that my lists are only meant as a
place for you to begin your research no rankings list can take
the place of thorough research on your own end.
At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you find a
school that matches your interests, qualifications, and financial
interests the best.
Here are the seven steps you absolutely must consider when
choosing the right music school for you.

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7. Decide Whether You Want to Attend a

Conservatory, University, or Liberal Arts College

Colleges for music, or colleges with excellent music

departments, can be categorized almost always into one of
three primary types of schools.
Here is a brief overview of each kind of school:

Conservatory: Conservatories are educational institutions

that have a complete focus on music and other arts.
Conservatories exist for the purpose of training musicians and
sometimes dancers and actors, as well as for musical research.
Conservatories are the best option for those who wish to take
their musical talents to the highest professional level possible
without much interference from academic studies outside of
music.
Some conservatories are stand-alone, self-sufficient institutions
(Juilliard, Curtis, New England Conservatory are examples).
Other conservatories are attached to major liberal arts colleges
and universities (Oberlin Conservatory, Cleveland Institute of
Music are examples of this).
Some schools could be considered conservatories, but choose
not to call themselves one, like the Berklee College of Music.
Likely, it is because conservatories are very much attached to a
classical music history, and a school like Berklee specializes in
many genres outside of classical music.
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While the benefits of complete focus into your passion are clear
with a conservatory, you may be missing out on some of the
college experience if you choose to go this route.
Check out the next two offerings.

Liberal Arts College: Liberal arts colleges are great choices

for musicians who would either like to double major in music and
an academic subject, or for those who would like to pursue
music in an environment that is not as traditional & intensive as
a conservatory.
Some liberal arts colleges do house competitive conservatories.
These include Lawrence University, Ithaca College, Oberlin
College, and Bard College.
These are also good choices for musicians that wish to be
general Music majors. A general music major is a major in
music without a particular conservatory-level emphasis on an
instrument.

University: Universities are institutions that provide

specialization and degrees in an exceptionally wide range of
subjects. Universities are good for music students who want to
get a well-rounded college experience, or for those who wish to
double major in both music and another subject.
Some universities do house conservatories or major music
schools, and can provide the best of both the conservatory
world as well as the university world. Some of these include
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Indiana Universitys Jacobs School of Music, University of

Michigans School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, Case
Westerns Cleveland Institute of Music, and Northwestern
Universitys Bienen School of Music, among many others.

Other: Some community colleges have good music programs.

The Berklee College of Music now allows students to get full
Bachelors degrees online.
A few universities, like Tufts University in Boston or Columbia
University in New York City, offer joint double-degree programs
with conservatories that are otherwise unaffiliated with the
university. If you enroll in the Tufts 5-year joint program, you will
receive a Bachelors in an academic subject from Tufts, and a
Masters in music from the New England Conservatory.
Generally speaking, however, all schools fall into either the
conservatory, university, or liberal arts college categories.

















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6. Think About Location In Relation to Your College

Music Education & Future Career

An important factor you will not want to overlook in the college

selection process is location of the school. A schools location
can heavily impact not only your happiness level while you are
attending the school, but also you future career options outside
of school.
If you really want to live in a city with a bustling music scene,
look into schools in Boston, New York City, or elsewhere. If you
are looking to go somewhere with a more college town feel,
check out some of the schools I mention in this article about
College Towns With the Best Music Scenes.
Some people prefer to live in quieter cities away from the
distractions of popular college towns and tourist-driven cities. A
place like Annandale-On-Hudson, New York, where Bard
College is situated, is like that.
Also, if you are a music education major, keep in mind that at
whatever school you attend, you will end up graduating with a
certification to teach music only in that state. While it is possible
to get certified again in another state, the requirements will be
different and you will have to take a new exam.
There are many options to think about when it comes to
choosing the location of your music school of choice, so be sure
to think about it at length.

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5. Prepare for Your Audition At Least Six Months

Ahead of the Application Deadline

One of the most important things you can do to receive an

acceptance letter into the college of your choice is to really
prepare your audition into music school.
The audition is the most important part of the entrance into
college. Even if you are a non-performance major, like a
composer, you will still have to present an audition of your
scores. Some composers also have to present a performance
audition.
There are a few ways you can go about preparing for your
audition at an exceptionally high level. The most common way is
to ensure that you have had advanced training ahead of the
deadline.
If you have been taking private lessons with an excellent teacher
for many years already, then you can have him or her help you
out in preparing your repertoire materials.
However, my best recommendation above all else is to get a
professional mock audition, in which you present a mock
audition to a high-level music college faculty member.
At Music School Central, we have a professional College
Consulting program in which we will set you up with an
experienced faculty member who will facilitate your mock
audition, providing for you exceptional first-hand experience that
will prepare you for the day of your audition.
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4. Choose a School With Excellent Faculty for Your

Major

Getting into the music school with an accomplished, excellent

faculty for your major or instrument is critical to your success as
a performer, composer, producer, educator, theatre artist,
theorist, etc.
I advise all musicians to check out the backgrounds of the
professors at the schools you are looking into does the
teacher have students who have been successful? Does the
teacher have connections to opportunities outside of the
university? Do students generally like working with the teacher?
Its not always about finding the teacher with the highest
reputation the teacher has to click with you as well. It can be a
smart idea to set up a lesson with a teacher at a school you are
looking into in order to get a better feel of how you personally
work with the teacher.
Also, do you like the kind of music your teacher plays and
produces? If you are a cellist who is looking to play Brahms,
Bach, and Beethoven, you may find yourself out of place with a
teacher who is really into mid-20th century composers.
Additionally, if you are a composer who writes very lush, minimal
tonal music, you may feel incongruent with a teacher who
practices and specializes in serial composition.
So, be sure to research the schools you are looking into, and
choose excellent faculty that match you best.
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3. Research What Kinds of Performance Opportunities

Available at Various Schools

Without question, the most important part of being a

performance major at a music school is to participate in a
plentitude of opportunities for actually performing.
Some schools stage over 1,000 performances per year at an
excellent, high level music school, you will not find a shortage of
opportunities for performing music.
Be aware of how many ensembles a school has, the different
kinds of ensembles, and if there are opportunities for you to
excel at what you want to do.
For example, if you are dedicated to becoming an opera singer,
make sure you attend a school that will have multiple
opportunities for you to perform in a student production of the
opera.
If you wish to write orchestral music, be sure to find a school
that not only has a good student orchestra, but also is willing to
perform or, at the very least, read through a piece of yours and
record it for your student portfolio.
It may seem tempting to think that every school will have ample
performance opportunities for you. In reality, you want to choose
a school that not only has the opportunities right for you, but
also offers ensembles and experiences that will help you grow
as musician. Be thorough in your research, and be open to
multiple performance possibilities at the college level.
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2. Have Someone Look Over Your Application

Materials Before You Submit Them to Colleges

Without question, the music college application is far more indepth and complex than the standard common app college
application.
From making sure your essays read well, creating an
outstanding resume, writing a compelling personal statement,
presenting a competent CD/Mp3 of your playing, ensuring any
scores you submit (if you are a composer) look like they are
publisher quality, and more, having someone knowledgeable
look into your application materials can be of tremendous benefit
for your musical future.
Too often, exceptionally competent, talented, and bright young
musicians are barred from entrance to the best schools for them
because of missing small details. Sure, a misspelling in an
essay may not seem like a critical mistake, but when that one
essay is in a sea of literally thousands upon thousands of other
essays, it can definitely stand out negatively.
Have someone you know who is a qualified musician look over
your application materials before you send them out.
If you are interested in having high-level professionals look over
your application materials, keep reading through to the end of
this e-book to find out how we can ensure maximal success for
you when submitting your application to colleges for music.

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Choosing the Music School For You In Seven Steps

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1. Visit Any Schools You Have Been Accepted Into

It is likely that if you are accepted into a music school, you have
already visited said school to audition for the faculty.
However, not every music school has an in-person audition
requirement, and if you choose to be a general music major at a
university or liberal arts college not affiliated with a college of
music, you probably wont have to provide an in-person audition.
In these cases, it is critical that you go visit any schools you
have been accepted into. The more schools you visit, the better
you can feel out the atmosphere of different schools, cities,
student bodies, and more.
At the end of the day, the most important part of choosing the
music school best for you is to go with the school that not only
matches your musical and financial considerations, but even
more so what feels right to you.

Read onto the next page to learn how you can

rise above the high-level competition also
applying to college music programs

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I am certain that, if you have read this free ebook all the way
up to this point, and have perused some of the articles on my
site Music School Central, you have gained a tremendous
amount of information that will assist you on your quest towards
going to the music school that will best prepare you for making
your career aspirations come alive.
Still, it is wise to seek out the very best guidance and consulting
available when looking into music school. There is tremendous
benefit and knowledge you can accrue by working with
professional college consultants.
There is a distinctive edge over your thousands of competitors
from all over the world you can gain by working with us.
Check out Music School Centrals College Consulting program
it is truly the most comprehensive college counseling available
specifically for dedicated, talented musicians.
Along with Steve Lipman, former Dean of Admissions at the
Berklee College of Music and respected college consultant, I will
personally work with you and your family to provide the very
best opportunity for acceptance into one of the music schools of
your choice.
We will look over your application, evaluate your performance
level, provide you with a report on which schools would be the
best match for you, and so, so much more.

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With Music School Centrals College Consulting

program, you will:
Choose a college that matches your musical and career
aspirations.

Audition for a college music program confidently and with

ease.

Master the application process with a team who has

reviewed thousands of applications.

Gain a list of right-fit schools that match your interests and

credentials.

Work with Bill and Steve throughout every single step of

the college admissions process.
If you or the musician in your family is interested in enrolling into
our program, dont hesitate to contact us right here we would
be honored to offer to you our very best assistance.
One caveat though:
As of the time of this writing (March 18th, 2015), Steve and I are
getting booked up very, very quickly.
Due to the very extensive nature of our advising services, we
can only take on a couple more students at this point, and will
probably no longer be enrolling students into our counseling
program very soon.

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So if you are interested, be sure to contact us as soon as you

can.
In any event, best wishes as you move forward with your
dreams we would be honored to help make your dreams a
reality.

Thanks for reading, Ill catch you around the site,

Bill Zuckerman

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