<p>Hi-
We are looking a variety of Colleges for my daughter (Senior) Can anyone tell me about the caliber of the Music department at Brandeis? Music will be a minor for her, and she will want to get involved in lessons in piano and voice and participate in choral groups.</p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>My son’s bassoon teacher had friends that went to Brandeis and enjoyed the music department there. If at all possible, you really need to schedule a visit and listen to a rehearsal or concert. Yes, even for a music minor. You want to be in the best place musically for you. When we visited Vassar and sat in on an orchestra rehearsal, we knew immediately that the music was of a high caliber and my son was smiling the whole time. You will know when you visit and sometimes there are surprises like when heard a Skidmore acapella group sing the National Anthem at a swim meet and they were great. I wasn’t surprised that they were good because I had heard Skidmore has a solid music program, but I was impressed they sang at athletic events. I thought it showed class.
Also, make sure that music minors can participate in all groups - at some music schools, music minors are restricted to certain performing groups.</p>
<p>Hi Artspeak,</p>
<p>Brandeis has an excellent Music Department, one of the very best graduate programs in the country for musicology, theory and composition and, as a result, a really strong faculty for the undergraduates as well. </p>
<p>Music majors and non-majors participate in all the ensembles; the choral director is great and the choral program very sophisticated. They perform a wide range of repertoire in all styles, major works with orchestra, and lots of early music and new music. </p>
<p>There are also quite a few a cappella groups on campus, open to everyone by audition.
Students who participate in ensembles can arrange for lessons for credit through the Music Department, and the private teachers with studios on campus are some of the top freelancers in the Boston area. </p>
<p>I agree with the previous poster that Vassar’s music program is very strong and Skidmore has some good musical offerings, too. Brandeis is a bigger school, though, so has a considerably larger pool of people doing music seriously and for fun.</p>
<p>I was an undergraduate at Brandeis a long time ago, and then on the faculty for a short time. I would have loved for my son to attend, but he wanted to go to his “own” school. Can’t reallly blame him, but I do think Brandeis is a very special place.</p>
<p>Thanks- an answer finally. We are visited Brandeis in October and then soon after this the application process begins!</p>