The Most Innovative College Music Programs Changing the Industry
Nothing has changed the way we think about and create music like the internet has. Artists and technicians collaborate with each other from opposite sides of the planet, and have the ability to release any song they like to a global audience with the touch of a button. You might not realize it, but music education at the college level has kept pace with that expansion of technology. Innovations in learning have now made it possible to pursue an online music degree, and enter the rewarding world of music.
There is sometimes a stigma that due to the part-time or self-employed nature of many musicians, studying for a music degree, even from an online music school, isn't as worthwhile as other subjects. While it's true that only the top practitioners earn the sort of money you would in a high-demand STEM field, professional musicians still do better than the average worker according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics . Music directors and composers have a median annual salary of $50,110, while musicians themselves make $25.14 per hour on average. There are also great opportunities like being a sound engineer or teaching music to others that offer stable, well-paying jobs. All of these careers can be easier to succeed in by attending an online music school.
What Are The Most Innovative College Music Programs?
The Most Innovative College Music Programs Changing the Industry
Innovation has helped this premier music school in Boston churn out a constant stream of Grammy-winning and other accomplished music professionals, from Quincy Jones ('51) to John Mayer ('98). In the '50s, that innovation was introducing jazz into the classroom. Today Berklee stays cutting-edge with programs like Berkleemusic , its arm for online music instruction anywhere in the world. The organization partners with companies like Noteflight , a digital music notation software company, to keep musical education up to speed with other higher ed subjects that are moving to the Web. Aspiring musicians need not even be college-aged to take advantage of Berklee educators' experience. Through the Berklee PULSE site, kids from grades 4-12 can get online training in vocals, instruments, and ensemble performance.
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Getting an Online Music Degree
Traditionally, music programs tend to focus on performance and instrumentation. As such, music is one of those areas where getting a music degree online might seem odd or even impossible. That's no longer true. Some programs focus more on the side of sound engineering or production, the basics of which can be taught and turned in for appraisal through common computer programs. Online music production courses are becoming much more common, and music production schools' online offerings get better and better.
Composition, music history, and music theory are other areas which can be specialized in while getting an online music degree. You don't necessarily have to show up in person to explore the rich history of classical music or American jazz, and distance education on the finer points of composition goes all the way back to correspondence between the European maestros or further.
If none of that suits you, some schools will teach the fine art of piano design, maintenance, restoration, and repair online. And yes, there are even schools which have begun to offer a traditional instrument performance music degree online. Teaching people songs and styles is already a staple of many YouTube content creators, and prestigious schools are getting in on the act these days. It's very possible that soon getting online music degrees will be no different than getting traditional ones! Here are some of your best and most innovative options for an online music degree.
To determine the most innovative college music degrees, we looked at the most important factors prospective students, mainly common predictors of future success and a school's commitment to online programs. This boils down to admissions rate, student loan default rate, retention rate, graduation rate, and the percent of students enrolled in online classes. All data points are taken from information provided by colleges and universities to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Each factor is weighted evenly in order to give an objective view and determine the top most innovative college music degrees. To calculate our rankings, we looked at a school's ranking when organized by a single factor, and then averaged each category's ranking to find an overall score: Admissions Rate (20%) + Default Rate (20%) + Retention Rate (20%) + Graduation Rate (20%) + Percent of Students Enrolled in Online Classes (20%) = Final score.