Manhattan School of Music

What is the history of Manhattan School of Music?

Manhattan School of Music (MSM) began in 1917 as the Neighborhood Music School, founded by pianist and philanthropist Janet D. Schenck. Its original purpose was to make music instruction available to children in New York City. The school later adopted its present name and developed into a conservatory offering college-level music education.

MSM moved to its current Morningside Heights location in 1969. Today, its degree programs in classical music, jazz, and musical theatre sit alongside a separate precollege program. That history helps explain why the institution combines professional training for adults with music education for younger students.

What are the faculties and departments at Manhattan School of Music?

Manhattan School of Music is a specialized conservatory rather than a university divided into broad colleges of arts and sciences. Its academic work centers on classical performance and composition, jazz, and musical theatre, with instruction organized around disciplines such as instrumental studies, voice, conducting, and composition.

Credentials include undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as certain professional and postgraduate programs. A prospective student should check the requirements for the specific instrument, voice type, or field of study: an applicant to jazz performance, for example, should not assume that the audition or curriculum matches one for classical performance. The reported student-to-faculty ratio is six to one, although that institution-wide figure does not describe the size of every class or the availability of any particular teacher.

What is the location of Manhattan School of Music?

Manhattan School of Music is at 130 Claremont Avenue in Morningside Heights, a neighborhood in northern Manhattan, New York City. Its urban setting puts students near other educational institutions and within reach of the city's performing-arts venues.

Subways and buses are relevant to daily travel, particularly for commuters, students carrying instruments, and those attending rehearsals or performances elsewhere in the city. Travel time and the cost of moving instruments should be part of a practical housing decision. The school does not permit first-year students to register or park a car on campus; LaGuardia Airport is one option for air travel to the area.

What is the mission and vision of Manhattan School of Music?

Manhattan School of Music states an educational purpose centered on developing musicians' artistic abilities, knowledge, and professional skills. Its approach combines individual instruction with ensemble work, performance, and academic study.

That mission is reflected in a conservatory curriculum: prospective students should expect intensive work in a principal discipline rather than the range of majors offered by a comprehensive university. The school's stated aims describe its priorities, not a guarantee of a particular career outcome.