The New England Conservatory of Music

Date: Nov 26 2005
Major: Music - Composition/Theory (This Major's Salary over time)
As a first year undergraduate composition major, NEC was everything I expected and more. The comp. faculty (and all faculty members, for that matter), are extremely helpful and knowledgable. These people really know there stuff and they want to share as much of it with you as possible. There is no particular style in the comp. program- students write everything from tonal, to 12 tone music, to extreme atonality, and there are plenty of opportunities for performance of chamber works and readings of large ensemble works.

Keep in mind though, this is a conservatory, not a college. Social life is lacking sometimes, as everyone spends on average 4-6 hrs a day practicing or in rehearsal. There are only about three clubs that I can think of that are somewhat active. The liberal arts dept. is hit or miss- there are two amazing professors, and the rest are questionable. (Cross-registration with NEU, Tufts, and Simmons is possible). The key is to get out and do stuff on your own. Boston is an amazing city: Symphony hall is right there, the MFA and Northeastern University are just down the street. The school itself has up to 5 concerts on any given night.

NEC, however, is very much what you make of it. Everything you need is right in front of you: the music opportunities are simply amazing and I can't imagine there are very many other schools with the same quality of faculty and the same number of connections to the real world. The gig office brings in hundreds of paid gigs a year, and career services is extremely helpful. It is up to each student, however, to take advantage of these opportunties, and turn them into the building blocks of a career. Although your studio teacher will push you along, self motivation will take you a long way.

If your looking to attend a conservatory, definately consider NEC!