Making the choice between attending a university and attending a conservatory can be a difficult decision. A potential student must look at the distinctions between the two, and at how she or he will fit into the environment.
Conservatories are distinct in that they are a good place for students who want an extremely arts-focused program. Patty Thom, chair of the Voice and Opera Department at The Boston Conservatory, says students need to look at what types of degrees the different types of universities offer.
“The Boston Conservatory offers a bachelor of music degree (and a master’s of music), but not a bachelor of arts,” said Thom. “It is important for students to recognize the difference. A B.M. is comprised mostly of music classes, while a B.A. includes a much more ‘liberal’ arts-based curriculum.”
Liberal arts-based courses include general areas of study—philosophy, mathematics, literature, art history, economics, languages, sciences, and so on—rather than courses in applied or specialized fields.
Thom said that students who are ready to concentrate on developing their talent may want to consider a conservatory over a university, because they are more likely to be immersed in their art at a conservatory. But if they are looking for variety in class choice, she said, they may want to look at larger universities with music departments.
Students also can research whether the conservatory they are considering is associated with other universities. The Boston Conservatory, for example, is part of the Pro-Arts Consortium, which allows students to take a limited number of classes at other schools, including Emerson College, the Berklee College of Music, the Boston Architectural Center, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Massachusetts College of Art. Others, like the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, are either part of a larger college or allow students to take courses at affiliated universities.
Students need to research the different conservatories, Thom added, explaining that some conservatories focus on only one discipline, while others—such as the Boston Conservatory, Juilliard, and the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University—are considered “three-art schools,” offering degrees in music, dance, and theater.
Thom said students looking to attend a conservatory must look at some of the same factors they would consider at a university, including the geographical location of a school (urban vs. rural), what cultural institutions are nearby, the student demographics, the faculty, the cost, and financial aid opportunities, as well as the size of the school.
The most important thing, Thom said, is for students to remember who they are and what they are looking for. A conservatory can offer its students a very close-knit environment, with a built in community of artists with shared goals, experiences, and values.
“Students who attend the [Boston] Conservatory tend to be people who like a sense of community, who want to be visible and desire regular attention from their teachers,” Thom said. “They also like the diversity of the school’s programs and the different energies generated by the students and faculty of the different departments.”
