USA universities

[miguelsousa]

Hello guys.

How are you?
I'm going to apply this year to some usa universities to take a master degree in piano performance. I did a lot of research and I talked with some teachers but I still have doubts about my choices.

I want to have the best of every aspect of music life. Good teacher, scholarships or working as a pianist accompanist, a lot of chances to perform and facilites to practice. These are the schools that I have in mind

University of Michigan
Illinois University
Boston Conservatory
NEC
Ñorthwestern University - bienen school of music
University of North Texas
Crane School of Music
Mannes
Mason Groos

I have been talking with some teachers of those schools. They say that I'm in a good level to applicate. But I really need your help.

Thanks

[dcstudio]

well I went to North Texas--fine music school--at the time it was the 2nd largest in the country.  The practice rooms are plentiful as are performance venues.   Most of the teachers I studied with have retired--or died--   so I can't help you there.  Denton, Texas is a great town though--and it's only about 30 minutes from Dallas and Ft. Worth--both huge metropolitan areas with plenty of work for an accompanist.   It is also FAR cheaper to live in Denton than in Boston--and the weather is way better in TX than in New England...  unless you really like the cold.

best of luck to you!

[charmsjr94]

I'm currently an undergrad at "Illinois University" or more commonly known as University of Illinois. The piano faculty here is pretty outstanding and very well known. My teacher is pretty young but I don't think I could find a better teacher anywhere else. So from personal experience, I can tell you that Illinois is a good option. There are performances and recitals every day, the students are great, the teachers are helpful, and it's a comfortable place to be. The only downside is that Chicago is about an hour and a half away.

I have a friend that's an opera major at Northwestern. She loves it. It's a very competitive school that's pretty hard to get into. The best thing about it is that it is REALLY close to Chicago, which is exactly where you want to be for music.

[lloyd_cdb]

I went to undergrad down the street from the crane school of music.  My piano teacher worked with crane students as an accompanist and teacher, and she was truly wonderful.  Her husband is the director of jazz studies, also a great person.  I graduated five years ago and still make the 7 hour trip to go visit them.  

The area is very poor, so it's dirt cheap to live there ($1 beers... fantastic as a bankrupt undergrad).  It's very small and in the middle of nowhere, but it's next to the adirondack park if you enjoy hiking or other outdoors activities.  Going along with the small size, you end up being very close to the faculty.  In addition, based on my experience, due to the location they end up all but bribing people to come .  My school had 67% of the students receiving financial aid, the average amount being more than half the tuition.  Comparing this to schools of similar rankings, it was only matched by other schools in the middle of nowhere  .  Again though, I wasn't at crane, just another school down the street.

I would definitely recommend considering it, but I can't give too much information on academics or facilities as I only went there a couple times.  Being a SUNY school though, it's dirt cheap.  Even if every other school gives you a partial scholarship but not crane, it still will probably be cheaper. From browsing, I believe it's the cheapest on the list (for out of state residents at the state schools).

The con:

unless you really like the cold.

Walking through buildings to get to other buildings so you don't have to spend as much time outside.  I used to hibernate during the winter...  The weather isn't snow-storm-dig-yourself-out weather, it's just very cold.

[hfmadopter]

Take a look at New England Conservatory in Boston. Their programs are intense and they keep you active. I'm sure there is nothing wrong with Boston Conservatory, just if I had to freeze my butt off in the city of Boston ( and roast in the summer but not as bad as Texas) I'd try and get into New England Conservatory first. My teacher was a graduate of New England Conservatory and taught their methods, FWIW. She was a fantastic teacher who really drove it home ! New England Conservatory has a top notch reputation. The college and arts section of Bostion is a fun place to be at as well, home of Boston Symphony and Pops is nearly next door. Transportation runs right down the street in front of it all and then underground.

[pianogirl13669]

The facilities at Crane are nice.  Actually, they are in the midst of a huge rebuilding project.  For being a small Northern NY village, Potsdam doesn't do too badly.  Between Crane and the local music associations we have some wonderful educational and cultural opportunities here. 

[patrickd]

I am an undergrad at UCSD finishing my Management Science degree so I can't comment on the music department.

[charmsjr94]

I am an undergrad at UCSD finishing my Management Science degree so I can't comment on the music department.

^
Thank you for the unnecessary contribution lol

[49410enrique]

^
Thank you for the unnecessary contribution lol

I am not an undergrad at UCSD not finishing my Management Science degree, so I (also) can't comment on the music department.