<p>So what is your opinion of the music, specifically jazz, at Columbia? I know it's not a conservatory - but do you think that a talented musician who is not entirely sure of becoming a professional musician could be happy there? </p>
<p>I love NYC, and would love to be there for school. It is also, in my opinion, the best place to be for a lover of jazz, who is trying to learn even more. I'm not really ready to commit myself to a conservatory, as I truly do value my academics and want to continue them, and I am weary about the competition to get the Juilliard lessons, and the possible BA/MM program that can be acquired later (which I know is often improbable). I looked at NYU, but did not nearly like the school itself as much as Columbia. I am also very interested in theater and want to participate in it at a high performance level, and I think I would be more able to find that at Columbia (considering NYU's professional shows are only open to Tisch students). As a jazz player, I would also get the benefits of being able to go to jazz clubs throughout the NYC area and do jam sessions there, to learn the music first hand. Also, my favorite guitarist lives and teaches in NYC, and if I had the money I might be able to take lessons with him.</p>
<p>But still, I'm worried that I may not be satisfied with the music there - what about things like facilities? Number of pianos to use for compositional purposes? Musicians who are on a level able to get into conservatories to play with? Will my education there be enough, if I practice a lot, to get into a music grad program if I end up deciding to do that?</p>
<p>My son, (BM viola performance Hartt '07) has a former string quartet partner who is a cellist and is at Columbia and quite happy musically and academically. This kid was definately conservatory material (juilliard prep, a couple of competition wins, kneisel hall fellowship last two years, prior Fischoff quarterfinalist) who chose not to go the music route but picked Columbia for academics. He is perfectly happy there musically and continues to get better as a performer. He may be close to the cream of the crop there, but he has not complained of being able to find high caliber musicians to play with.</p>
<p>Well I'm glad to hear hat he is happy musically (as well as academically, of course). I'm wondering if I will run into the same problems as him, though, because I am a jazz musician, and will have the resources of jam sessions and the like at clubs all around NYC. Since your son is a classical cellist, he probably doesn't have a lot of opportunities to just run out and play with any odd person he feels like. As a jazzer, I could play with musicians around the NYC area, many of which who haven't been schooled at all, as it really isn't a necessity in this genre to need schooling to be one of the greats. Maybe I'm just fooling myself into thinking I'd be truly musically satisfied there, though. It's just, I don't really see myself as being a professional performer on guitar, at least not as my ONLY job. I love theater, and I would love to act on stage or on film, also an extremely tough field. I've also always been fascinated by science. It seems to me like a dual degree program may even be too limited/specialized, because I a basically only completing the mere requirements at each institution for the major, and that I may need a strong liberal arts program with a solid music department so I can have some more time to figure some stuff out, enjoy a wide range of opportunities, keep every door open, etc... including the potantial to go to a grad school in jazz performance. Maybe I just need to wrestle with myself this summer, though.</p>
<p>My S plays jazz at Columbia and chose it partly for that purpose. He is not majoring in music, yet has been placed in an ensemble every year and also gets lessons in his instrument. He's enjoyed having the opportunity to keep growing as a musician, while not intending to make it his career. You will find plenty of good to excellent players there. The best on his instrument is a PhD math student who plays all over NYC as a sideman and with his own bands. I'll just warn you that even Columbia, and definitely NYC can be a bit humbling. It is, as you say, a magnet for most of the best jazz musicians. And he doesn't get around town to hear as much jazz as he thought he would, both because he takes heavy coursework and because NYC is expensive. Columbia does bring a fair amount of jazz to campus, but it's not situated like NYU in the middle of a lot of clubs and cafes.</p>
<p>The music department is not especially organized. Like much about Columbia, students have to make some of their own opportunities. Yet, the opportunities are there if you want them and you can certainly go on to a conservatory. For him, it has worked very well. He was able to continue with his music without having to audition for one spot in a campus jazz band (there are auditions, but everyone who is an intermediate to advanced player will get assigned to an ensemble). He was able to take private lessons at no extra charge. He also got involved with another band, playing music he hadn't played before.</p>
<p>He sounded very much like you before he started, not knowing exactly what he wanted to do. Please feel free to PM me if you think it would be helpful.</p>
<p>That's definitely good to hear, and I imagine I would find even more musical opportunities if I majored in music there! Thanks a lot, and I may eventually take you up on the PM offer.</p>