<p>Just wondering if anyone has any impressions or experience with the jazz at Lawrence. I understand that Lawrence requires a classical audition even if you want to do the jazz emphasis program and, that the musicians spent time developing classical music while they are there also. Any thoughts or experience to share?</p>
<p>Son decided that a Con with an integrated LA college was the way to go for him and for jazz piano, Lawrence and Oberlin really stood out to us.</p>
<p>We visited Lawence in October and were warmly received. We observed the top jazz band rehearsal, which was excellent, a theory class, had a private lesson. Happy, engaged students, supportive of each other. </p>
<p>All great. Face to face meetings, Admissions office had a report on file for him from the faculty by the next morning, when he interviewed. This place has its act together, is responsive, good communications. </p>
<p>S. then did a regional audition in Feb. including, I believe, 4 pieces classical and 4 jazz. The jazz program director (Fred Sturm) is very personable and has stayed in touch with S. throughout the process. The students very clearly love him. S. went back to his classical teacher after all these years to prepare for the audition for about 10 weeks. He was accepted last week.</p>
<p>Lawrence made a convincing case for the classical audition (we groused a bit) and said it would be used to evaluate potential more than current skill level and advised him to just do the best he could. - S. hadn’t studied classical piano in more than 5 years! Lawrence takes what I interpret as a very thorough approach to jazz education and there’s no cutting corners!</p>
<p>Interestingly, Oberlin requires no classical audition for jazz but does require classical training while in the Con. I guess they figure if you can play jazz, you will be able to handle some classical training. S. heard just tonight of his acceptance to Oberlin and his goal has been to go to one or the other - he’s overjoyed! Me too!</p>
<p>In contrast, at Purchase, the classical and jazz programs do not appear to cross-pollinate at all- at least, that was my impression from the questions I asked. </p>
<p>I don’t know where S will end up - but we like everything we’ve found a Lawrence, except for the distance from home (CT).</p>
<p>JazzParents-congrats to your son - what a dream week for you! And thank so much for sharing your impressions and experience with both LU and Oberlin. We really appreciate it! We will look forward to hearing which way your son goes. Sounds like he has a promising future ahead of him.</p>
<p>It has been a good week to be sure, but of course, now S has to decide in 4 very short weeks. At one point, S said we wished he were only accepted to one or the other, so he wouldn’t have to choose!</p>
<p>From my reading and our fall visits, I’d expect each school to provide an excellent, but fairly different experience. We, like many others, are interested in a large helping of Liberal Arts education en route to a degree, which is why we focused on L & O. L. requires about 1/3 of classess outside of the Con, O., about 1/5, if I am not mistaken. 1/5 sounds like almost less than one per semester over 4 years. There’s a lot to learn out there though.</p>
<p>We are trying to plan another visit to one or both places over Spring Break week and still waiting to hear from L. about merit award.</p>
<p>Oberlin requires the equivalent of one liberal arts class per semester - 24 semester hours over the course of the curriculum. It is possible to squeeze in a little more that that if you want to. Of course, they also have the 5-year dual degree program and it is possible to transfer into it in your second year even if you were a Conservatory-only student in the first year.</p>
<p>Thanks for saying that Bassdad. My son said you could transfer into DD soph year (and is interested in that) at Oberlin Con. but I hadn’t found the info. I like that he can get through the first year and see if he is still interested in it and/or feels it is manageable.</p>
<p>Right. I’ll also add that S was not admitted in to the CAS…his GPA was on the lower side of the range but not out of the ballpark and his test score were right smack in the middle and in the higher middle for Cons students. That said, we wondered about handling 2 very demanding degrees, not to mention five years in Oberlin, which is a long, expensive haul in a small town that one “might” grow weary of after a long time. </p>
<p>But - his merit scholarship specifically includes a 5th year if he does choose and is accepted to the dual degree program. This is certainly generous and accomodating on their part. And Oberlin CAS did invite him to apply after the first year, which is fair enough for a student who admittedly, has not yet shown or even discovered his academic potential. So I can’t say they have been anything but fair to S. </p>
<p>One LA course per semester is less than S would like and something that favors Lawrence as he tries to decide. Our impression continues to be that the Conservatory and College at Lawrence are more closely integrated than at Oberlin. For example, we really like that Cons students do the whole freshman studies program (first 2 semesters in a tri-semester year) with the entire LA class at Lawrence.</p>
<p>At Oberlin, the freshman studies course(s) are not taken by Cons students, are they? This type of program seems like a great intro to college-level thought and study. I also note that S is invited to visit anytime in April, but the invite notes that the “Road to Oberlin” visit program may not be the best time for Cons students to visit since those days are really targetted to CAS students.</p>
<p>SJTH - sounds like your S and mine are in very similar boats, if not the same one. What instrument does S play and what other schools are you considering? We are going to struggle with this great choice, no doubt about it. Please feel fre to pm me if that is more appropriate. In any event, good luck!</p>
<p>Oberlin Con students do not normally take the freshman seminar series of classes unless they are also double degree students, but I don’t think they are prohibited from doing so if they can find the time in their schedule and one of the seminar classes that is not entirely full. Those classes are highly publicized to the incoming College freshmen over the summer and they tend to fill up very quickly. Most Conservatory freshmen not in the double degree program do not take electives in the college, but get two in sophomore year and three each in junior and senior year. My daughter, although not officially in the double degree program, managed to fit in two calculus classes her first semester because she was thinking of trying to transfer into the five-year program with either math or physics as her second degree. That never quite materialized because she decided she wanted music full time, but she had the support she needed from both the Conservatory and the math department to be able to deviate from the normal schedule.</p>
<p>She visited during the All Roads program and, although it is targeted to College prospies, there is plenty going on at the Con to keep their prospective students occupied. I think it was well worth her time to make the visit then.</p>
<p>SJTH - they don’t publicize the option on the website, but you can call the College admissions office to find out about it. Basically, he would need to fill out a simple form and get recommendations from two teachers in college courses that he has taken. This was the reason that my daughter made arrangements to take two classes in the college her freshman year (from different teachers). If he wants to keep this option open, he will need to talk to his academic adviser (most likely his principal applied teacher in the Conservatory) about moving some College electives forward from the normal sequence of classes so that he will be in a position to get the recommendations he needs. I think that the application can still be made as late as the end of sophomore year, but that puts him really behind on the College side and makes scheduling everything rather difficult in the third through fifth years.</p>
<p>Thanks VERY much Bassdad!</p>
<p>Jazz_parents- how goes the decision making? I’m wondering what S decided between Oberlin and Lawrence. Also, I’m interested in anything you can share with respect to scholarships. Is stacking of academic and talent scholarships possible at Oberlin or at Lawrence? Can you offer which might have more money to give? thanks for sharing. feel free to send me a private email if you feel it is more appropriate. I hope you are enjoying the decision process now that the real pressure is off. Congrats to you and your son!</p>
<p>We just returned from our second visit on Monday and Tuesday.</p>
<p>Thanks to Bassdad’s tip, we met with the dual degree staff person at the college , who seemed to take a genuine interest in my S, and we all agreed it would be great if he could take the freshman studies class, as a LA “feeler.” And, she offered to help us get him in to it if necessary. </p>
<p>I had a brief chat with the pianist in the Oberlin Jazz Septet during a combo rehearsal. He was primarily a classical player and enrolled first as a LA student. Took lessons in Con, switched to dual-degree, then dropped the LA degree and is about to graduate with a B.M. from the Con. </p>
<p>I’ve become convinced that S can enroll in the Con and if motivated, really do whatever he wants in terms of a degree and course of study. B.M., dual-degree or BA. It will be up to him to figure out for himself and for his life - what can beat that?</p>
<p>You are quite welcome. I am glad that you were able to get the information you needed.</p>