<p>Hi-
My daughter loved American, and she is highly qualified for this school- 4.4 GPA 1990 SAT’s etc. She is interested in both Communications and Music. The Communications School seems fantastic. Can anyone give me a good idea about the music department. She wants to be able to take quality lessons in both piano and voice and either minor in music or double major. I haven’t heard anything about this department.</p>
<p>My d., a concert pianist, took lessons with Yuliya Gorenman <a href=“http://www.american.edu/cas/performing-arts/faculty/music.cfm#piano[/url]”>http://www.american.edu/cas/performing-arts/faculty/music.cfm#piano</a> - a fantastic piano soloist who tours all over the U.S. and Europe, and she was GREAT! She is now also taking a class in jazz theory and performance. I can’t tell you much more, as my d. is neither a major nor minor in music.</p>
<p>I was there this summer. The music department does not seem very big at all, which is a bummer to me as I would like to play in a band. </p>
<p>But that said, being in DC, you can find someone excellent to take lessons with, if you don’t like the teachers at AU. I am sure there are National Symphony or National Opera people in town that she could study with. Also Catholic University has a big music department, if she wanted to travel there, and the train goes to Baltimore, Peabody is less than an hour away.</p>
<p>My D is a freshman musical theater major, so takes voice lessons within the music department. She likes her teacher, but reports that her teachers at home (classical and MT) were perhaps better. That may just be teaching style - she hasn’t really specified what the differences are. D has also auditioned for one of the campus acapella groups and is waiting to hear about acceptance. All performance groups on campus are open to everyone regardless of major (by audition, of course.)</p>
<p>Thanks, sounds like a small department.</p>