I did my Bachelor’s in Technology (Engineering) from india. But now i want to make a career shift and pursue a Masters’s in Music(or Arts) from USA? How to go about it? Will i be eligible?
PS: I have a diploma in indian classical music and grade 4 in classcial guitar and grade 2 in piano from trinity college od music…
Since you’re well versed in Indian music, and want to get a masters, you might want to pursue a ethnomusicology degree. Google which institutions have that program. It would be up to the institution you apply to for whether your diploma provides the background you would need.
If you are thinking of a degree in (western) performance, (western) music theory, or (western) musicology, I can’t see you being remotely qualified based on what you’ve said. (Sorry to be blunt.) Performers will have had a decade or so training pre-university, and then four years intensive training doing their bachelors. The theorists and musicologists will have taken multiple years in these disciplines during undergrad, so it’s unlikely you could catch up on your own.
I have a doctorate in musicology myself, although I know longer work in the field, but I don’t know if the shelf-life of my knowledge has expired or not.
ETA: I’m going to suggest to a mod that the post title be amended to show the topic and that this be moved to Cafe Society, our arts forum, where you may get more eyeballs.
Moderator Action
While this does concern music, the topic is more along the lines of advice and opinions of how to get a particular music degree, not a discussion about the music itself. This thread is therefore better suited to our advice and opinion forum, IMHO.
Also, I have edited the title to more clearly indicate the topic. Please use more descriptive thread titles in the future.
Moving thread from General Questions to In My Humble Opinion.
Are you in the US now? It’s much easier to apply and take classes if you are already here and won’t need to arrange for a student visa.
Many schools in the US will allow you to take one or two graduate classes as a non-degree student, and it’s often easier to get in. If you do well, you can get a big boost applying for the full program.
One problem that I have heard happens sometimes is that some US schools do not consider bachelor’s degrees from India to be equivalent to a US bachelor’s degree. This especially applies if the degree was from a 3-year program, since US bachelor’s degrees are typically 4 years. One possibility could be to see what you can transfer to a US school and try to get a US bachelor’s degree. Many schools allow large amounts of transfer credit, and some schools offer credit by exam for some classes if you go in already knowing the material. This gives you the opportunity to get a US degree and also possibly get a bachelor’s degree in a more closely related field. The downside is it costs money and takes time. It might be worth it, thought.
Take it from someone who has two degrees in music: work as an engineer and perform on the side. If you want to learn, take classes. A master’s degree in music is a waste of time and money.
Thanks a lot for all the suggestion.
This is my very first post on this website…(newbie)
But to be precise…
I have a 4 year Bachelor’s in Technology (and I am from india…and currently in the 4th year of this degree course). I am really fond of western music… i want to pursue a degree/diploma in composition (preferably)…
I sing both Indian and western and have a few compositions…I play flute(bansuri), guitar… and have a decent knowledge about music theory… and have performed at various events …when i was in junior school…I went to Belgium as a part of a choir for an exchange program to represent our country and perform 4 concerts with Mr. Dirk Brosse (a composer and a conductor)
But here in India…there is not much scope for western genre…and the music scene here is really bad…
So…I thought of applying at some music college/university/conservatory in US…where I can finally be in a music community and be in the company of like minded people who also want to pursue music…make contacts …do some gigs and more importantly educate myself in MUSIC and learn something.
But the problem is I do not have an undergraduation in Music. (Just a 4 year Diploma in Indian Classical and all the grades I’ve mentioned above)
I was also thinking of applying at the Berklee College of Music and audition for their Diploma program in composition…(tell me if i’m aiming too high?)…
Because right now… i really cannot find any other university at which i can get accepted…i havent even given GRE and TOEFEL…and do not have as many credentials as they require. So right now…i am really confused as in what to do and where to apply (even if next year…and which program would be really worth attending and the opportunites related to it…etc…
Thanks a lot for reading such a long post…
What is a 4 year diploma?
Berklee’s an interesting choice. I’d like to think they (or other schools) would welcome a musician with your background and work out the academic requirements somehow. I imagine that taking students from overseas is something they do quite often. I don’t know how possible it will be to enter at the graduate level though. Good luck!
Here in India at Gandharva Mahavidyalaya ( the only institution perhaps, which provides a formal education in Indian Classical music), the undergraduate program is of 6 years (so we get a degree for BA in music also known as ‘Visharad in music’) and the Diploma course is of four years… jus like at berklee…the undergrad is of 4 years and artist’s Diploma of 2 years…