Berklee College of Music

 

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Ali M.

Los Angeles, CA

This place changed my life, for better and worse.  Arguably, the best contemporary music school in the world, far and away the best institute for music technology in the country, Berklee College of Music offers an education geared toward a (more or less) practical application of music in the modern industry, based on an understanding of theory taught from a jazz perspective, rather than classical, which most other music schools and conservatories prefer.

Be warned, Berklee College of Music has a notoriously low enrollment to graduation ratio, that is due in part to the intensive nature of the curriculum.  Most incoming students enter with the misguided idea that they attending some sort of grown-up "school of rock" or maybe even "the Hogwarts of music" as one of my teachers put it, but instead they find Berklee's courses difficult, the level of competition among peers very high and are faced with perhaps for the first time in their life the challenge of mental shifting their attitude about music from something that used to be pleasure to something that has to become very serious work.

That, I found, to be my greatest challenge, but once it was overcome, I appreciated the college as a dynamic, diverse microcosm of the music industry where I was lucky enough to forge life-long relationships with friends and supportive mentors that (despite Berklee's high price tag) I consider invaluable.

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Elite '08

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Aretha W.

Aquinnah, MA

There is a lot of talent at the Berklee College of Music. There is a HUGE wealth of information to be learned from the accomplished staff, and from the diverse and VERY inspiring students, playing and having musical conversations with people you otherwise never would've met.

The film scoring major is great. Songwriting is great. You can find expertise and dive deeply into any and every area you want.

It's just about as expensive a college as you can find, and it's like pulling teeth to even get a dime for scholarship.

Berklee has a 3 out of 4 dropout rate. Only the strong survive. The connections you make at berklee can be deep and significant. It's a wonderful college. I am blessed to have been able to go there.

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Dylan C.

Boston, MA

I took summer workshops here when I was in high school.  I learned a lot, like that I didn't want to go here after graduation.  Seriously though, I am definitely a better musician for having gone to those workshops, but most of the kids I talked to that were enrolled in actual classes told me that since they had come to Berklee, they hate music on account of that is all they could eat, sleep, or breath day in and day out.  And that, in my opinion, is not conducive to growth as a musician or a person.

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Jessica R.

Los Angeles, CA

good music school in the heart of boston.  tons of the local musicians you see around boston are currently studying here.  They have lots of interesting performances from musicians they bring in as well that are open to the public.

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