Are U.S. Music Conservatories Scams?

U.S. Music Conservatories have long since been bastions in their communities for anyone interested in listening to, composing, or performing Western Art Music. Students come from all over the world to study with incredible pedagogues and performers, learning how to hone their craft. As institutions, they are truly special places that offer a very unique experience. Unfortunately however, that experience comes at a steep price and it's a price that is continuously increasing. In this video I do a deep dive into the financial cost of attending the average U.S. Conservatory and the return on investment people can expect after graduation.
This is an absolutely massive topic and I really just scratched the surface. There are so many facets that I didn't cover at all. If you are interested in this being a series, feel free to let me know in the comments!
Thank you all for watching, please let me know if you have any questions down in the comments below! Additionally, if you think I made a mistake somewhere and would like to add a correction, please comment down below as well!
Clarinet Bboard: The Full List of Clarinetists/Orchestras
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Citations: (If you can't find a source for something, please let me know!)
Yearly Tuition Information: All yearly tuition information was taken directly from the 2021-2022 rates listed on each Conservatory's individual website, with the exception of the Manhattan School of Music that had already updated their website to the 2022-2023 cost of tuition. To find their 2021-2022 tuition costs, I went to:
www.collegetui...
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and musicians reach One-year agreement: Concert season to open this weekend. (n.d.). Retrieved March 5, 2022, from @o-updates/baltimore-symphony-orchestra-and-musicians-reach-one-year-agreement-concert-season-to-open-this-weekend/
Bennett, J., Fry, R., & Kochhar, R. (2021, August 3). Are you in the american middle class? find out with our income calculator. Pew Research Center. Retrieved March 2, 2022, from @nk/2020/07/23/are-you-in-the-american-middle-class/
Burns, R. (2019, April 3). When orchestras strike: The recent history of orchestral labor strife. reverb.com. Retrieved March 5, 2022, from @en-orchestras-strike-the-recent-history-of-orchestral-labor-strife
Dobrin, P. (2020, October 15). Philadelphia Orchestra members approve new, deeper pay cuts. www.inquirer.com. Retrieved March 6, 2022, from @iladelphia-orchestra-pay-cuts-covid-19-20201015.html
Dubb, S. (2020, December 9). New York Philharmonic players agree to long-term pay cut. Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly. Retrieved March 6, 2022, from @k-philharmonic-players-agree-to-long-term-pay-cut/
Guerra, C. (2020, September 11). BSO ratifies new Labor Agreement, musicians agree to salary cuts. WBUR News. Retrieved March 6, 2022, from @20/09/11/bso-labor-agreement-musicans-salary-cuts
Hall, S. A. (2021, November 23). 83% of professional musicians unable to find regular work since pandemic, Charity says. Classic FM. Retrieved March 6, 2022, from @ews/coronavirus/professional-musicians-unable-to-find-work/
Itzkoff, D. (2009, July 31). Baltimore Symphony takes 12.5 percent pay cut. The New York Times. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from @/31/baltimore-symphony-takes-125-percent-pay-cut/
Nesbit, J. (2021, February 25). Here's how much of your income should go toward student loans each month. Money. Retrieved March 5, 2022, from @monthly-budget-student-debt/
Sierra, G. (2009, June 5). NY Philharmonic Principal Clarinet Stanley Drucker sets Guinness World record. BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved March 5, 2022, from @sical/article/NY-Philharmonic-Principal-Clarinet-Stanley-Drucker-Sets-Guinness-World-Record-20090605
#musicconservatory #studentdebt #collegetuition