<p>Having started the process late in the game, I did not open my mind or wallet easily to the advice here about the importance of finding the teacher, not the school. I decided to make a trip that was relatively close, and realized immediately that I was wrong, and scurried about to book up just about all the other teachers that we're looking at. </p>
<p>Now that we're in the swing of things, we have confidence that DD is a competitive candidate for the schools on her list, and able to refine the teacher choice, etc. </p>
<p>I would also like to know: what other conservatories (or schools of music) have the 'feel' of Eastman? I suspect Peabody has a similar feel. Any others?</p>
<p>I am not interested in hearing that this is of minimal importance. I am aware that it is not the deciding factor. Thanks!</p>
<p>What was it about Eastman that you particularly liked? It would be easier for me to identify similar “feels” if I knew more specifically what appealed to you…</p>
<p>I think it’s the age of building, feeling that it has ‘history’… wood rather than concrete, steps are worn from years of footsteps</p>
<p>ie, concrete and lineoleum feels like middle school</p>
<p>PS - I’m not concerned about what I like or don’t like; I’m working off of my DD’s reactions to places, and want to be sure we’re looking at the ones that have the best chance of fitting</p>
<p>Check out NEC. My D attends there as a “prep” kid on weekends and when we visited Eastman both she and I were commenting on the similarities: big city, not much campus, big, gorgeous recital hall (Jordan Hall at NEC is more sought after than Symphony Hall) in a very old restored building. There is alot of history there.</p>
<p>My D also spent a week at Peabody 2 summers ago. She found that campus to be too small and confining feeling and the area around it “too sketchy”, but then again she was a HS sophmore at the time.</p>
<p>I’ll throw in my two cents for Oberlin - the oldest continuously operating music conservatory, so they say. The campus has a very historic feel and very safe. No problems walking by yourself at night. The conservatory building is not space-constricted like some others we visited. D was looking at Eastman and Oberlin and opted for Oberlin.</p>
<p>Don’t forget to check out McGill (Schulich Conservatory). Both the feel of the conservatory and the feel of the winters are very similar to Eastman!</p>
<p>I’m late to this list, but want to add CMU in Pittsburgh. When we visited Eastman we felt so at home, as the bldgs felt like CMU’s School of Fine Arts building - similar era and architectural style.</p>
<p>I’m even later to the list, but…
If you like traditional buildings, and your major is voice, then check out Westminster. The Chapel and Williamson hall are beautiful. The playhouse is…well…rustic, but the kids don’t seem to mind!</p>
<p>Hi Beezmom! Westminster Choir College is a gorgeous campus, but it reminds me more of Oberlin than Eastman. However, the Choir and commencement are always over at Princeton’s Victorian Gothic chapel, so that does feel like Eastman! </p>
<p>And Westminster Choir College has piano and organ majors/concentrations, too!</p>
<p>S-Mom - you’re right about the additional majors. For some reason, I made an assumption on the OP, and I have absolutely no idea why!!! And, I also have no basis of comparison, since I have one of those kids that saw Westminster and pretty much refused to look anywhere else. I would have loved the road trips, (I can hear the groans of Parents that are dreading looking at just one more college) but my D was pretty stubborn!</p>