SMU #1 Music School?

[meangreendork]

Saw this on USA Today, but then again, USA Today is really just a stone's throw in quality from Cracked.

http://college.usatoday.com/2014/06/19/the-top-10-music-colleges-in-the-united-states/

That ranking was based upon the amount of financial aid available for the students in that relatively small program. Which, I guess they need considering SMU is expensive as hell to attend.

What I did like reading were comments from people who attended other schools or were otherwise not affiliated with UNT asking, "hey, how is North Texas not on this list?!"

[Mean Green 93-98]

This list is completely whacked. No UNT? No Julliard? No Indiana? No Miami? None of the colleges they list belong there. I mean, Boston College has multiple music colleges in Boston that blow it away.

But here are their criteria:

Calculating our Overall Top Ranked Colleges for a Major

To calculate the overall best colleges for a particular major, we combine all of the above metrics that are related specifically to that particular major at the school along with our overall Best Colleges ranking for the school.

• Major Specific Metrics (1 part each)
  • Early Career Earnings (Highest Paid)
  • Mid Career Earnings (Highest Paid)
  • # of Graduates (Popularity)
  • % of Graduates in that Major at the School (Major Focus)
  • mPower Index (Related Major Focus)
• Overall School Metrics (2 parts each)
  • Best Colleges Ranking (Overall College Quality)

Strange metrics for ranking music colleges.

Edited June 20, 2014 by Mean Green 93-98

[Stix]

This one says it all:

Frank Ticheli · Professor of Composition at University of Southern California · 1,551 followers

There are three or four good music schools on this rather silly list, but where is Juilliard, Eastman, Curtis, U. of Michigan, Indiana University, Oberlin? Where is USC, CCM, UNT, UMKC? There are countless other music schools far better than most of the schools on this list. USA Today just lost all credibility as a college ranker. It can only be viewed as a silly joke.

[oldguystudent]

There is not one school on that list that I think of when asked, "What's a good music school?"

[meangreendork]

There is not one school on that list that I think of when asked, "What's a good music school?"

Not gonna lie, I didn't even know some of the schools had a music department.

Strange metrics for ranking music colleges.

Even by those metrics, I don't know how SMU got in there. It's a program no one hears about that's really small. I also find it funny none of these are public institutions, either.

Edited June 20, 2014 by meangreendork

[UNTeagle88]

I guess the cheating isn't just in the athletics program, its in the academic rankings too! I wonder how much Southern Money University paid to be on that list..

[oldguystudent]

Here's a list I find more believable. There are a couple schools on there I spoke to way back when I was a foolish young man considering a higher education in music.

If you are interested in playing in large jazz ensembles, UNT is the place to be.

[meangreendork]

Here's a list I find more believable. There are a couple schools on there I spoke to way back when I was a foolish young man considering a higher education in music.

One of my close friends went to Rochester, then got his master's here. He went from one great school to another.

[greenminer]

A winner of the amateur Van Cliburn piano competition, Michael Hawley studied piano at Yale.

I know 2 others my age, 1 being a North Texas grad, that did their MM in music (performance, I believe) at Yale.

All outstanding musicians who had nothing but good things to say about their school.

Edited June 21, 2014 by greenminer

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

Pretty sure UNT alums own more Grammys than anyone..... Classical type music favors Julliard I would think.

Name anyone from SMU known in the music profession... That is a joke.

Edited June 21, 2014 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[Rudy]

I'm willing to bet that SMU boosters showed the USA Today writer where all the dead hookers were buried and said, "This could be you." Then showed him a room with a bunch of dope and living hookers and said, "Or, THIS could be yours."

[GreenMachine]

Maybe NT has remained stagnant and other music programs have passed us by? It seems we trust any list that ranks us good yet quickly discredit a list that doesn't.

[oldguystudent]

Name anyone from SMU known in the music profession... That is a joke.

Didn't Edie Brickell spend some time there?

[oldguystudent]

Maybe NT has remained stagnant and other music programs have passed us by? It seems we trust any list that ranks us good yet quickly discredit a list that doesn't.

If I'm being completely honest, until I came to UNT for grad school, completely out of geographic proximity, I had never heard of UNT's music program. Maybe the program here is more one known within in the music industry than one that people go waving their diplomas around at cocktail parties. Whatever the case may be, it's most certainly a fine program that stands up to any other.

[Mean Green 93-98]

Maybe NT has remained stagnant and other music programs have passed us by? It seems we trust any list that ranks us good yet quickly discredit a list that doesn't.

No, NT has not remained stagnant, and none of the schools mentioned on the USA Today list have passed us by. Do you actually have some information to base your post on?

Edited June 21, 2014 by Mean Green 93-98

[UNT90]

If only this meant we were better at sports, I'd be ok with it.

[GreenMachine]

No, NT has not remained stagnant, and none of the schools mentioned on the USA Today list have passed us by. Do you actually have some information to base your post on?

do you have any information to base your post on? A USA list does not rank our music program yet you state we are above the ones listed. What are you basing that on?

[Greenrex]

Pretty sure UNT alums own more Grammys than anyone..... Classical type music favors Julliard I would think.

Name anyone from SMU known in the music profession... That is a joke.

I think one of those dead hookers said she was going to sing.

[Mean Green 93-98]

do you have any information to base your post on? A USA list does not rank our music program yet you state we are above the ones listed. What are you basing that on?

The fact that I have received a music education from some of the top schools in the country and am well-acquainted with what are the top music schools, and with what professionals consider the best music schools. Julliard, Eastman, Indiana, Michigan, UNT, Berklee, NEC, Miami, etc....Those are the top music schools. They have the top faculty. Their ensembles win the big awards. They typically get the best students. No one who knows anything about music schools would place SMU above UNT, or Boston College above Berklee or NEC.

[greenminer]

do you have any information to base your post on? A USA list does not rank our music program yet you state we are above the ones listed. What are you basing that on?

This is the worst USA list I've ever seen. Don't put any credibility they have with you onto this thing.

[meangreendork]

The fact that I have received a music education from some of the top schools in the country and am well-acquainted with what are the top music schools, and with what professionals consider the best music schools. Julliard, Eastman, Indiana, Michigan, UNT, Berklee, NEC, Miami, etc....Those are the top music schools. They have the top faculty. Their ensembles win the big awards. They typically get the best students. No one who knows anything about music schools would place SMU above UNT, or Boston College above Berklee or NEC.

I'm right with you. People in the know - people who are experts in both music programs and music as a whole have their list of best programs. SMU is never on that list. And frankly, believing a USAtoday article put together by people who aren't specialists and aren't in that field of knowledge is like taking my advice for choosing our next QB when you've got Chico Canales telling you otherwise.

[GreenMachine]

You music people are a funny , motley crew.

[UNT90]

You music people are a funny , motley crew.

I don't know, man. I think they are a little AC/DC, if you know what I mean.

[GreenMachine]

I don't know, man. I think they are a little AC/DC, if you know what I mean.

indeed I do.

[NT03]

Perhaps a better list :

http://m.hollywoodreporter.com/entry/view/id/829244