Why study at CalArts

Diversity of Musical Forms
The Herb Alpert School of Music offers rigorous training in a unique variety of musical styles and cultures—from chamber and large ensemble repertoire to jazz idioms, from theatrical vocal works to experimental media, from the many disciplines of improvisation to the diverse musical traditions of Africa, India, Indonesia and other parts of the world. This vibrant mix helps each student to expand his or her artistic and cultural horizons.

Renowned Faculty
The school’s faculty consists of innovators and leaders in each specialty—composers, performers and creators who have distinguished themselves at the highest levels. All faculty members are practicing professionals who are uniquely qualified to prepare students for the demands of a global music community.

Personal Attention
With approximately 240 students, The Herb Alpert School of Music offers a low 5:1 student-faculty ratio, small class sizes and frequent one-on-one instruction. Every student works closely with his or her own mentor, a faculty member who serves as that student’s artistic advisor.

Private Lessons
All students enrolled in performance and composition programs take lessons every week. Students may take a secondary lesson, subject to mentor recommendations and instructor availability. Undergraduates in the Musical Arts Program are offered lessons based on faculty availability and the individual needs of each student.

Numerous Performance Opportunities
The school’s performance calendar features more than 250 events every year, running the gamut from informal noon concerts and student-organized presentations to formal on-campus recitals and performances at REDCAT—the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater in the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex—and other high-profile venues throughout the Los Angeles area. Faculty members play alongside students in many of these concerts. In addition, advanced students occasionally tour with faculty, performing at venues throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.

Flexible Programs
Designed by artists for artists, CalArts gives its students a voice in shaping their pursuits. Music programs are highly challenging but also flexible enough to accommodate the individual creative interests of each student.

Involvement in World Music
As a reflection of CalArts’ insistence on cultural diversity and global understanding in the arts, the World Music Performance Program provides in-depth opportunities for students to study the music and dance practices of other cultures. The program’s various courses, performance workshops and ensembles give students a greater level of sophistication and an important competitive edge in the rapidly changing world of professional musicmaking.

Collaborative and Interdisciplinary Projects
CalArts encourages cross-pollination in the arts. Students in the Herb Alpert School of Music frequently engage in cross-stylistic collaborations and interdisciplinary work with fellow music students and peers across CalArts. The school views interdisciplinary work as normal practice for innovative artists and fully supports the development of collaborative projects.

Full Range of Facilities

Music students rehearse and perform in spaces comprehensively outfitted for various types of recitals, concerts and multimedia presentations. The school has numerous practice rooms, a large instrument collection, and extensive production tools and facilities.

State-of-the-Art Technology
An acknowledged pioneer in the use of technology in musicmaking, The Herb Alpert School of Music provides students with access to cutting-edge technology and facilities, including a wide variety of hardware and software; two digital recording studios; several studios for computer music and experimental media; and an interdisciplinary research and development facility. The school offers an abundance of courses devoted to computer music and a variety of technologies in experimental media practices.

Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT)

REDCAT is CalArts’ downtown Los Angeles center for the presentation of innovative performing, visual and media arts. Qualified music students are invited to perform at this venue with faculty and visiting artists throughout the academic year. Besides music performances, REDCAT’s eclectic programming allows all CalArts students to experience a wide range of experimental work by a mix of emerging artists and internationally renowned practitioners.

Center for New Performance (CNP)

The professional producing arm of CalArts provides a forum for the creation of adventurous new music, dance, theater and interdisciplinary works—projects that challenge and redefine the boundaries of contemporary performance. The CNP links CalArts with the broader professional community.

Community Arts Partnership (CAP)
Many Herb Alpert School of Music students gain valuable teaching experience by leading CAP workshops and classes at community art centers and public schools throughout Los Angeles County.