Comments on: Thinking About Studying Music Abroad?

By: Ashley

Ashley — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 09:49:52 +0000

India is the best place to go to for advanced studies in music. It also has some of the world’s oldest musical instruments. It’s classical music is more developed than the western.

By: Kaiti

Kaiti — Sat, 22 Aug 2015 03:39:12 +0000

I’d highly recommend the Jamaica Field Service Project. It’s open to students majoring in music education, music therapy, and other non-music fields (those students serve as literacy tutors). Music therapy professionals are also able to attend for continuing ed credit. It’s a great program which allows for field work/clinical experience in a country with great culture and music. We also had a B.A student on my trip, so I think it’s a little flexible. Ethnomusicology students would probably also be accepted. You can find the program at jafsp.org

By: MajoringInMusic.com

MajoringInMusic.com — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 19:11:42 +0000

In reply to Music Minor.

Many schools have an agreement with colleges and universities in other countries to ensure that the credits earned will transfer, and that you’ll be paying the same amount for the semester (or more) abroad as you would at the school you attend in the US. So it’s best to check with the college or university you currently attend or where you want to apply.

Note that most schools require that you be at least a sophomore before you participate in a study abroad program. To ensure that you can graduate in four years, be sure to start talking with your academic adviser a year before you plan to study abroad.

As stated in this article, at most US schools at this point in time, BA students (and music minors) will have an easier time fitting study abroad into a four-year program.

By: Music Minor

Music Minor — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 19:10:32 +0000

Although I’m an English Communications major, I am a Music minor and was thinking of places I could study abroad that would complement both studies.I would like to know if you had any recommendations on places to study abroad for Music majors. My friends that are Music majors could benefit from knowing they can study abroad too. I was wanting to know of universities in Europe and other places that would provide a good experience to study music.

By: BW

BW — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:50:29 +0000

Thanks for your insights and recommendations. We’ve been hearing about some BM candidates switching to a BA to incorporate study abroad into a four-year curriculum. We encourage students to think about how the type of degree they’re getting will actually serve them once they graduate so that they can make wise decisions and choices about the BA vs. the BM.

By: Cleveland Johnson

Cleveland Johnson — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:02:14 +0000

Having taught (and administered) in an excellent School of Music for 25 years, I can tell you that Music students who study abroad grow by leaps and bounds compared to those who don't. Watching students across their four-year career, I've witnessed so many students who entered with fairly modest abilities (compared to their peers), who return from a semester abroad and just blow the socks off the competition when they return. They seem to make the one big (perceived) downside of study abroad--i.e. being away from applied study with their major teacher--work to their advantage. These students return to campus with wider horizons, broader perspectives, more diverse repertory interests, new friends from other American conservatories, and impressive connections to musicians in another part of the world. Music has truly come alive for them, through travel, and it shows in their dedication, their curiosity, and their playing. Music students tend to study in Western European locations, for obvious reasons, since the American music curriculum is still very euro-centric. Excellent programs include the IES Study Abroad programs For the more adventurous student, an exciting new option, considering the age we live in, allows undergraduate musicians to look farther afield. MUSIC EDUCATION ABROAD has an intriguing program in India that could be excellent for composers, performers, music educators, as well as for any students interested in ethnomusicology. There won't be many graduating music majors looking for work (or grad school admission) who'll have experience like that to showcase in their resumes and applications. Currently, music students are among the least well-traveled of college students. But being so tied down (to their home institution, their applied teacher, and their traditional curriculum) could come back to bite them as the music field becomes increasingly competitive, diverse and globally connected. If it was up to me, I'd REQUIRE my students to study abroad!