You choose the best music school to invest your time and money in. To help you make the decision that’s right for you, we’ve developed a number of rankings of the best music schools in Texas.
Today, there are many options to choose from to decide which program is right for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person visits, you can attend one of the many reputable online schools.
Some music schools in Texas even offer a hybrid experience. In addition, you can choose a vocational school that prepares you for work with knowledge in a certain field.
Are There Music Schools In Texas?
Texas has numerous undergraduate and graduate music schools and programs, from associate degrees to doctoral programs. A variety of concentrations are available, including music performance, management, and education options.
Students enrolled in the music programs listed below have access to recital halls, piano labs, and recording studios, as well as special instruments and opportunities to perform with musical ensembles.
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How Much Do Music Schools Cost In Texas?
The average tuition for a music schools in Texas is estimated to be around $29,000 per semester, and any music degree program lasts four years. So, if you are considering universities, here are the best music production schools in Texas:
Some prospective students prefer to pursue their education at a state or public university. It’s that simple! And to be honest, the reason is simple: to gain a deeper understanding of the field of music production.
However, studying at music universities instead of vocational schools will cost much more.
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What Are The Requirements For Music Schools In Texas?
Before enrolling in a music school in Texas, an applicant must meet the following requirements:
- Minimum Texas GPA of 2.00
- Minimum major GPA of 2.25 (students majoring in music must have a 2.85 for Texas State music major)
- Minimum minor GPA (if applicable) of 2.00
- A minimum grade of C or better or CR in each music course required for the major or minor
- Minimum hours 120 hours (Diploma in Music Studies requires more than 120 hours to fulfill course requirements through College of Education teacher certification courses)
- Additional hours (level 3000 and 4000) 36 hours
- Proficiency in a foreign language Completion of at least 2 years of study in one language at high school or university level
- Computer Literacy Completion of at least 1 year of computer coursework at the high school or university level
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What Are The Best Music Schools In Texas?
1. Texas A&M University – College Station
Located in College Station, Texas A&M University’s main campus offers music degrees through the Department of Performance Studies, which has more than 15 music faculty members.
Students in the BA program specialize in composition and theory, historical musicology and ethnomusicology, or music technology and study music history, theory, and performance. For admission, students must pass an audition.
Student musicians have the opportunity to perform with groups, choirs and other musical ensembles. They also have access to a music computer lab and recording studio where they can record their work.
With the Master of Arts (MA) in Performance Studies, students can pursue an advanced study of music alongside other performing arts, including dance and theater.
2. Texas State University – San Marcos
Texas State offers Bachelor of Music degrees through the School of Music, which has more than 600 students and 80 faculty members.
The music school is equipped with auditoriums, exhibition halls, rehearsal rooms, a recording room, and a music library. Students can perform in one of more than 20 Texas state music ensembles, including a Mariachi band.
The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Music, which usually accompanies a minor, provides a broad liberal arts education with an emphasis on music, while the Bachelor of Music (B.M) in Performance is a more focused program that prepares students for careers in music performance.
Other music degrees offered include a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Recording Technology, which prepares students to work in the music and recording industry, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Musical Theater, which includes classes in music, acting and dance.
3. Texas Tech University School of Music
TTUSM is located in Lubbock, home to art, tourism, and numerous historic sites. The school is uniquely positioned to provide educational, professional and vocational opportunities for music and non-music majors.
Texas Tech University boasts a high employment rate among its graduates, who have gone on to perform at the Metropolitan Opera, win Fulbright scholarships, and hold positions in world-renowned orchestras.
The school has several impressive concert halls, such as the 541-seat Hemmle Concert Hall, where countless professionals and emerging stars have performed.
It is also home to one of Texas’ finest instrument collections and a reference library of more than 13,000 recordings and scores.
4. University of Texas at San Antonio
Located in San Antonio, UT San Antonio offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees through its music department, which has approximately 70 faculty members.
Students can participate in jazz and small ensembles, orchestras, choirs, and orchestras, and they can audition for an annual, fully staged opera.
Students can earn a bachelor’s degree in Music or B.M. with an emphasis in music performance, composition, or marketing or with a concentration in music studies leading to teacher certification in Texas.
All undergraduate students complete a core curriculum in music, including courses in aural skills, world music, performance, and history.
Students who wish to prepare for a doctorate can earn an M.M. in vocal performance or pedagogy, instrumental performance or conducting, piano pedagogy or music education.
All master’s programs require a bachelor’s degree for admission, and the master’s program in music education requires prior classroom teaching experience.
5. Texas Christian University School of Music
Texas Christian University’s School of Music prepares its students for the skills, education, and training necessary for successful careers in the arts and beyond.
TCUSM graduates have gone on to careers as professional musicians in renowned ensembles and orchestras, freelance musicians, music teachers and music producers.
The school has an excellent placement rate of around 90% every year. TCUSM students can choose from many areas of study, including church music and brass.
The Collegium Musicum, an ensemble that presents the performance of music from the Baroque era, is one of the many opportunities offered to students to improve their professional musical abilities.
6. University of Houston
Located in Houston, the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music, with more than 600 students and 80 faculty members, offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
University of Houston students at the undergraduate level can earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in the music program, the more focused B.M. with concentrations in music theory, composition, marketing, religion, and education or an applied music concentration with options in instruments or voice.
Candidates seeking B.M. can obtain EC-12 teacher certification in Texas. Students may pursue an M.M. in music education, composition, theory, performance, sacred music, musicology, conducting, piano accompaniment, or pedagogy.
D.M.A. degree is available with concentrations in music education, performance, piano accompaniment, composition, and conducting.
Students have access to a variety of performances taking place on campus, including the 4-week Summer Music Festival and the annual International Piano Festival.
7. University of North Texas
The University of North Texas at Denton offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate of music degrees through the College of Music, one of the nation’s two largest schools of music.
The college has more than 100 teachers and more than 50 musical ensembles, including 2 classical music ensembles and 9 jazz ensembles. Students of the Faculty of Music have access to 5 performance venues, 2 practice buildings and instrument repair workshops.
Undergraduate students study core courses in all areas of music and can earn a B.A. in Music with an additional emphasis in Music History or a B.M. in performance, jazz, composition, theory, or education.
Students can pursue a Master of Music degree with an emphasis in composition, theory, electronic music, ethnomusicology, early music or musicology, a Master of Arts degree in Conducting, Jazz, or Music Education or a joint M.M./D.M.A. in productivity.
Other degrees at the doctoral level include: D.M.A. in Conducting or Jazz Performance, Ph.D. in music with a concentration in composition, theory, electronic music, musicology, or early music and a Ph.D. in the field of music education.
8. University of Texas at Arlington
University College Arlington, located in Arlington between Fort Worth and Dallas, offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music through a music department of more than 40 faculty members.
Student musicians have the opportunity to perform with orchestra, choir, jazz, orchestra, and chamber ensembles, as well as access to a concert hall and recording studio in the fine arts building.
At the undergraduate level, students pursuing a B.M. may focus on the study of jazz or music theory, composition, business, theater, media, or performance. The department also offers a B.M. leading to teacher certification in Texas.
Students at the graduate level can earn an M.M. in music education or performance. Graduate students choose a thesis or non-thesis and can focus on conducting, instrumental, voice, or jazz.
9. Austin Community College
Austin Community College, located in Austin, offers an associate degree in music performance and management through a music department with more than 25 faculty members.
Students in the Associate of Arts (A.A.) in Music program prepare for entry into a 4-year bachelor’s degree program by taking general liberal arts courses and studying performance, theory, aural skills, and piano.
Music students can take up to 9 semesters of private lessons and have the opportunity to perform in choral, instrumental, chamber and jazz ensembles.
The Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Music Business, Performance, and Technology is a multidisciplinary program that prepares students for leadership positions in music through industry internships and courses in English, mathematics, marketing, accounting, and Internet or graphics. Design.
10. Lone Star College System
Although Lone Star College System is based in the suburban town of The Woodlands, students can take advantage of many campuses located throughout the region, including two in Houston.
Students can earn an A.A. at one of Lone Star College’s five campuses. There are 15 music departments in total, and each campus has its own facilities, program and unique ensembles.
For example, there are rehearsal and solo rooms, practice rooms and piano laboratories. Students can join unique ensembles such as the Montgomery Campus Jazz Ensemble and the North Harris Campus Marching Band.
Students in the music program, which leads to an associate’s degree, meet general education requirements, learn to play the piano and an instrument of their choice, participate in musical ensembles, and study music theory, history, and composition.
How Much Do Musicologists In Texas Earn?
The average base salary for a music producer is $42,336 per year in the state of Texas. A music producer’s salary rate can vary depending on whether they work independently or for a company, what projects they work on, the artists they work with, and their level of fame.
Many also accept alternative forms of compensation, such as the exchange of services. Many music producers emphasize that even though the income can fluctuate, the job is about the joy of artistic expression and the love of music more than the money.
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How Do I Become A Musicologist In Texas?
Students need at least a bachelor’s degree to become a musicologist, and many musicology jobs require a master’s degree.
Additionally, most musicology jobs require applicants to have one to three years of relevant experience, which can be gained through internships and/or entry-level positions.
Generally, students need at least five years and possibly as many as ten years, to qualify to work independently as musicologists.
Musicology degrees are offered at colleges and universities throughout the state of Texas and are available at the undergraduate and graduate levels with several PhD programs.
Typically, coursework covers topics such as music theory, music history, and musicianship. Students also study or explore distinctive styles of music in depth, which may include jazz, folk, opera, rock and pop.
Other classes look at how different parts of the world use music in their cultures, and these classes may include exploring the role of music in social issues such as racism and feminism.
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What Are The Best Paying Music Jobs in Texas?
Musicology is an exciting field that is currently experiencing a growing demand for skilled professionals. This growth is expected to continue, with some estimates as high as 6,000 vacancies per year. And, according to forecasts, it will grow by 6 percent from 2020 to 2030.
Musicologists begin their careers in graduate school, honing their skills by working as teaching assistants. After graduation, they can get the position of adjunct professor, teacher or associate professor.
The goal for most is tenure, which means paid vacation, insurance, and a permanent position at the university. Adjunct positions include associate professor, associate professor, and full professor.
From here, promotion can mean accepting the position of Distinguished Professor, an appointment that carries a higher salary and is often associated with the corporation or individual funding the role.
Professors may also someday become department chairs, in which role they will oversee the music department.
Music Schools In Texas FAQs
Students in the music program prepare to enter a 4-year bachelor’s, master’s, or associate degree program by taking general humanities courses and studying performance, theory, aural skills, and piano.
A music producer’s primary responsibilities include recording music, suggesting track changes, managing vocals, and mixing tracks after recording. A producer works with artists to achieve the desired sounds, effects and creation of their songs, albums and performances.
The music industry is a field that requires constant production of new content. Artists are constantly working to record and release original songs and sounds, and they need music producers to help bring their ideas to life. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that job growth for music directors, composers and producers will increase by 6% from 2020 to 2030, which is in line with the average range of job growth for all industries.
On average, musicologists earn around $52,800 per year. The salary range for musicologists varies between $10,000 to $269,000. How musicologists earn their income will depend on their position and responsibilities. For most musicologists in academia, the goal is to hold a tenure-track position.
Conclusion
While it’s great that music schools in Texas have such a wide variety of programs, it also means that the quality of different programs can vary greatly within the same school. Even if you assume, for example, that an institution is equally qualified in all performance majors, it is unlikely that it will be as strong in its performance majors as it is in its music industry program.
There is no guarantee that a music school’s programs are of the same level of quality—for example, it is very likely that a school may have a top-notch music industry program but a below-average music education program.
With all of this in mind, for our list of the best music schools in Texas, we’ve selected schools that provide students with the best overall music education for students. This rating is based in part on student satisfaction and earnings ratings and in part on the school’s reputation as a music school.
References
bestaccreditedcolleges.org – Music Schools in Texas with Degree Program Overviews
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