There are many types of music schools where you can apply, depending on your career goals and interests. Some schools, such as the Peabody Conservatory and Lawrence Conservatory, focus on classical music training and tradition. Some schools focus on modern music, such as Musicians Institute or the Berklee College of Music, where students go to primarily study jazz, pop and rock music. Still other schools are aimed at the technical side of the music business and focus on music business, music technology and recording arts.
Admission to music schools often depends on your intended major, the instrument you play and the school. For instance, according to the Berklee website, students wishing to apply for admission to the Berklee College of Music are required to participate in a live audition and interview in addition to regular college admission procedures. Contrasting this, the Conservatory of Arts and Sciences only requires an online application and no audition, because it is a school focused on music technology instead of performance, according to the Audio Recording School website.
Although music schools may differ in focus and types of music or their requirements for admittance, many majors are common among them. According to the Berklee website, the majors available at Berklee College of Music are composition, contemporary writing and production, electronic production and design, film scoring, jazz composition, music business/management, music education, music production and engineering, music therapy, performance, professional music and songwriting.
Common music classes at music schools include music theory, ear training, music history and private lessons. While other courses may be required depending on your major, these are usually required of all students of music. Music theory teaches the fundamentals of reading and writing music. Ear training teaches aural skills that help you understand the chords, melodies and rhythms by ear. Music history teaches the tradition of musical styles throughout history. And private lessons teach you skill on your specific instrument.
Most music schools have ensembles in which participating students can gain performance experience. Most conservatories have classical ensembles, such as band, orchestra and wind and string quartets. Schools focused on modern music offer ensembles for jazz, pop and rock music. Other music schools offer a combination of all of these ensemble styles.