Manhattan School of Music

Can someone tell me comments on Manhattan School of Music BM Composition?

You know, if you emailed the professors and expressed interest in becoming a prospective student, I'm sure that they will be happy to answer your questions and will be much more satisfactory than you results you get from just logging onto a web forum to ask people who may or may not know the answer to your question.

The only way you're going to know if you would like to study there is to interact with the professors. Specs and "where they are now" doesn't count for a thing. It's all about what you get from the experience.

All I can say is, if they're turning out composers like the NY schools are turning out performers, stay away. I cringe every time I see a recent Juliard grad perform, but I don't know if it's quite the same with EVERY Juliard and Eastman composition, but it's close.

Calehay hit the button. I expect very few (if any) YC members attend(ed) MSM, or any of the big schools. There's no way for you to get any actual information other than reputation and speculation.

From what I know (note, I know jazz performance programs, not classical composition), you get to study with top-notch, heavy musicians - but they're not available. One good thing about studying with someone is that they're often there to ask questions and hang out with. At schools like MSM, the profs are serious pros - they show up for your hour-long lesson, and then take off; often teaching at several schools in addition to their professional careers. So, they're not often at the school - no daily office hours.

BUT, that's just what I've heard - perhaps the composition department is different. Call them. Email them.

Do you want to study with any of these guys anyways?! You might like their music, but do you know if you want to work with them personally? Four years is a long time. Talk to them. Search out current students (the hard way: check recital listings, and google for possible websites or other contact info).

Go to NYC, take a tour - hang out for a couple days, sit in on classes/lessons/rehearsals. This is a serious chunk of your education you're about to embark on - don't waste time by getting into a program thet's wrong for you.

...

I'm going to Eastman, so if you have questions about that specefic school I'd be more than happy to answer :)

(I'm also considering MSM for my masters...) So information concerning it would be helpful, I know at MSM that the audition is very very grueling compared to other schools and in some ways worth it, but you should be prepared to stay there for 1-2 days. (Graduates I believe have to stay there from a period of 2-4 days for auditions, in comparison to the typical 1 day)

I will go and say something completely different than you would expect to hear:

I have come to believe that it's not the school you go to, but the professor you are with. And after that I have come to the conclusion that it's not the professor you are with, but the area you go to (NYC in this occasion). And I have come to the conclusion that it's not even that but only who are you and what is your personality.

I don't think it's anymore, crucial to go to Juliard or simmilar schools (Berklee for example). You can go to various places and get the same information. It's nto crucial to have lessons with Messiaen, most people will do pretty much the same job. Of course you understand the excaggeration of this statement, right? I would be cuming all night, if Messiaen was to have a lesson with me... Or if I was to go in the Conservatoire de musique et de danse de Paris (where I tried twice but failed, for the record).

bottom line is that I needed to get away from Greece. And this was the MOST important of all (for me). I am at rhul, but could very well be at Leeds, or Manchester for all I care. I am with Phil Cashian (a very fine man and composer indeed), but I would be fine to be with anyone really... I just HAD TO leave Greece! And I did!

My story goes as follows:

Since the age of 18 I wanted to leave Greece and study composition. Decided to stay and finish my piano studies and then go to the obligatory army in Greece. In the meanwhile I tried twice to enter the CSMD de paris and failed misserably (more or less). Now that I look back I know that I was not for that place at all. nopt my style, not my knowledge, not my language, nothing! yet I wanted to go (stupid ok).

I ended up here in London, in rhul, with a scholarhips.

If you ask me what was best, I'll tell you: My life now!

It all comes down to luck of course, and by no means one should disregard all studies by any means! Just that we give a tad too much credit to colleges and stuff, which is not really healthy for our wealth or mind, or anything really!

I hope it makes sense to what I said...

I agree with Nikolas, except that your chance to have a lesson with the great Messiaen is dead to 0. Finding a school really depends on how you are as a person in qualities of contribution, sincerity and being genuine. The prestige of a school can really defer from knowing it's ability to work with you as a musician, and it can make the decision even more difficult in finding the right school.

Having Juilliard on your diploma or Manhattan School of Music can help, but as we all know when listening to Nico Muhly or Jonathan Newman that we are listening to people and not Juilliard.

Though, this does bring the question in about "house styles" and whether your music fits the conservatories style. There are schools that deliberately will not be a "house style" College-Conservatory of Music, for example I believe puts in a great amount of effort to find composers of varied backgrounds, genres and really creates a group that is diverse.

I personally have a distrust of the bigger named music schools for undergrad work. Schools like that I feel are more beneficial for Masters work. I'm going to Oklahoma City University and I can tell you that smaller schools with more contact hours are so much better. Like has been said, it's not the school or it's reputation, its the professor and the amount of time you can study with him/her. I would recommend checking out a smaller school for undergrad work and then bigger schools for Masters work. Smaller schools also tend to have more diversity in the programs.

Having a big name on your resume is always helpful, but probably the least necessary part of your education and your ability to get a job.

If you want to know more about OCU I'd be happy to talk to you about it, feel free to PM me. I don't want to be "that guy" who just plugs his school, because obviously everyone thinks their school is the right one, or else they wouldn't be going there.

Jamie

You know, if you emailed the professors and expressed interest in becoming a prospective student, I'm sure that they will be happy to answer your questions and will be much more satisfactory than you results you get from just logging onto a web forum to ask people who may or may not know the answer to your question.

The only way you're going to know if you would like to study there is to interact with the professors. Specs and "where they are now" doesn't count for a thing. It's all about what you get from the experience.

I actually did write to them because I was considering that school, and they sent me a brochure that wasn't very informative. I will probably end up going to NY on vacation and check out the school first hand.