Some music schools are so prestigious, they are practically household names. Schools like Juilliard, Berklee, Curtis, and Manhattan School of Music are synonymous with excellence, successful alumni, and even fame in the landscape of collegiate institutions.
But these aforementioned schools are not for everyone. Some students will thrive better in unusual, unique institutional settings than others.
One reason to attend a less well-known school is if you have created, or feel you can develop, a special relationship with a faculty member at a school. Sometimes, a great teacher who truly cares about a student can completely change that student’s life. Remember, in music school, students are strongly connected to the faculty in their major.
You can attend a school like Juilliard yet fail to connect with any instructors at the school. Should this ever happen, you will have a less than optimal experience at the school.
In 2015, I published an article about 10 music schools in the US I felt deserved more consideration. This list is my 2017 version with a different set of 10 schools.
And why not make a biennial list of great college institutions that deserve far more credit? There are many, many music schools in the U.S. to choose from, so open up your field, consider options you may never have heard of before, and use our Top 10 “Hidden Gems” for 2017 to get you started and pointed in the right direction.
Baylor University School of Music (Waco, TX)
With approximately 400 students studying with over 60 full-time faculty members, Baylor offers an excellent music program small enough to devote personal attention to each student. It is worth pointing out Baylor is a Christian University and the music school stays true to the wider university foundation of faith-based commitment.
One noted department at Baylor is in classical Trumpet Performance. Baylor consistently turns out great classical trumpet players, year after year. In fact, Wiff Rudd, the esteemed trumpet professor at Baylor University, consistently has students placing in the finals of major national competitions on a yearly basis.
Historically, the school of music has been among the finest in the southern US. A former faculty member who truly highly accomplished students was Dr. John Van Cura, who was known not only as a first-class singing teacher, but also an expert in assisting singers overcome singing problems.
Although Dr. Van Cura is now Emeritus at the school, many of his students went on to become well-known musicians, including Michele Crider, a renowned opera performer, as well as Marjorie Owens, member of the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
For prospective students interested in discovering more about Baylor first-hand, I would recommend attending one of the school’s summer music camps.
Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music of Chapman University (Orange, CA)
For those looking for a music school in California, it can actually be challenging to find one of quality.
Certainly, everyone knows USC, San Francisco Conservatory, and UCLA. Those three are likely the “triumvirate” that comprise the finest three California music programs.
But for the students seeking other options in California, especially at an intimate liberal arts university, Hall-Musco may be the place to look.
One of the most fascinating parts of this school’s undergraduate offerings is that it actually offers an undergraduate degree in conducting(!). There aren’t many schools in the US offering this – in fact, the only other one I know about is the Mannes College of Music in New York City.
Perhaps the most noted facility at this conservatory is the undeniably impressive Musco Center for the Arts, an 88,000 square foot facility dedicated to music and other performing arts. This brand new facility, which opened in 2016, seats over 1,000 students in its theater.
Many of the faculty members at this school are distinguished performers in their field. One noted example is Peter Atherton, a Juilliard trained bass-baritone who has performed professionally with the Los Angeles Opera, Seattle Opera, and the San Francisco Opera, among many other noted companies. Another noted faculty member, Robert Becker, was the Principal Violist for nearly 35 years with the Pacific Symphony Orchestra.
Due to Chapman’s close proximity with one of America’s great music cities, Chapman often invites guest artists from Los Angeles, which is only 30 miles or so away from the school. In one instance in late 2016, the director of the Los Angeles Opera production of Philip Glass’ Akhnaten, came to Chapman to talk with the school’s theatre students.
Chapman University itself is on the smaller side of universities, with approximately 7,500 – 8,000 total students in attendance in all academic programs, music and otherwise.
Columbia College (Chicago, IL)
Not to be confused with Columbia University in New York City, the music department at Columbia College Chicago is among the most unique liberal arts schools for music in the US.
One major the school offers that demonstrates the significant breadth of this school’s offerings is the “Contemporary and Popular Music” major. For students interested in rock guitar, pop voice, and contemporary drumming, this program is among the few excellent ones based in liberal arts college in the US.
I once spoke to a professor at Columbia on the phone, and he phrased it this way – for students interested in attending a school that is unique, nontraditional, and very focused in contemporary music, this program is for them.
As an added benefit, liberal admissions standards make the school a sound choice for students of all academic backgrounds.
Musicians looking to develop their music career in film and cinema should also take note of Columbia College and its extensive tradition in film studies & scoring. Further, for those struggling to find music schools with a devoted department in Music Technology, Columbia College is a premiere option.
Of course, should you choose to attend this school, you will have access to the music scene in Chicago and its contributions to blues, house music, and electronic dance music. That is a certain
Hugh Glauser School of Music at Kent State University (Kent, OH)
A well-respected music school in the Midwest, this school hosts the well-known Kent/Blossom Music Festival, an advanced training institute for professional music training in cooperation with The Cleveland Orchestra and Blossom Music Center.
Hugh Glauser’s talented faculty includes clarinet professor Amitai Vardi, a first-rate teacher and member of the Cleveland Orchestra, one of the world’s most respected symphonies. It should be noted that Vardi holds a dual appointment with the Cleveland Institute of Music, an excellent independent conservatory in the Midwest. Least I forget to mention, Hugh Glauser is an All-Steinway school.
For musician looking seriously interested in pursuing a variety of performance opportunities, the school offers a number of unique ensembles. One such is the Marching Golden Flashes, the school’s well-known resident marching band. The school also offers ample orchestra opportunities with a wide range of repertoire from the Baroque period to the present, as well as the New Music Ensemble with an emphasis on works by living composers.
St Olaf College (Northfield, MN)
St. Olaf is one of the few top-notch liberal arts music programs in the U.S. For those looking for a program offering rigorous education in music without having to commit to an independent, music-only conservatory, St. Olaf could be a fantastic option for you.
What I find most fascinating about St. Olaf College’s music program is how much the students absolutely love the program. People who sit in on concerts and rehearsals at the school consistently note excited chemistry existing between students and faculty. For students desiring a supportive & nurturing environment in a small, intimate school, St. Olaf is a fabulous choice.
One of St. Olaf’s most well regarded ensembles is the St. Olaf Choir, a 75-voice group that has toured a myriad of countries outside of North America, including France, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. When a school is allowed this much resource to educate their choral musicians, you know that something is going right at the school.
I once talked about this in another article mentioning St. Olaf, but it is worth mentioning here again: the choir was invited in the mid-2000’s to perform at the White House for the Bush family. Since the choir’s inception, the ensemble has produced 27 CDs of choral music.
Speaking of historic ensembles, the St. Olaf band, an ensemble founded in 1891, was the first collegiate music band in the US to ever tour internationally, performing in Norway in 1906. In 2010, the band toured Japan.
For those looking to pursue a career as a public-school music teacher, St. Olaf’s Bachelor of Arts Degree is unique; unlike other programs found in music schools throughout the US, this music education offers two degrees, an academic Bachelor of Arts and a professional Bachelor of Music degree. The combination of these two degrees leads to licensure to teach in the state of Minnesota.
St. Olaf is debatably included as a hidden gem in this list; while it is not compared to, nor does it even consider itself to be in, the category of music schools such as Indiana, USC, and perhaps even the liberal arts-oriented Oberlin, its ensembles and performing opportunities are quite well-known throughout academia and beyond.
SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music (Purchase, NY)
Often overshadowed by the dominant musical institutions in NYC including NYU, Juilliard, and Mannes, the State University of New York (SUNY) Purchase Conservatory of Music is a fabulous hidden gem institution boasting very strong programs in jazz and classical music.
A quick analysis of their faculty demonstrates the unbelievable credentials this school has. One such musician in the jazz program faculty is John Abercrombie, one of the most widely respected jazz guitarists playing today. Another noted jazz musician on the faculty is Ralph Lalama, one of New York City’s most beloved jazz saxophonists.
Many students come to me looking to find a school that has the benefits of a major city minus the negatives, mainly noise & distraction. Should you want to attend a school close to NYC without actually attending music school in the city, the Purchase Conservatory is a great choice, as it is only about 20 miles north of Manhattan. Perhaps it goes without saying, but you’ll have access to some of the most respected names in music while living and attending school in a more rural, relaxed setting.
Something I find remarkable about this place is its opera program – the school stages opera performances each year that are comprised mostly of undergraduates. For the advanced singer, this is a huge benefit in your education, as obtaining performance roles at other collegiate music institutions can be challenging for undergraduates.
If you wish to attend a fine music school consistently attracting high-level names, then check out SUNY Purchase.
Vandercook College of Music (Chicago, IL)
If you hope to pursue a career as a music teacher, Vandercook College of Music is the only conservatory dedicated solely to the training of K-12 public school music teachers in the U.S. You heard it here – Every student at Vandercook is a Music Education major.
Should you wish to go to a school to solely study classical performance, or essentially any performance discipline solely at all, then Vandercook is likely not appropriate for your needs.
Looking at data available from the U-CAN-Network, more than 90% of their students find a teaching position within a year of graduation. If you aren’t “in the know” about music education, I can tell you that not only is it the most popular music major in the country, it is also the most promising in terms of potential job outlook.
So why is this school just so successful? I can think of a few reasons.
First of all, the state of Illinois has always been a haven for music education. In terms of K-12 music education, the Midwestern US (Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Minnesota) simply have tons of music in their public schools. Because of this, schools are constantly hiring choral teachers, band directors, high school orchestra conductors, and elementary school music teachers.
Second of all, students at Vandercook are provided hands-on experience in teaching while in college. Having job experience as a student is critical to gaining success in the real-world.
If you do wish to double major in an academic area, the school does have a reciprocity agreement with the very fine Illinois Institute of Technology, whose campus actually houses the Vandercook College of Music.
Founded in 1909, the school was incorporated as a non-profit educational institution in 1928. Given the need for quality teachers, especially in the arts, Vandercook offers a noble profession while pursuing your love for music.
Longy School of Music of Bard College (Cambridge, MA)
Longy is among the most historic music schools in the US. So why is it a hidden gem?
The answer is simple. The school is, in our opinion, frequently overshadowed by four other excellent & prominent music schools just miles away, including the Berklee College of Music, Boston Conservatory, New England Conservatory, and the Boston University School of Music.
Walking into Longy is an experience; the Zabriskie House, Longy’s main campus building and a noted landmark in greater Boston, feels like a bustling, youthful mansion with a century’s-old musical charm adorning the classrooms & hallways. Historically, famous composers such as Elliott Carter, Daniel Pinkham, and Nadia Boulanger studied and/or taught at this hidden gem conservatory.
At this time, Longy does not have too much of an undergraduate program, although students who truly wish to study at the school for undergraduate can receive their core academic credits at the nearby Emerson College while doing their music credits.
Rather, Longy sees itself as mostly a graduate school. Some of the noted faculty members at Longy include Robert Willoughby, one of the world’s most distinguished flute professors who was once dubbed by Flute Magazine as the American Grandmaster of Flute. Another reputed faculty member is trumpet player Steve Emery, a highly-regarded teacher holding appointments not just at Longy, but also at the New England Conservatory and the Boston Conservatory. I have personally worked with Steve for one of my trumpet students and I can tell you he is a great teacher.
In 2012, Longy officially merged with Bard College. One interesting result of their collaboration with Bard has been the introduction of the Master’s of Arts in Teaching program, which is actually located in Los Angeles. In fact, the Los Angeles Philharmonic is a partner in this program, and students get first-hand teacher training at Hearts of Los Angeles, an El Sistema inspired program.
Aaron Copland School of Music (Queens College City University of New York) (New York, NY)
Like SUNY Purchase, we have arrived at yet another music school overshadowed by other major musical institutions in NYC.
Quite simply, Aaron Copland School of Music is a hidden gem to discover in New York. One of the finest public music schools in the US, I recommend Aaron Copland School of Music as an alternative for the musician seeking to study in NYC without the burdensome tuition of schools like Juilliard, NYU, etc.
Connected to Queens College, a fine liberal arts college, the Copland School of Music even refers to itself as “the jewel in the crown.” All undergraduate music students go through rigorous academic courses in theory, history, ear-training, sight-singing and performance; students also take private lessons as part of their degree requirements.
Faculty at the Aaron Copland School of Music include: established violinist Daniel Phillips, a gifted musician and teacher at the Copland School, Juilliard, Mannes, and Bard; cellist Marcy Rosen, member of the esteemed Mendelssohn Quartet; and clarinetist Charles Neidich, virtuoso musician often compared to the likes of Richard Stoltzman.
Looking back in time, Aaron Copland was once a haven for modern, avant-garde 20th century composition. Like Mannes, the school was also well-known for its offerings of Schenkerian analysis, a method of looking at music through a modern lens.
While the school does still preserve some of this culture, today the Aaron Copland School of Music is a well-rounded institution with classical and jazz in its curriculum.
Fred Fox School of Music (University of Arizona) (Tucson, AZ)
Despite Fred Fox’s “hidden gem” status in the world of music schools, it has been around since the late 1800’s. With over 300 concerts and recitals each year, performing ensembles touring within and outside the U.S., and internationally known artists on faculty, the Fred Fox School of Music should be a serious contender on any prospective music student’s list.
If you are looking for a school with a large, collegiate campus feel, then the University of Arizona may be perfect for you.
One of the top criteria I recommend students look into is location. I would like Tucson to a western version of Ann Arbor, Ithaca, or any other cool college town. Like an Ann Arbor or Ithaca, Tucson has an extensive array of entertainment & dining options. Tucson, also like Ann Arbor, has an unhealthy obsession with its sports team, the Wildcats.
The school is named as it was recently endowed with a $20,000,000.00 gift from Alan Fox, the entrepreneurial son of Fred Fox, a significant French horn player.
What I like about this school particularly is its approach to collaboration. Being a large, resourceful university, music students frequently work in interdisciplinary settings with dance, art, and theatre.
Fred Fox is an All-Steinway school, ensuring students are provided top-level instrumental resources. The school also includes state-of-the-art film production labs and sound & recording studios. In fact, a recent $2,000,000.00 donation from a Mr. Sheldon Danielson has gone towards enhancing the school’s recording facility.
With noted musician Edward Reid serving as the school’s director, a formidable performer himself, the Fred Fox School of Music boasts one of the top percussion programs in the U.S.
Perhaps most importantly, the students and faculty at the school are excellent. Recently, percussion student Trevor Cameron Barroero performed as a guest percussionist/timpanist with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra. Further, faculty member Carrol McLaughlin is considered one of the top harp professors in the country and has toured extensively as a soloist.
So there you have it, our edition of the top hidden gem schools in 2017. What schools do you think were most deserving? What are some hidden gem schools you would have enjoyed seeing in this list?
