Barbara Paver and Julie Simson — will join Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music

<p>Paver, currently with the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), and Simson, currently with the University of Colorado-Boulder, will become members of the Shepherd School faculty in July 2013. </p>

<p>Just announced
Shepherd</a> School of Music - Houston, TX - NEWS AT THE SHEPHERD SCHOOL OF MUSIC</p>

<p>Thanks for the update!</p>

<p>From what little bit I know personally about Barbara Paver, that would definitely strike me as a loss…perhaps a HUGE one…for CCM.</p>

<p>I feel for the sudents who were accepted into their studios for next year. The student’s have decisions to make. Faculty have the right to career moves just as anyone. It can be tough on the students though.</p>

<p>I agree, Compdad. While I respect the rights of teachers to do what they feel is the best thing for their careers, the larger than usual amount of “musical chairs” that has been occurring lately really impacts the students. It’s not always possible for them to transfer and there are always students who are going to be left as seniors…My own D is one of those this year, but luckily, her teacher will be accessible outside of school and she did know the teacher who will be taking over her studio. Otherwise, I think you’d see me with steam coming out of my ears too!</p>

<p>Uf! HUGE loss indeed for CCM! Huge gain for Rice.</p>

<p>Any news on replacements for CCM? Should be interesting!</p>

<p>Blaming a teacher for “musical chairs” is ludicrous. In every other career in the world you are expected to give 2-4 weeks notice. These teachers are giving more than a YEAR notice! As Compdad says, it can be tough on the students but there is no fault given to the faculty. Most students move with their teacher and accept this as a fact of life.</p>

<p>I didn’t read that anyone is “blaming” teachers for leaving. Posters are referring to the fact that it can be difficult and down right traumatic for some. Due to some dramatic events D lost her teacher as a rising sophomore. Ultimately the teacher and school switch ended up to be serendipitous and perhaps the best thing ever in her school career.</p>

<p>Calm down, ABLestMom, please. I was not blaming anyone, but rather was pointing out that some students always get caught short in situations like these. Even when a teacher gives a years notice, there are students who will be left as seniors who are not able to transfer without significant financial loss (most schools don’t take senior transfers, so they would have to be able to take at least two years at the teacher’s new school, and that can be impossible). My own D will be a senior next year and her teacher gave notice in October that she would not be returning for the following school year. Thus, D will have to deal with the new teacher who was hired to take over the studio- and that teacher will be leaving students at his former school who are unable to make the move with him. The same thing is happening in another department also, so there are more students who will be left without their teacher in their senior year.
Do the teachers have a right to move? Sure they do, but I don’t believe for one minute that “most students move with their teachers…”. I can tell you for sure that there are quite a few students right now at three major schools who are not able to do so and will thus be left to deal with graduate school applications and auditions with a new teacher. I know that this can’t be helped, but we need not be insensitive to their needs and feelings too.</p>

<p>Well I guess I’m reading it different than you musicamusica! When any teacher leaves anywhere, especially with a four year cycle program, it is impossible not to have an impact. I always sympathize with the students (I don’t know how anyone could read that I am being “insensitive”) but it is a fact of life in all careers and not a cause to have “steam coming out” of a parent’s ears. I totally agree with you - things seem to usually work out for the best :).</p>

<p>Don’t mind mezzosmama’s comment about the steam. It is my experience that most of us mothers of singers have a low boiling point and (as I can personally attest) the release valve is in the ears.</p>

<p>I think this points out that although the teacher is important, when selecting a school it should just be one factor. Things happen and that teacher may not be there for 4 years. It might be a good idea to evaluate the whole program, other teachers, or look into how the school handles issues as a whole when deciding which school is he best fit.</p>

<p>Good point Singersmom- there is more to the whole process than the teacher, that’s for sure. But it’s often impossible to ascertain how a school deals with problems and issues before hand, at least when auditioning as a HS student. About the only thing that can be done is to discuss it on here so that others can learn from it and inquire as to the names of schools if we don’t post them publicly.
As for those “steam valves”- as parents, we know that there is nothing that we can really do about any of these problems, so again, we “vent” here!</p>