<p>Hi there!</p>
<p>This upcoming school year I’m going to be a Sophomore at the U of R and I plan to major in Neuroscience. My first year was absolutely amazing! I met many friendly, interesting people from incredibly diverse backgrounds, and my academic acumen was most definitely put to the test. Within a single year I forged many solid friendships, honed in on subjects that made me excited to study, improved my musicianship by participating in various ensembles and lessons at Eastman, and I learned that my future is mine and mine alone to shape.</p>
<p>These are sentiments that, I feel, every college experience should elicit. Rochester, though, provided me personally with the atmosphere that I needed to bloom. The ubiquitous mantra “College is what you make of it” solidifies the notion that the Undergrad experience is truly subjective, and it is up to the individual to respond to situations by their own standards. For example, if you sit around in your room all day and refuse to branch out into the community, you shouldn’t blame the college for your lack of social life. College is meant to be a microcosm of the real world, teaching teenagers as they transition into true adulthood that they must be active and seek out their own destinies rather than wait for everything to come to them. This is a rather poetic way of viewing college, but it is the most important lesson that came out of my first year. </p>
<p>To touch on some things you are interested in, I can tell you that lessons at Eastman are indeed demanding. But they are open to any student of the University – even non music majors. First off, each student must audition to receive adequate placing into a lesson program. Usually Freshman have their first year with Graduate students as one on one instructors. The auditions serve to make sure that the entering student is intermediate to proficient in their playing skills. As a result, chances to use Eastman as a free way to develop skills in an entirely foreign instrument are rare. Competition to get a spot depends greatly on the popularity of your instrument. Violin and Piano students often face the most competition. Depending on the size of the instructor’s student body, the lesson schedule itself will range from very tight to flexible. Finally, at the end of each year, there will be juries wherein the student must play a solo in front of an assembled panel. Juries are very laid back, and serve more to assess an individual’s development and provide helpful input. There are many other music opportunities at the school, including Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and myriad choral groups. The conductors are excellent and they usually pick great pieces for the concert repertoires. </p>
<p>Rochester winters are apparently famous. Coming from southeast New York, I heard warnings about the weather from everyone who I had told about my college choice. With all that hype I basically expected to become a human popsicle before surviving my first year. It is true that the effects of winter come early and leave late, but honestly I was really disappointed! Sure, the weather barred me from doing things outside and sometimes dissuaded me from leaving my dorm to go get food, but most of the time I found myself focussing more on my studies than the cold, rain, or snow. If anything, the weather fostered an intimate community among my hall mates since we all hung out indoors together. Also, it gave us nearly interminable access to epic snowball fights! Honestly, I think if I went to a school where the sun always shone through my window and warm air kept enticing me to play outside, I would have been distracted from doing more important things like homework. </p>
<p>For Grad school the college experience here is golden. Students need to work very hard to survive, regardless of their major. Fortunately, classes are often taught by great professors who are accessible and make considerable efforts to relate their teachings to the real world. When you’ve found a topic that ignites a passion for research you can find internships relatively easily. The strong academic opportunities here will prime the hard working students for Masters Degrees, Ph.Ds, MDs, JDs or any other advanced degree programs. </p>
<p>If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. I hope this helps!</p>
Even so, as long as there are sizable ensembles to join then hopefully I will be able to take lessons regularly at Eastman. </p>