<p>Can anyone comment on the strength of the music department at Smith?</p>
<p>My daughter, though not a music major, is involved in the chamber music program at Smith. It is probably stronger than the orchestral program, which makes sense given the fact that you are matched very closely with players who are at similar playing ability levels. My d was pretty close to a conservatory level player when she entered Smith, and she has been extremely happy with her group’s chamber music coaching at Smith. She feels that her chamber partners were chosen well for her, and feels it is probably the most evenly matched chamber group she has ever been in. There are probably many chamber vids of Smith groups on youtube, but I’ve seen one recently that was recorded last semester and is very well done. Try searching youtube: Smith College Beethoven. A piano trio should come up…all 3 movements of a Beethoven, I think. Also, you can try contacting the Smith cello prof and setting up a trial lesson to view his/her teaching style to see if that would be a good fit for you. My d did that with all of the colleges she considered and it was very helpful in her decision making process.</p>
<p>Orchestral? Choral? D (French horn player) was in the orchestra and a wind ensemble. Jonathan, the orchestra director, seems to be held in high esteem universally. The day after graduation, she went with the orchestra on a 10-day concert tour of Sicily. Way cool despite some cluelessness on logistical matters by the student organizers.</p>
<p>When D was visiting schools, Jonathan stood out in making stark contrasts between Smith and some other places, including Columbia and Yale, in terms of how supportive and helpful he was compared.</p>
<p>Scratch the first question: I just looked at the OP’s screen name and have leapt to the conclusion that she’s a cello player.</p>