Are you considering Studying in California but don’t know the best music school to apply to? Then this article is for you.
In this article, we will be listing the best Music Schools in California, to guide you in making the right School of choice decision.
When people think of music schools, they may automatically think of conservatories like Juilliard and Berklee, perhaps the two most famous music schools in the United States.
While both of these schools are great, many exceptional music schools are located outside the Upper East Coast. See Best Music Schools and Conservatories in the US.
Many university-based music programs call California home, and some of them are equally prestigious to musicians “in the know” to their East Coast counterparts.
California is home to over 750 colleges and universities, many of which are nationally renowned institutions and featured on this list.
Two major cities in California, San Francisco and Los Angeles, have tremendous music programs fitting the tastes of nearly any music student.
Here are 10 of the best music schools in California.
- University of California at Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts (Irvine, CA)
- California State University, Long Beach Bob Cole Conservatory of Music (Long Beach, CA)
- University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music (Stockton, CA)
- Azusa Pacific University School of Music (Azusa, CA)
- Chapman University Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music (Orange, CA)
- California Institute of the Arts (Valencia, CA)
- San Francisco Conservatory of Music (San Francisco, CA)
- UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music (Los Angeles, CA)
- The Colburn School (Los Angeles, CA)
- University of Southern California Thornton School of Music (Los Angeles, CA)
University of Southern California Thornton School of Music (Los Angeles, CA)
University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music not only tops our list for music schools in California, it may very well be the best music school in the entire country.
University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music is among the most selective music schools in the world. USC’s Popular Music program has an acceptance rate of less than 5%.
Jazz Performance at the University of Southern California is perhaps its most riveting program. Faculty members like Bob Mintzer, and Alan Pasqua, who has toured with the likes of Bob Dylan, Santana, and Cher.
Classical performance at USC rivals any conservatory in the world. With a strong affiliation to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, many classical performance faculty members at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music are not only pedagogues, they are also professional orchestral musicians.
The last two programs of note at USC Thornton are in music production and music business. Students in the music business program get unprecedented access to internships throughout the entertainment mecca of Hollywood.
University of California at Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts (Irvine, CA)
University of California at Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts is a small, unique program situated in the heart of Southern California.
University of California at Irvine has produced many students who have gone onto unusual careers in music. One person, Miles Vinson, launched one of the most popular music practice apps in late 2020.
On the theme of “unconventional,” UC Irvine is home to one of the most interesting Doctoral programs in the country in music, Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology (ICIT).
In this department, students’ education blends traditional and contemporary practices, with the ultimate goal of becoming a modern artist capable of complex musical and software tools.
However, UC Irvine is not only for graduate students. Several of its undergraduate programs have “big names” on faculty; one such program, jazz performance, features Kei Akagi on faculty, one of the most accomplished living jazz pianists who has worked with the likes of Al DiMeola and Joe Farrell.
California State University, Long Beach Bob Cole Conservatory of Music (Long Beach, CA)
California State University, Long Beach’s Bob Cole Conservatory of Music offers an education in both classical and jazz music styles.
Named after a prolific Long Beach real estate investor, the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music received a substantial gift of $16.4 million in 2008 from Bob Cole himself. See Best Music Schools in Chicago
Faculty members at Bob Cole represent an interesting mix of academicians and professionals alike. They include Chad Wackerman, former drummer for Frank Zappa’s band; and John Proulx, a Grammy Award-winning vocalist.
Alumni from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music have gone into the world’s great music ensembles.
They include a New York Philharmonic Principal Tubist in Alan Baer, a leading jazz drummer in John Hollenbeck, and a virtuoso trombonist in Andy Martin who has performed in over 100 movie soundtracks.
Conclusion
That was all about the Best Music Schools in California. Was it helpful to you? If there is any question you have to ask us, let us know in the comment section.
Last Updated on September 17, 2023 by Admin
