Eastman Music Horizons

College Majors Music Major
1

<p>We are looking for information about the 3-week summer piano program...the website is slim. Hoping for feedback from Allegrovivace and anyone else who has attended this program in the past.</p>

<ul>
<li>How many piano students do you think they take?</li>
<li>How large is the whole program (all the instrument/voice students)?</li>
<li>Is there much mixing with the other students? I am hoping that studying piano doesn't equal a solitary existence.</li>
</ul>

<p>I read that the dorms have no air conditioning. Is that a problem in that area in the summer?</p>

<ul>
<li>Do pianists take classes in singing? </li>
<li>Is the faculty from Eastman or elsewhere?</li>
<li>Are students overscheduled, is the pace too slow, or is it good?</li>
<li>Do they plan any kind of a social event, like a dance?</li>
<li>What else comes to mind about this program?</li>
</ul>

<p>Thank you!!</p>

2

<p>Happy to help, as always! I had a great time at Music Horizons. It was perfect for my first summer program.</p>

<p>When I attended in 2009, there were roughly 10-12 pianists out of 60 total students. Pianists are DEFINITELY mixed in with the other students. That was one of my favorite things about the program. Only a few were selected to perform in official chamber ensembles, but several pianists chose to accompany other vocalists/instrumentalists for the final recitals. There is an accompanying class for the pianists, and one of the assignments was actually to bring in a friend and accompany them in a masterclass-type setting. Also, the classes in music theory, ear training, etc. are comprised of all the different students at the program, so there’s plenty of opportunity to interact with other people there. In most summer programs where there is an orchestra, the pianists can be kind of left out of the loop, but there are no large instrumental ensembles at Music Horizons, so everyone is “on their own” in that respect. As it happens, most of my close friends there actually weren’t pianists.</p>

<p>The summers aren’t too bad in Rochester, NY, so I don’t remember the lack of AC being a huge problem. A couple of nasty days in the 90s, but most of your time is spent in the other air-conditioned buildings anyway, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it. I brought a fan, and that was good enough for me.</p>

<p>I believe pianists have to take a voice class unless they place out of it (by demonstrating significant singing experience), and EVERYONE sings in the Horizons Chorale. I don’t think either was too scary or embarrassing, but I know that singing can be a frightening subject for us pianists.</p>

<p>The faculty is largely from the Eastman Community Music School, with a couple members who also teach college students at Eastman School of Music.</p>

<p>The schedule really is meant to simulate the life of a conservatory student, so it is pretty packed. Some kids felt a little overwhelmed, but most adapted pretty quickly. I believe you can check out a schedule on the website, but there’s a fair amount of coursework you do - theory, ear training, world music, music history, etc. Some even had (minimal) homework assignments! And of course, all of that in addition to chamber ensemble rehearsals and lessons/solo practice. There definitely was some downtime on nights and weekends, but I did feel “busy” overall. For me, that was perfect.</p>

<p>There were some social events - I remember going to see the new Harry Potter movie, an ice cream social in the courtyard, and an R.A. recital. Also, the lounges in the basement of the dorms were packed most nights, with kids playing Xbox, watching movies, etc.</p>

<p>Also worth mentioning is the Sibley Music Library. It’s one of the largest in the world, and it has just about every score and recording imaginable. I remember spending hours in there just perusing the shelves and listening to some rare recordings. It was also great to just go check out chamber music to sight read with friends. It’s a HUGE plus that might be overlooked.</p>

<p>Also, I think the program is fantastic for high schoolers who want to narrow in on their college/career plans. You receive one-on-one counseling with the program director about this kind of stuff, and it was invaluable to me. Also, the schedule reveals a great deal about whether or not a music major is right for you. I went in torn between math and music, and Music Horizons definitely tipped the scales in the music direction. On the contrary, some kids found the pace a little too grueling and decided that a performance major probably wasn’t right or them. That fact alone makes the program worth the cost… figuring out that stuff early on can save you a whole lot of time and money later.</p>

3

<p>I’m hoping to get more information about the Music Horizons program for woodwinds.</p>

<p>–what’s the average age or grade of the woodwind players?
–how does the level or music difficulty of the wind ensemble compare to the wind ensemble at other summer programs-i.e. BUTI Tanglewood, Interlochen, Brevard?
–do they regularly play chamber music–quintets, quartets, etc?</p>

<p>Any other information you can share would be appreciated. My daughter attended one program last summer that was well below her expectations (too basic) so this year I am asking a lot of questions.</p>

4

<p>I don’t have direct experience, but a friend attended a couple of years ago. She reported a full schedule, relatively structured experience…but still found time to jam in the practice room with friends in the evening. Two of the friends from the program came to her senior recital and reprised their performance - to my ear, they were quite high level, especially since they only had one rehearsal together before the recital.</p>

5

<p>Thanks Stadmom. I think structure in the program is fine, but what happens when classes are over? Are the students free to wander around campus, or are there restrictions? My daughter doesn’t want to go to a camp where she’d have to have a “buddy” with her wherever she went.</p>

6

<p>Sorry, don’t have that level of info. S attended a summer program at Berklee and for him, being able to wander around Boston with a group of kids was important, but I can see how some parents might have issues with that! (I do think there was a curfew.)</p>

<p>Wandering around campus and wandering around town may be two entirely different things…</p>

7

<p>Woodwinds - since Eastman’s “campus” is directly in the heart of Rochester, they do have to monitor the amount of “wandering” that goes on. There’s basically a one or two block stretch that students are limited to, because if you go much further than that, you can end up in a pretty bad part of the city. But within that small radius, there’s enough to keep students entertained for a few weeks - a YMCA, a great coffeehouse, and a fantastic music library. You’re allowed to go on your own, but obviously at night time it’s a good idea to buddy up. And there was a curfew, I want to say we had to be back in the dorm building by 10, maybe 11? But I’m not completely sure on that.</p>

8

<p>Thanks allegrovivace, that’s helpful information. I think the restrictions you describe are reasonable.</p>

9

<p>Son’s friend is a freshman at Eastman now. You can go down the street and turn left and you are perfectly safe. You cannot turn right. You get into gang territory quickly. My teaching partner student taught in that neighborhood to the right. It’s a rough part of town. I’m not intending to scare you just giving you the true facts. Even the college students stay to their own section.</p>

10

<p>My daughter has a friend from Rochester so I’ve heard about the gangs. I’m not worried about her wandering where she shouldn’t on her own; she has good common sense. I’m more concerned about programs where students aren’t allowed to go anywhere on their own. That happened to her last summer at one music camp and she was so miserable for the entire three weeks.</p>

<p>I recall reading a thread for the NYSMF that New York law requires that a counselor be able to see summer campers at all times, and that made the camp very restrictive. It’s why I’ve never sent my daughter to NYSMF. Would such a rule apply to this program at Eastman?</p>

11

<p>My son went to Skidmore college NYSSSA orchestral program last year. They didn’t have to be watched at every moment. I will say we were pleased and he enjoyed it. He’s returning this summer. One month long and they work with the Philadelphia Orchestra.</p>

12

<p>My son attended the jazz program last summer. If he left the dorm, he had to sign out, and pretty much stayed within 2 blocks of the school. As a previous poster mentioned, there is a great coffee place/cafe right next door, and they receive a membership to the YMCA across the street. He used both the cafe and Y membership frequently, and also enjoyed the music library. The students jammed, composed, hung out, played basketball, tried different coffee drinks (until my son realized he would rapidly run out of money), etc. That kept him occupied and I didn’t sense that he was ever bored. Their day is very busy. He is the type to want to wander and explore, and would proably prefer a larger area than where Eastman is located. However, for a few weeks, it was perfectly fine. He really enjoyed the experience.</p>

13

<p>Thanks bigdjp and VMT. Your comments are very helpful.</p>

14

<p>My son did the Eastman Jazz program in high school several years ago and it was a good experience. However, he found it very confining to be stuck on that narrow block with only the cafe and bookstore. I think they do watch the high school kids in the summer program pretty carefully, which is probably a good thing (but not so great for exploring types of kids).</p>