Overview
Manhattan Is the Acknowledged "Art Heart" of New York City, One of the Music Capitals of the World
One could fill a library with all that has been written, said, or sung about New York City. The city has a huge, imposing profile in almost every area of interest or activity, and has without question been one of the centers of the arts globally for at least a century. Manhattan alone, without considering the other boroughs, is home to leading museums, theaters, conservatories, colleges, music venues, galleries, and individual artists of every imaginable type. The Manhattan School of Music thrives in this rich milieu.
Students attending the Manhattan School of Music use the entire island, the other boroughs, and the surrounding region as one large, extended classroom. The excitement and energy of New York City is legendary, its cultural offerings as diverse as anywhere, and its non-stop action a magnet attracting every sort of artist, writer, and performer. From around the world they come, continuing to add to the astonishing multicultural melting pot from which springs an unending variety of creativity. The streets themselves are as full of life and talent as the theaters along Broadway, the jazz clubs of old Harlem, or the stadiums and courts that house New York's premier professional sports franchises. The whole panoply of life, the entire creative pallet, and all its colorful components of people and places, is here in New York City for Manhattan School of Music students to study, immerse themselves in, and, eventually, become part of. This is the "song of New York" that brings every willing student into its unending harmony.
The Performing Arts Degree Programs at the Manhattan School of Music Prepare Jazz Majors and Classical Majors Alike
The Manhattan School of Music is a premier institution for the performing arts, preparing students for a life in this rewarding field. The undergraduate programs offer aspiring musicians, composers, arrangers, and performers a challenging course of study keying on four areas: coursework in music-related subjects, major field of study, ensemble performance, and the humanities. This is true for both jazz majors and classical majors. The goal is to unify the essentials of music theory with the student's unique gifts, balanced by an understanding of communications, politics, art, philosophy, and the way of the world.
Over the first two years of study in the performing arts programs, both jazz majors and classical majors will get grounded in general music theory and history, while taking such humanities offerings as reading, writing, speech, history, and others. After this foundational learning, the program moves into the junior and senior years with more specialized and focused courses in the student's major. It is important that students have a strong, broad education in fundamental arts and humanities before beginning the specialization process in performing arts with their instruments or compositions.
Classical majors can choose from among 19 concentrations, from bass and bassoon to violin and voice, with guitar and oboe and all the other options in between. In addition, the Pinchas Zukerman Performance Program is available for viola and violin. Jazz majors can choose bass, composition, guitar, or seven other instruments for their performing arts degree. Every student will be broadly, not narrowly, educated in both the arts and the humanities via this degree program.
Manhattan School of Music Offers Breadth in Student Life through a Variety of Student Organizations and Initiatives
The Manhattan School of Music has over 800 students from more than 40 countries, creating a sense of both diversity and community within the rich multiethnic culture of New York City. Opportunities for a student life of involvement, service, and extended learning are available both on- and off-campus through various social and special-interest groups. These student organizations offer avenues for meeting like-minded people and developing leadership skills, in addition to basic athletic, social, or artistic pursuits.
The Office of Student Life organizes workshops and speaker forums, and often collaborates with the Office of Career Development to highlight local opportunities for students and graduates. The new campus residence hall is itself an important resource, as well as a vibrant community for the student population. With both undergraduate and graduate students from around the globe living on campus, a veritable melting pot of different social activities, study groups, sports contests, and recreational outings are on tap.
Student groups include the Korean Students' Association, the GLBT Club, and the Pan-African Student Union, and other student organizations can form around either interests or common activities and gain the approval of the school administration if they follow the Student Handbook policies. The school philosophy recognizes the importance of reaching and developing "the whole person," so student organizations and activities are key elements in a balanced student life and a well-educated graduate. The Manhattan School of Music is dedicated to the thorough, high-quality education of every student, and understands that much of this will take place outside the lecture hall.
