Is the eastman school of music really so good?

Question:

Is the eastman school of music really so good?

im looking to apply to a music school and i heard from a few of my teachers of a place called the eastman school of music and that it has been ranked better than juliard a few times in the past years. has anyone ever heard of it and is it really as prestigious as theyve made me believe?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I had a professor in college from each school. One was educated at Eastman and another at Juliard.

The prof from Juliard told me that Juliard has become a glorified trade school, and that even though it is still well-respected in the music community, it's quality of education has suffered over the years and it is riding on its old reputation.

The prof from Eastman was more knowledgable on many things and spoke very highly of Eastman. In fact, many of my fellow students were intent on transferring to Eastman as soon as possible, though they did not make it because Eastman's audition requirements are very strict and these students did not have the amibition or work-ethic to prepare correctly. From my experience, I would rank Eastman as one of the top 5 music schools in the nation.

Another good one is Berklee College of Music in Boston (not related to the California Berkley). They are internationally acclaimed.

It really depends on what you want. Eastman has a tremendous opera program, while Berklee has a tremendous popular music program (if I remember correcly, John Mayer graduated from there).

There's also Indiana University School of Music. It's program is well rounded in vocal and band areas, and is very well funded. The rocker John Mellencamp donates a LOT of money to them.

I also had profs from Cincinnati College's Conservatory of Music, Ohio University, UNC-Greensboro, Columbia University, and many others. It depends on what you want.

Plus, don't underestimate small colleges. A friend of mine teaches at the University of West Georgia as the director of percussion studies, and has one of only 6 jazz percussion groups in existance. They literally travel the world performing. They've had US gigs like Disney World and recording at Full Sail, but they've also played in South America and other places. If you are a percussionist, it's the place to be right now.