Hi everyone, I’m a junior in CA that is thinking about applying to colleges on the east coast and I was just wondering what the music program is like at Tufts? I play viola and I want to play in chamber groups as well as an orchestra, so how is Tufts’s music scene like compared to other colleges and LACs (like Middlebury, Williams, Amherst, Bowdoin, etc.)? Do many people play instruments or are involved in music? Are there lots of string quartets or things of that sort?
Thanks!
It is not a College of Music, but does have a Music Department: http://as.tufts.edu/music/
Sorry I wasn’t specific, but I am not planning on majoring in music. I was just wondering how many music opportunities I had compared to other colleges.
My daughter is a freshman and plays violin in the orchestra. They have rehearsal two nights a week and two concerts per year.(November and May) She has not attempted to join any other musical groups. I don’t think she feels there is enough time in the day to do everything she’s interested in. She was also involved in a debate club. She did very well in all classes first semester and still found the time to attend parties on the weekends! She did feel as though her schedule was more intense than some of her friends. The TSO just returned from touring Austria over winter break. I don’t think it’s a yearly venture and I’m not sure when they’ll do something like that again.
Music is an important part of the culture at Tufts:j
Tufts has a joint degree program with the New England Conservatory (with an associated orchestra), but you do not need to be in the program to take courses at NEC.
http://as.tufts.edu/music/program/nec.htm
Tufts also has its own symphony orchestra, and chamber orchestra, and an unusual early music program (early music is big in the Boston area).
http://as.tufts.edu/music/program/ensembles.htm
http://as.tufts.edu/music/program/EME/overview.htm
The majority of students participate in some form of music program and the new performance hall has been called the “Best Small Performance Hall in New England”. It also serves as the center for a number of community music programs.
http://as.tufts.edu/music/musiccenter/default.aspx
Cambridge/ Boston has a lively classical music scene and several music schools including NEC, the Boston Conservatory, Longy School of Music (now part of Bard College)
The City of Somerville (half of Tufts is in Somerville) is also big on Music with Street Pianos in Davis Square and an annual Honk festival.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLon7SLaO0U
http://honkfest.org/
My D is a senior (non-music major) and played violin her first 2 years in the orchestra and only stopped when she went abroad. She loved it! Facilities are beautiful, the Director John Page (Google him) is wonderful, and the kids eat dinner together each week after rehearsal, so it is social as well. We are also in CA and my favorite part is that they live stream all the concerts, so we could watch from here! A few NEC kids were mixed in, so the level is pretty high, but you don’t have to be a music major to audition.