<p>Okay, so I visited UChicago this past weekend, and I absolutely loved it. I loved its rigor and its beautiful stone buildings and the types of people I observed walking down the street, scurrying to class. </p>
<p>Here's the thing, though. It just felt like there was little to no "real" arts there. Yes, I know there are technically arts opportunities and performing ensembles, but they certainly weren't incorporated into the curriculum the way they tend to be at small liberal arts school. And while I understand that this is only natural and it certainly speaks to UChicago's emphasis on academics, I am reluctant to believe that this is really the case. </p>
<p>Have any of you found a way to seriously pursue music while at UChicago? Are there any other local music schools where you can take classes or any affiliations with, say, the Lyric Opera Company? Anything like that?</p>
<p>I'm just reluctant to cross it entirely off the list, so I figured I might as well thoroughly investigate the issue before I dismissed it. So, any input you guys might have would be so, so helpful!</p>
<p>Music at the U of Chicago is a hot topic at the moment. Previously the school concentrated on music theory and not performance. While there is a fairly decent orchestra, some music ensembles, i.e. jazz and chamber music, the focus was not on performance. That is beginning to change. A huge amount of money has been donated to the school and a new arts center is being built with it. That should increase performance opportunities and the general music program. Right now, there is a beautiful concert hall on campus called Mandel hall and a smaller concert hall as well, with other auditoriums scattered around the campus, ie. in Ida Noyes. There are musical groups from around the country and the world performing all of the time on campus and of course throughout the City of Chicago which are also easily accessible.
My child sings in the Motet Choir, Rockefeller Choir ( a great church choir ) and the Russian Choir. These choirs often make tours as well. I believe that the music department will arrange instrument lessons for you, but they are not on campus as far as I know. Anyway, LACs like Wesleyan probably have music programs more dedicated to your interests at this time, but Chicago is moving in the direction of what you are asking for.</p>
<p>It's true that performance isn't really incorporated into the curriculum as of right now. However, there are a lot of opportunites to play music on and off campus. There are a large number of performing groups here at UC (I'm in the Symphony, Chamber Orchestra, New Music Ensemble, and a chamber group). Also, as you may know, the academic music program is one of the very best in the country. </p>
<p>The Music Dept helps students find teachers of any instrument - some teachers can be provided directly through the schools, others must be contacted at other schools (like DePaul or Northwestern) or performing groups (like the CSO or Lyric Opera). The school also holds annual competitions for scholarship money to help pay for lessons. </p>
<p>Off campus, the best group I know of to play in would be the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. This group plays under the baton of the CSO conductors, and plays monthly concerts at Symphony Hall. The stipend for regular members of $6300. </p>
<p>Anyway, all in all, the school does offer a lot of performance opportunites and will surely be offering even more in the coming years at the performance program is expanded and the new arts center is built. You might want to consider sending an e-mail to the orchestra director/performance director, Barbara Schubert, to ask about the performance program here in more detail.</p>
<p>on a vaguely related note, how well-established is the band scene there? student-initiated band scene, i mean. swarthmore, for instance, has this sound room which random groups of students can use for jamming. is it easy to get together fellow collegemates with similar taste in music and get a gig somewhere? and how supportive is the college of these student-run initiatives?</p>
<p>there are a good number of student bands. they play in a number of the campus coffee shops over the course of the year, and there's a practice room in the music building set up for bands to practice in with a drum kit and amps and stuff like that.</p>
<p>Music rooms are just kind of soundproofed rooms for playing loud instruments. To my knowledge, every dorm has one.</p>
<p>Our band scene is active, but small. I have a bunch of friends who perform relatively often in Cobb coffee shop and Hallowed Grounds (on the second floor of Reynolds Club). You only need so many musicians to form a band, and there's always the city of Chicago for your live music needs!</p>
<p>I have friends who see shows in Chicago 2 or 3 times a week, so it's definitely possible to get out and see acts if the on-campus scene is not enough for you.</p>
<p>Yeah, the room in the music building is "official," but there are music practice rooms in all the dorms. In Burton-Judson we have a whole bunch... 4, maybe more.</p>
<p>The only connection the school has with Lyric is that the Music Dept offers free student tickets periodically. Also, I'm sure that the Music Dept would help you set up lessons with people over there if you asked them to. What kind of connection did you have in mind?</p>