<p>Hey I was wondering. </p>
<p>Out of the top 20/30 or so boarding schools in New England</p>
<p>Which 3 or so are known for having the best overall music department?</p>
<p>And which 3 or so are known for specifically having the best Choir/Singing Groups?</p>
<p>And not to commit slander, but what schools are known for lacking music strengths? I was wondering so I could know which schools may not fit my interests.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>At Andover we have the top-scoring AP Music in the world. I'm not sure about the specifics of the choral program, other than they travel to some exotic location every year to perform in some competition, but I know the orchestra and band programs are very good, bringing in international-level musicians for masterclasses, sending students to perform at Carnegie Hall, etc etc. I assume the choral program is at a similar level of excellence.</p>
<p>Could anyone comment on Deerfield's or SPS' music programs?</p>
<p>actually, there's an article on the phillipian. it says that in february of 2006, the college board recognized andover's AP music theory class as the "strongest in the world." my sister took this class with dr. warsaw, and she says that it really was amazing. she also took private piano lessons with dr. warsaw, and again, he got great reviews. she was in the chorus as well (for one year), and that year, they went to china! it was pretty cool.</p>
<p>here's the article:
<a href="http://www.phillipian.net/article.php?ID=2186%5B/url%5D">http://www.phillipian.net/article.php?ID=2186</a></p>
<p>What other places did they go to throughout the years.</p>
<p>Wow. That's amazing.</p>
<p>Oh, Dr. Warsaw is an absolute genius. Your sister was completely on the money in regards to what he's all about. </p>
<p>Jonathan: they went to Puerto Rico this year and I heard talks about Cuba.</p>
<p>Exeter doesn't really do much with music. ORchestra/Chorsu/Band etc meets like 30 mins after dinner. I mean, it sounds good, but they don't particularly endorse it.</p>
<p>^
That's actually not true.</p>
<p>Orchestra/chorus/band at Exeter meet an hour and a half twice a week. There is also chamber music, a capella and various vocal groups that meet during the day and can be more rigorous. While it's true that the music dept. has suffered and doesn't have the most emphasis, it's still got a relatively nice facility and groups available for most instruments/interests. And if you want to learn an instrument and there's no teacher there for it, they'll find a teacher for you.</p>
<p>Omg, it's so true. They don't emphasize on the arts that much. The music building is the crappiest building after the art building. And dont' get me started on Dance. The theatre is in such crappy shape they HAVE to renovate it becuase the fire department is like, "...this is going to collapse." </p>
<p>And you have to take it as a class in order ot be in thsoe "rigorous ensembles" nowadays. time which you need to fufill credits. </p>
<p>Music at Exeter is not good. ANd I said 30 mins AFTER dinner. AKA they meet at 6:30 since dinner is a six. Not that they only met for 30 mins. ANd frankly, most people I know would rather just go to the dorm and relax than play their instrument for an hour and a half after a long day.</p>
<p>I thought you meant they only practice for a half an hour.</p>
<p>I'll admit that Exeter doesn't emphasize the arts. The theater needs to be knocked down and rebuilt, the art building needs to be larger, air conditioned and renovated. But Exeter produces some amazing actors, dancers, painters, sculptors and musicians despite what you deem subpar facilities. The facilities may not be the top of the heap, but the instructors are generally friendly, helpful and good.</p>
<p>Okay, so I misunderstood what you were saying about meeting after dinner. It was unclear.</p>
<p>But it's definitely not true that all of the "more rigorous" ensembles need to be taken as a class. I took one that wasn't a class and was fine. Fulfilling credits isn't that difficult, so it's not necessarily that onerous a burden.</p>
<p>And I don't know which music building we're talking about, but the one I used was in very good shape except for some issues with the rooms not being entirely soundproof. The crappiest building after the art building isn't too bad a place to be, given what the comparative level of "crappy" on campus.</p>
<p>Most people I knew didn't go relax in their dorms after dinner. After dinner is when most club meetings and extra currics. go on, not just the music meetings, so it's not like people would be watching television, sitting in the dorm if they weren't at orchestra.</p>
<p>No. Tons of clubs meet DURING dinner. Right after classes. And then usually people head out of Dhall by 6 45 ish and just relax at grill or in their dorm. </p>
<p>I guess I'm just bitter that at my old school, the arts were so much more emphasized. But you're right about the teachers. AMAZING. Ms. Ream the theatre teacher did so many amazing things I wonder how she ended up teaching at PEA. Also, Ms. Curcio the harp teacehr is like one of the leading harpist ever. She's so cool ( I play Harp) </p>
<p>Yeah Exeter is okayish I guess.</p>
<p>I guess that's the difference between one Exeter experience and another. People I knew usually had stuff starting at seven.</p>
<p>My old school was like, arts, I don't understand, go study geometry, so I was excited that Exeter even a music building. The music dept. gets neglected, but at least it's there and running pretty well. But yeah, Tingles needs to step up his game with the arts.</p>
<p>Yeah. Like, I ahte the fact that all the alumni donate for new sports crap. It's like...don't we have enough friggin' basketball courts? And now they're building the new turf field for football becuase some alumni dropped tons o' cash and was like BUILD SOME SPORT BUILDING IN MAH NAME B1OTCHESSSSSSSS and Exeter is like yes! /bows. </p>
<p>And the poor dance kids still have to dance around the random pipes and poles on the old gym basement. :'(</p>
<p>Well that's kind of like how they wouldn't change the schedule partly because it got in the way of sports. I played competitive sports and appreciated the funding, and it's cool that I can play squash in an international-standard squash court, but I want to go see dance concert when it's raining without the pingpingpingpingping of rain on the TIN roof. Oy vey. But that's unfair, there was the one alum who donated money for the sole purpose of purchasing TREES.</p>
<p>It's a good thing I liked the rest of the school so much. If I make it big, I'm creating an instrument fund..</p>
<p>If I make it big, I'm tellign them to make a building in my name for the arts. Liek a HUGE art center. bigger than the academy building.</p>
<p>How's the piano department at Exeter? I heard that George Lopez is really good...</p>
<p>in the top ten ring of boarding schools (exeter, andover, sps, choate, deerfield, etc...) i'd say choate has one of the best music programs, especailly if you're a string player. A lot of really great musicians are in the program, and to get into the chamber program you have to have an amazing audition. they go on tours eveyrwhere: italy, hungary, czech republic, austria, china, korea, japan, some tropical island they went to that i forgot. you get the point.</p>
<p>Doesn't Choate have some program thats specifically designed for Music Performers and allows them to be more flexible with academic scheduling so as to open up practice time during the day?</p>
<p>I think Northfield Mt Hermon has an outstanding music program. My daughter went there, and is now at a conservatory. She was in the orchestra, choir, select singing group, and had private voice and instrument lessons.</p>