In our article "Is it necessary to study music to be a good musician?" we talked about the importance of preparation through constant study and practice. There are several institutions all around the world. What can we find when looking at the tip of the educational iceberg? What are the best schools and how much do they cost? Who has studied in these institutions?

These schools have a reputation for being the top of the line in music education

Juilliard

If we look for excellence in the artistic field, whether dancing, acting or music, Juilliard is the absolute winner. This university is located in New York City and has around a 6% admission rate (7.2 in 2012 and 5.9 in 2018). This means only the best gain entry to it, and all your potential classmates can be considered prodigies. Juilliard is focused towards concert and jazz music rather than popular genres. Among the ranks of its renowned graduates, we have: 

• John Williams: The Oscar-winning songwriter of all time and the second-most nominated man just behind Walt Disney.
• Alicia Keys: A very popular R&B artist
• Eric Whitacre: Prominent Hollywood composer and orchestrator.
• Jordan Rudess: Keyboardist and composer of Dream Theater.
• Leo Brouwer: Essential Cuban guitarist for his contributions to teaching and composing for the instrument.
• Miles Davis: One of the most important jazz players in history, he pretty much made a before and after with the album Kind Of Blue.
• Steve Reich: Composer responsible for popularizing minimalism.
• Yo-Yo Ma: A very important cellist in the current scene, has recorded a lot of cinema music and played as a soloist with countless important orchestras.

The school has original manuscripts by Stravinsky, Brahms, Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Schubert and many more donated by millionaire Bruce Kovner.

A year in Juilliard costs $47,370 US dollars, without including food expenses, housing if required, books and other expenses.

Berklee College of Music

Speaking of popularity, yet retaining its excellence, Berklee College of Music has established itself as one of the most important music institutions. Unlike Juilliard, around 52% of admissions are accepted. Its program is more oriented towards popular music, production and film scoring. Among her outstanding graduates we can find:

• Alf Clausen: An extremely versatile composer who worked on the Simpsons TV series for most of its seasons.
• Steve Vai: one of the most important guitarists in history. It stands out for its unique style.
• Charlie Puth: Currently a popular singer.
• Alan Silvestri: Composer for blockbuster movies like the Back to the Future series and The Avengers.
• John Mayer: Very popular singer, songwriter, and guitarist.
• Antonio Sánchez: Mexican Jazz drummer, famous for playing with Pat Metheny and composing the music for Birdman, a film by Alejandro González Iñárritu.

Berklee's annual tuition costs $47,232 US dollars. The amount increases if you consider housing and materials for the classes.

Paris Conservatory of Music and Dance

Founded in 1795, this conservatory is an institution with a great musical tradition, cultivated throughout the 211 years it’s been since its foundation. The admission fee is around 500€ ($570 US dollars), but if you have a scholarship, it’s free. Including student insurance, housing, food, transport and leisure, it’s cost can rise up to around €12,000 ($13,700 US dollars). 

Between its graduates we have:

• Claude Debussy: born in 1892, he was an impressionist pianist and composer, among his most popular catalogue is "Claro de Luna" and "Suite Bergamasque".
• Paul Dukas: creator of the poem "The Sorcerer's Apprentice", popularized by Disney’s musical "Fantasy" (1940)
• Juliette Nadia Boulanger: Composer, pianist and director considered by many to be the most prolific teacher in history, if you look at the trajectories of her students. (We’ll talk about it later in this article).

Camille Saint-Saëns: composer, pianist, director and even a French military. Creator of classics as "The Carnival of Animals" and "Danse Macabre". 

Royal College of Music

Located in the city of London. It has a tuition of £9,250 ($11,700 US dollars) for national or European Union students and £23,000 ($29,000 US dollars) for foreign students. The school estimates that a student will need around £12,000 ($15,000 US dollars) for the expenses of living a year in London.

Some of its graduates are:

• Gustav Holst: Composer of one of the most important works for classical music, the orchestral suite of "The Planets". This suite has largely paved film music and the polytonic language of the early 20th century.
• Leopold Stokowski: Renowned director who premiered some important pieces in America such as Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring", Rachmaninoff's "Piano Concerto No. 4" and various pieces by Arnold Schoenberg. Also created adaptations and re-orchestrations for the Disney musical "Fantasy" (1940).
• John Williams: Not to be confused with the soundtrack composer. John is a classical guitarist with tons of international popularity
• Andrew Lloyd Webber: Composer of historical musicals such as "Jesus Christ Superstar" (1972), "The Phantom of the Opera" (1986) and "Cats" (1981).

Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM)

A globally renowned provider of exams originated in the UK. It keeps a close relationship with the Royal College of Music, Royal Academy of Music and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland to name a few.

These exams with international recognition are a good way to test your knowledge and studies. Currently there are bachelor's and master's degree exams, which consists of submitting an original music catalogue with certain characteristics, this will be graded by professionals. If approved, you’ll obtain the corresponding title. Excellent option for those who don’t have a professional license, especially with international recognition.

If we consider private teachers as institutions there’s one that stands out above all:

Juliette Nadia Boulanger

She was born in 1887 and is considered by many to be the most important music teacher in history given the number of students who were successful and relevant to 20th century music. Composer, orchestrator, pianist, and teacher, she studied at the Paris Conservatory.

Her students include:

• George Gershwin: Composer of great value, creator of the famous orchestral work "Rhapsody in Blue".
• Astor Piazolla: A very important figure in tango
• Quincy Jones: Composer and producer for artists like Michael Jackson and Frank Sinatra
• Wojciech Kilar: Chamber music composer and composer for the famous Francis Ford Coppola film "Dracula", as well as several films by Roman Polansky.
• Philip Glass: Minimalist classical music composer.
• Aaron Copland: Impressionist-style American composer who wrote chamber music works and films.

Of course, not all of us were able to attend these schools, but a boy can dream, can’t he?

What about you, did you study music at a local school that you would recommend? Which one?

Share your experience!

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