WOOHOO Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 So if I posted this in the wrong place, I apologize.I'm a senior in high school, and planning to be a music ed. major. I live in alabama and have already applied to Montevallo and JSU (the two big music schools in state) But I want to look abroad too. What are some of the higher end music ed schools in the country? Regardless of tuition, or anything else. what are THE schools to be in for music ed? Thanks guys. There is also a good trumpet instructor where I go to school Univerisity of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Leonard Candelaria. He used to teach at North Texas, but I don't know for how long. But I feel that the whole "where to go to school" thing is highly overrated. Go meet with the faculty at wherever you looking at, meet with some of the music majors, and go where you feel most comfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayM Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Its easy to make a group of 120 kids who want to work and know how to play their instruments play well. How do you think those kids learned to play their instruments? Student musicians in Texas are not inherently more talented than they are anywhere else in the country. Yes, music is funded better in Texas than many other states, but that doesn't take away the fact that we have some excellent, well-educated teachers here. From what I've seen and heard, Houston offers a very specific brand of music education. If you are into that sort of thing (do you like the way the Cavaliers have sounded since 2001?), there is no better place to be to learn that method of music education. Eddie Green (professor emeritus), Tom Bennett, David Bertman, John Benzer are all there, and have proven track records in the band world. People tend to be fanatical about what they think is correct in music (I'm no exception), and this discussion has obviously proven that. I, personally, would choose to attend the University of Houston for music education if that was my career path of choice. Others think differently. It's ok. Do your research. Choose the school that's best for you. You will not be happy if your interests do not coincide with that of your music school's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Note: Everything here is MY opinion based on MY experience. I'd like to chip in on FSU because I'm a freshman music ed. major here myself. I was a member of the Marching Chiefs this past semester just to give it a try. My HS band director went to FSU, and when I was looking at colleges, he'd recommend FSU despite his alumni status. I would say the education program is performance-heavy like Jared mentioned. In the horn studio, there are high expectations for every type of music major. I could go through my syllabus and only find a few things different between what I have to do and what a performance major has to do. I'm also one of those people that doesn't want to focus too much on performance. Don't get me wrong; I love playing my French horn. But...I have no intention of playing it professionally. I'm playing it because it's my primary instrument to go from. I find my lessons not as individualized as I'd like them to be. The unit system we have has everyone expected to learn the same things. I like to take things at a slower pace; I'm not able to do so here because my grade would suffer. In our studio we're expected to go to three horn studios a week (one is a freshman-only class) plus a biweekly wind seminar. IMO, it's a little ridiculous. Our own studio had a rough start at the beginning of the year. One of the horn professors resigned three weeks into the fall semester. He was the guy I was going to study with. Now we're all under one umbrella between a T.A. and the other horn professor. I think our studio issues are the exception; not the rule. Another horn professor is being hired by next fall to help alleviate things. My own personal issues aside, I know I have many opportunities here. You have five different concert bands, three orchestras, early music ensembles, jazz ensembles, chamber groups, etc. I think the classes are set up so you have a good philosophical basis going out into the teaching world. I don't think you need to be in the marching band to do this, especially if you marched drum corps. The saying goes, "Marching Chiefs All The *Darn* Time." I know I want my afternoons so I can go out and tech HS marching bands or give private lessons -- real teaching experiences. You can't do that if you're in the Chiefs unless you go to HS band practices after your own. Even people on the music ed. faculty say it's not entirely worth it unless you're into the leadership positions available. I don't think you need to be on Chiefs leadership to prove anything if you're expanding your opportunities elsewhere. I'm surprised the CMENC chapter here isn't more active than it is, considering the number of music ed. majors. I'm personally planning on becoming more involved. I don't think there are enough resources being tapped, especially since it appears MENC has them. I'll know more about what's going on after the FMEA conference in two weeks. In the future, I'd love to see lots of people go to Midwest each year. We also do have all the major band and music fraternities including SAI, TBS, KKPsi, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. One of the things many people may question about FSU's large music school size is the fact that many courses are taught by graduate assistants. I've never had a big problem with this, seeing as many grad assistants have already been out teaching before. In many ways, being around so many students allows you to see different perspectives. I'll be the first to admit I sometimes think I slipped into this mindset where I only thought people who marched corps could make good educators. That's an uneducated opinion, especially as I see good teachers from every different music realm here. I don't want to go on to foster a marching band heavy music program. There's more to music and life than that... We have a music living program in one of the dorms here. It's mostly freshman-only, and each semester you must attend five music colloquiums to stay here. The colloquiums I went to included the Alexander technique, a dorm resident concert, information about the masters program in piano technology, etc. I love the fact that I can practice in my dorm room. We have three practice rooms on the first floor, plus a piano in the lobby and a couple of those practice rooms. This is all a first semester reading, and I know I have much more to experience before I have a well-qualified opinion on this school. I don't think I'll end up transferring because everything else is fine outside of my horn lessons. What I'll get out of this university is what I put into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCVsopAaron Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 The University of Houston. Period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zachariaswmb Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Thanks James, for explaining Ithaca much better than I. I'm still new, and I had just woken up on top of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jared_mello Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 The University of Houston.Period. Greatest university in the country and surely the only university that a student looking to study music needs to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Einstein On The Beach Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 I hadn't even heard of UH until I read this thread today... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TickleMeElmo Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Indiana University-Bloomington. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssorrell Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 (edited) Sure LSU may be a good school, name me any nationally recognized band programs from that area? Or from JSU? Or from Ithaca? Or from Rochester? It's simple, there really aren't any. Whoa Nelly! Just because there aren't any "nationally recognized" bands in the area doesn't mean there aren't great bands with terrific teachers at the helm in the areas of the schools you mention above. I can name several top quality programs within an hour drive of JSU that any student teacher would be lucky to be assigned to. The fact that they've never competed nationally or they're not known all over the country is irrelevant. And to insinuate that they aren't a worthy and important tool for student teachers is a slap in the face to those that teach there. Besides, how many student teachers get to teach at "nationally recognized" band programs anyway? Not many. Edited January 2, 2007 by ssorrell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Einstein On The Beach Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Besides, how many student teachers get to teach at "nationally recognized" band programs anyway? Not many. You'd be surprised... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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