Music Schools
12 Best Music Schools In Florida | Cost, Requirement & How To Apply
Students interested in a career in music have several schools to choose from in Florida. This article covers coursework and, in some cases, performance requirements for three institutions. Also included is a table of school facts and figures, as well as information on several other schools.
Factors such as acceptance rate, number of students, campus environment, and of course cost can influence your choice of where to pursue your music studies.
The best music schools in Florida are distinguished by providing a rigorous interdisciplinary education. Students receive a competitive and innovative music education without the stress of low acceptance rates or the pressure of moving to an elite brand.
Are There Music Schools in Florida?
There are many schools in Florida that offer undergraduate and graduate programs in music. Most programs support a range of degree options in specialty areas, including performance, theory, composition, and music education.
Many schools also offer degrees and courses in music therapy, electronic music, music production, and ethnomusicology. Degrees you can earn include Bachelor of Arts in Music, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music, Doctor of Music, and Doctor of Music in Composition.
A master’s degree can be completed in 1-2 years, while a doctoral program can be completed in four years. As part of your performance-related studies, you can participate in concerts and performances by student ensembles.
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How Much Do Music Schools Cost in Florida?
The average annual tuition fee at a Florida public university is $6,071 for full-time students. Tuition at public colleges is about two-thirds of the tuition at public universities.
The State of Florida is one of the few states that offers residents a merit-based scholarship program that covers all or nearly all tuition.
Florida students with exceptionally high academic achievement can apply for the state’s Bright Futures Scholarship program, which pays 75 to 100 percent of resident tuition.
These scholarships are funded by the State Lottery. Students adopted from Florida foster care or serving in the National Guard are also eligible for free tuition.
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What Are The Requirements For Music Schools In Florida?
In Florida, college students can earn an associate of music degree, a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, or a doctorate. There are additional degree minors and graduate certificates for specialized work.
While some programs are designed to prepare graduates for careers in teaching and performance, others are designed to give students the opportunity to study music alongside other subjects.
Alternatively, students can focus on music theory, music therapy, music business or commercial music. By taking part in recording studios, music labs, and performance ensembles, music majors can develop practical skills.
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What Are The Best Music Schools In Florida?
Today, there are many options to choose from to decide which program is right for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you can even enroll in a great program on the other side of the country.
In addition, there are a significant number of vocational schools that offer fast-track entry into many fields.
Since choosing the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve compiled a ranking of the best music schools in Florida along with many other major-related rankings to help you make that decision.
1. University of Florida School of Music (Gainesville, Florida)
The UF School of Music offers some of the most comprehensive and highly regarded music programs in the country.
In addition to traditional offerings in performance, students can specialize in composition, theory, and technology; musicology and ethnomusicology; musical education; music in combination with an external field; management of music and MSM business; and music for pre-medical professions.
These pioneering interdisciplinary fields give students the opportunity to explore fields within and outside of music early in their college careers. They don’t need to wait until graduate school to major in musicology or music business.
The School of Music is part of the larger College of the Arts, which is also home to such innovative centers as the Center for the Arts in Medicine, the Center for World Art, the Digital Worlds Institute and the University Galleries.
With such a variety of academic and artistic opportunities surrounding them, students are sure to learn in an environment that prepares them for the intersectionality of the real world.
2. Florida International University
Florida International University Miami offers a variety of bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in music, including music technology, music history, music education, and music theory, as well as performance programs in choral, jazz, keyboard, brass, and orchestral strings.
The keyboard program teaches students to play the piano, organ, and Wertheim organ. While pursuing a bachelor’s degree in music education, students maintain electronic portfolios and participate in music education labs.
The Master of Arts in Music Education can be earned on campus or online and includes a directed research project.
3. Florida State University College of Music (Tallahassee, Florida)
As one of the nation’s largest and most prestigious music schools, FSU provides its student musicians with access to a variety of interdisciplinary academic opportunities.
For example, a Bachelor of Music degree is designed for double majors who would like to pursue music and another field at the same time. They can also choose to focus on commercial music, jazz or sacred music.
FSU’s location in Tallahassee also offers the opportunity to engage one or more community partners such as Capital Children’s Choir, Opening Nights Performing Arts, Tallahassee Bach Parley, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra and Thomasville Entertainment Foundation.
The former Soviet Union produced an impressive list of accomplished musicians. Lily Afshar was the first woman ever to be awarded a DMA for a guitar performance. Brenda Boozer has performed around the world, including 11 seasons at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
The College of Music is currently home to award-winning faculty, including Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich and two Grammy Award winners.
4. Miami Dade College
Students at this community college in Miami can earn an associate degree in music, music education, or music business.
Music business students can focus on business management, creative performance or creative production and gain hands-on experience in the college’s various cutting-edge studios and laboratories.
Courses in music history, stage singing, music appreciation and other areas are also available, and students can take private or group lessons on various instruments. Those interested in performing can join the college’s African Drum Ensemble, Gospel Ensemble, Opera Workshop, and other groups.
5. University of Miami Frost School of Music (Coral Gables, Florida)
The Frost School of Music is distinguished by its patented Frost Method®, a unique curriculum that teaches students the broad range of skills necessary for today’s professional musician to succeed.
These skills include marketing, business, digital recording, sound engineering, creating electronic press kits, writing, pedagogy, and more.
Frost’s method permeates all four years of undergraduate studies. Whether students specialize in performance, composition, music therapy or music industry, they will graduate prepared for a wide range of careers. With over 700 students, Frost School is a dynamic place to learn music.
The Frost School has also partnered with Grammy-winning alumnus Bruce Hornsby to launch the Creative American Music Program, which teaches aspiring songwriters the basics of contemporary popular music. The program is open to all music majors by audition.
6. Florida Atlantic University (Boca Raton, Florida)
The music programs at Florida Atlantic University are distinguished by a mixed focus on contemporary and classical performance practice.
For example, a BM in Commercial Music can be combined with a concentration in Commercial Music Composition, Music Technology, or Music Business. All of these compositions aim to prepare graduates for successful careers in professional music, especially mainstream music.
Students can gain hands-on experience through internships and experience with Hoot/Wisdom Recordings LLC, FAU’s record label.
FAU also offers more traditional BM and BA compositions in wind, vocal, piano and string performance, as well as a Bachelor of Music Education (BME) in choral or instrumental studies. BME graduates earn a K-12 professional credential that allows them to teach in Florida public schools.
7. University of South Florida
NASAM also accredits the School of Music at this University of Tampa. Undergraduate students can study to become music teachers in K-12 schools through the B.S. in Music Education or Professional Musicians in B.M. program.
Those who wish to combine other interests with music studies can enroll in a Bachelor of Arts in Music Studies program.
Graduate students can become teachers through a master’s degree in music education. M.M. students can concentrate in several areas, such as chamber music, jazz studies, conducting, and electroacoustic music.
The Doctor of Philosophy program is designed for individuals interested in music education management, research, and teaching. The university also has a number of graduate certificates in areas such as choral conducting, performance and jazz composition.
8. Valencia College
Valencia College in Orlando offers several 2-year arts and entertainment programs, including two music programs. The Music Performance pre-major is designed to help students transfer to 4-year universities.
Music students have the opportunity to perform solo or in an ensemble and conduct. Students interested in music production can enroll in the Music and Sound Technology program.
This program offers a specialization in Music Performance/Sound and Sound Technology and is designed for individuals interested in working in sound design, post-production, recording and related fields. Students have the opportunity to collaborate with the college’s student recording company.
9. University of North Florida School of Music (Union, NJ)
At the UNF School of Music, students will receive a performance-based music education with an emphasis on a wide range of music.
BM performance concentrations include piano, strings, voice, brass, brass, percussion, and music technology and production. BM’s music education includes the study of jazz and piano pedagogy.
The award-winning, nationally recognized school became the first in the country to be equipped with 24 of Yamaha’s latest digital keyboards, Clavinovas. These keyboards feature a graduated hammer that mimics an acoustic piano, hundreds of orchestral effects and rhythm tracks for practicing ensemble performance and composition. The new releases make UNF’s piano lab one of the best in the US.
Students also have the opportunity to travel around the country and the world. The last tours visited China, Portugal, Italy, the Czech Republic and South Africa. Students have performed at some iconic venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Vatican and the Mozart Estates Theater.
10. Stetson University School of Music (DeLand, Florida)
Stetson has earned a reputation as one of the nation’s premier undergraduate music schools. The population consists of more than 300 students and 52 artists-scientists of the teaching staff.
Students can study any of Stetson’s 12 programs spanning music education, performance, composition, and science.
One of the most notable interdisciplinary programs is the music major with an external field. This program combines the rigor of core work—classroom, ensembles, theory, and history—with 20 credits in another field. Students can choose any other subject, such as political science or marine biology.
The Bachelor of Music Combined with Business (BMOB) is another example of Stetson’s innovative approach to music education.
BMOB has two tracks: a traditional four-year degree that combines music and business courses, or a dual degree program where you earn a bachelor’s degree in the fourth year and an MBA in the fifth year.
11. Bauer School of Music and Arts, Florida Gulf Coast University
The Bower School is a hub for art, design, music and theater students, attracting 150 local and visiting arts events each year.
In addition to performance and educational compositions, student musicians have the opportunity to study music therapy. This program is based on evidence-based practice, using the latest advances in technology to accompany therapeutic techniques.
Graduates are eligible to take the national music therapy exam administered by the CBMT and receive the MT-BC certification.
All undergraduate students will be prepared for postgraduate studies in music, but music therapy students in particular may also apply for postgraduate studies in health sciences if they so choose.
For students who want to combine music with other subjects, the Bachelor of Music degree is designed for them. The BA degree gives them intensive study of performance, theory, history and musicianship, and is flexible enough to allow them to explore different academic interests.
12. Lynn University Conservatory of Music (Boca Raton, Florida)
The Conservatory of Music is one of the six colleges of the University of Lynn, a small private institution with just over 2,000 students.
Lynn students will receive a well-rounded education in the core curriculum. These 12 courses focus on the individual and society, justice and civic life, faith and reason. These classes, along with the students’ core course of study, prepare them to apply their skills in a socially conscious way.
Lynn has also been an Apple Distinguished School since 2014 for technological integration of iPad-based learning. This means that students benefit from more interactive lessons and mobile tools to communicate with classmates and teachers.
At the same time, students save up to 90% of the cost of traditional textbooks by replacing them with electronic books.
For student musicians, this means simplified composition and convenient storage of musical scores. They can download, annotate, play and create scores all in one place.
How Much Do Musicologists In Florida Earn?
The average base salary for a music producer in Florida is $42,336 per year. A music producer’s salary rate can vary depending on whether they work independently or for a company, what projects they work on, the artists they work with, and their level of fame.
Many also accept alternative forms of compensation, such as the exchange of services. Many music producers emphasize that even though the income can fluctuate, the job is about the joy of artistic expression and the love of music more than the money.
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How Do I Become A Musicologist In Florida?
There is no one way to become a music producer. Some start working as musicians, record company executives, music school graduates or sound engineers.
Some producers choose to pursue a degree related to music production. These programs teach the technology used to create, mix and master music, and can be a valuable opportunity to meet people in the industry.
Enrolling in an online course can be a cost-effective way to learn how to make music, as many are free or cost less than a college education.
To learn more about the music industry and music production, complete an internship at a record company.
Research the record label before you apply to understand what genre they work with, their main artists and why you want to work for them. This can help you write an effective cover letter and prepare for interview questions.
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Best Paying Musicology Jobs in Florida
If you want to become a music producer in Florida, you need to develop your skills and techniques. You also need to know how to use the right equipment.
There are many different programs that manufacturers use, so you should practice with them until you find one that works for you.
You should get an internship at any of these music schools in Florida listed here because it will help you experience the business side of making music as well.
Apprenticeships can lead to work in recording studios or record labels, or even give you the chance to network with other musicians who need producers and sound engineers.
There is also a business component to the career, and music producers often own and operate their own studios, sell and promote music, and offer mixing and mastering services.
Music producers can create beats alone, write entire songs, mix and master existing music, and arrange and sample music.
Music Schools In Florida FAQs
The typical length of study for a music degree is three years. The degree will take up to four years if you choose to take a sandwich year, which many universities usually offer.
Specializations in this field can be found in performance, composition, history, theory, jazz studies, music production, church music, and music technology. Most of the curriculum focuses on performance, music history and theory.
Even if a music producer doesn’t play an instrument professionally, it’s important for them to know how to play instruments like drums, piano, and guitar, and to be able to read sheet music. Learning to play a few of your favorite songs is an effective way to learn musical concepts like chord progressions.
Music producers are professionals responsible for shaping the sound of individual music tracks and directing the overall vision of the album. All genres of music have different roles for producers who work with artists, hire studio musicians, or work independently.
Conclusion
In Florida, college students can earn an associate degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctorate of music. Diploma programs for minors and specialized graduate certificates are also available. Some programs prepare graduates for teaching and performing careers, while others are designed to allow students to explore music alongside other studies.
Students can also focus on music history and literature, music theory, music therapy, music business, or commercial music. Music majors can gain hands-on skills by participating in recording studios and music labs on campus or by joining performance ensembles. This article is about the music programs at Florida’s top ten colleges and universities.
REFERENCES
- collegegazette.com/ -The 10 Best Music Schools In Florida
- bestaccreditedcolleges.org – Music Schools in Florida with Degree Program Summaries
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