Conservatories made a comeback this year, with several returning to THR ‘s annual list of the world’s best music schools. The fundamentals of composition and performance remain a top priority for both institutions and students eager to break into the field. While overall college enrollment continues to decline, and some universities struggle with government funding cuts, music schools and media scoring departments have largely bucked the trend.

At a time when DEI programs have come under fire, UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music — renowned for its extensive Ethnomusicology department — might have seemed especially vulnerable to political pressure. But Bob Fink, chair of the school’s Music Industry Program, says the university has stood firm in its support. “When all this started to rea

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