<p>Would love to hear from Neuroscience majors who are doing a Music Performance minor. I love my violin. I am thinking premed track. How hard is this combo ?
Anyone can compare this with Duke's neuroscience program - Duke has a "Graduation with Distinction in Music Performance for non-music majors" .</p>
<p>Thank you</p>
<p>bump. Wondering if anyone can talk about music opportunities ( violin) for non-majors at Vandy. Thank you</p>
<p>Why don’t you email Blair to ask?</p>
<p>yetanotherid, if you find any info, would you please share? DC is thinking a similar combination. </p>
<p>Sent from my Nexus 7 using CC</p>
<p>My son’s thinking the same thing with his trumpet. He’ll be studying Mechanical Engineering.</p>
<p>Me too! I know I’m majoring in neuroscience and if I could minor in music I would love it. Would you let me know if you find out anything helpful?</p>
<p>I PM’d CesVar who is at Vandy doing neuroscience and I think he is musically inclined from his past posts. I will let you know when i hear back. </p>
<p>This is the official line from Blair :</p>
<p>Opportunities for Non-Majors</p>
<p>Blair offers all Vanderbilt students opportunities to make music a part of their lives and academic focus. The school awards credit for private instruction in any instrument or voice, as well as for group instruction in piano, guitar, recorder, voice, percussion and fiddle. Courses designed for music majors are open to all students with sufficient background and expertise. A number of classes are designed especially for non-majors, including music literature/history, theory, computer music, music business, and dance history.</p>
<p>All Vanderbilt undergraduate students may audition for membership in Blair’s performing groups, including the Vanderbilt Orchestra, Vanderbilt Wind Ensemble, Vanderbilt Symphonic Choir, Chamber Choir, Brass Choir, and Vanderbilt Opera Theatre. Students in Vanderbilt’s other undergraduate colleges may earn a minor in music, music history, or music performance, or a second major in music, by enrolling in the appropriate courses.</p>
<p>That’s awesome. From that post at least, it sounds like there would be plenty of opportunities to be involved in music and even get a degree. But I’m sure it would be difficult just based on the fact that neuroscience and music would have virtually no overlapping courses. </p>
<p>Just because I’m curious, what kinds of music do you play?</p>
<p>From my understanding, music minors constitute a pretty fair time commitment. Not many credit hours are required, but it involves a lot of other time- practicing alone, coordinating practices for group performances, the treks to Blair, etc.</p>
<p>Music is a huge part of life on and off campus at Vanderbilt. There are also great performances, recitals and visiting talents to enjoy weekly. However, I have a son who was seated in the Duke Symphony Orchestra who turned down Vandy partly because he realized he “wasn’t good enough” or committed enough to hold his own in the Blair Symphony. Because many of the students are either majors or minors in Blair or very talented, people (like my son) who want to practice no more than a couple-three times a week can’t fit into the Vanderbilt Orchestra which is full of students who also take private lessons and who stay very current in their skills.
That said, having a Conservatory in the college just ups the game and adds so much that spills over. My son took a fab course on film soundtracks in Blair even though he is an arts and sciences major. Many students will take a course in Blair.</p>
<p>ncbug19 - I play the violin and I love to play Romantic era music</p>
<p>pancaked - what did you mean “treks to Blair”? Was wondering if you meant the distance to Blair school from Residential Halls and/or Biological Sciences department. </p>
<p>faline2 - What did you mean “son who was seated in the Duke Symphony Orchestra” - Did you mean he chose Duke over Vandy and one of the reason was music commitment expected at Vandy ?</p>
<p>yetanotherid…yeah, I would say that my son loved Vanderbilt and its excellent relationship with its host city, Nashville, which is a lot more fun than Duke/Durham re setting. However, he really wanted to be in the Symphony and felt that he did not have the right combination of talent/willingness to put in hours that a Symphony based in a college with a Conservatory requires. Auditions for chairs in the Vandy Symphony for non Blair students (Blair applicants obviously already audition)…take place after you move onto campus and there is no guarantee you will earn a seat. To not have the pleasure of playing in a symphony would have been a big psychological loss for eldest son. Duke has long rehearsals two nights a week and many accomplished players but does not have a conservatory, and thus was a place where son’s level of commitment was a match. Even at Duke, son took private lessons many semesters to keep his skill level up. </p>
<p>The music facilities at Vanderbilt are superior to Duke’s, and of course there is a much more extensive faculty. </p>
<p>Duke does bring in world class talent in classical music to campus which was an amazing perk as my son is also a big “fan” as an audience member, but Vanderbilt and Nashville are also huge draws for those invaluable opps to see world class performers. Vandy son often goes downtown to Nashville’s stunning Symphony Hall.</p>
<p>Duke son came to see his bro move into the Vandy Commons four years later and was blown away by the freshman campus and the vibrant access to Nashville.</p>
<p>Thank you so much faline2. You have no idea how much you have helped me. Since you have 2 sons one in Duke , one in Vandy your perspective is greatly appreciated. What instrument do your sons play ?</p>
<p>That’s awesome! I absolutely love the violin. I have one and I do play some but my passion is definitely brass and woodwinds.</p>
<p>Yes I was referring to the distance from Blair to the rest of campus. It’s not terribly far form Commons but is from most residential halls and is a tough walk from A&S classes.</p>
<p>Yetanotherid, sent you a PM re our sons’ musical instruments as I try to respect their privacy. Neither are conservatory quality musicians…perhaps with concerted effort they could have held a chair at Vandy/Blair Symphony and not been out of step with their instrument sections. Blair is not “far” if you go to school at a bigger school…like UVA for instance but in bad weather students often hop the Vandy Van as it is a “far piece” to Blair from many points on campus.</p>
<p>Faline2 - Got your PMs. Thank you very much. You are a great ambassador for Vandy. I learnt a lot.</p>