Posted by Joe S. on June 07, 1999 at 20:46:00:
In Reply to: tuba major college posted by tom p on June 07, 1999 at 20:20:30:
The top colleges for a performance major are the top conservatories of music (Eastman, Juilliard, Curtis, New England, Oberlin, etc.). They are very expensive and admission is exclusive. There are a few universities, such as Indiana, Northwestern, and a few others that have programs at or close to conservatory-level programs, and their tuitions and exclusive admissions reflect that. I am not running down any of the hundreds of superb programs and educational opportunities across the nation. You specifically asked about the best. Two things that you will notice about the conservatories is the quality of their school symphony orchestras, and the track record of their studio teachers regarding employment of their students. Those are two very obvious things that set them apart from some of the other schools.
If you are determined to play tuba for a living and you want to study for that in college, you should be a performance major. Again, I am not commenting on whether or not that is a good idea, or whether you are up to it, but I am answering your very specific question.
You will get as many answers to your post as there are shades of blue, so I suggest that you start researching and self-searching.