<p>I am a classical voice applicant for the class of 2015. I am planning on pursuing a double-degree in performance and liberal arts (history/religion/ethnomusicology). I cannot make a decision between Oberlin and Rochester. </p>
<p>Based on voice professors, Eastman seems like a much better fit for me. Based on quality of life, Oberlin seems like a better fit simply because I would definitely fit in with the student body and it is not a 20-minute commute back and forth between the conservatory and everything else. When I visited Oberlin, I felt a certain comfort there which I did not feel as much when I was at Rochester the very next day. </p>
<p>This brings me to my next conundrum. If I went to Rochester, where would it make the most sense for me to dorm? I find a certain appeal in living in the Eastman bubble up North but I do want a "college experience", after all. </p>
<p>Say I gave up on pursuing this double-degree and decided to do only music...where would I find the most musical solace? </p>
<p>Both schools have very amazing, very different things to offer. I suppose I wanted to simply put this out there on the web to see if anyone anywhere has anything worth sharing that might make the pendulum swing in either direction.</p>
<p>D2 has a friend from her high school who is a double major at UR and Eastman. He’s a sophomore classical voice (opera) performance major at Eastman and with a second major in foreign language (French and Italian) major at River campus. He lives in the Eastman dorms (closer to practice halls and voice tutors, besides the new Eastman dorm downtown is sooooo nice) and takes the shuttle to River campus for his other classes. He schedules his River campus classes for 2 days a week and spends most of his time at Eastman because that’s where his friends live. </p>
<p>Alex seems happy and has had some amazing performance opportunities. (Performing is his main goal; the French and Italian courses I get the feeling are mostly to support the operatic career.)</p>
<p>As for what you ought to do…it depends upon your life goals. What do you see yourself doing in 10 years? Which school would be better to help you reach those goals? Where would you be happiest?</p>
<p>I can’t answer but my daughter says there are Eastman kids near her in SueB. Don’t know if that’s right or not. The big difference is that UR is a university, not a college, and thus the breadth of offerings, classes and pretty much everything is greater.</p>
<p>Most double degree students dorm at Eastman. My daughter had friends who ultimately dropped the double degree-one moved to Eastman exclusively and one moved to the University of Rochester side exclusively. While the double degree at both schools can be done and depending on what the double degree major is, it is a major time commitment and the music and time required for music practice, rehersal and performance are extensive even for a stand-alone major.</p>
<p>All fine arts programs take a ridiculous amount of time. Science students complain about hours but BFA programs, not just an art major in a school, eat time like the old pacman video game.</p>
<p>My D too looked at the dual major program at Rochester, but I find it very interesting that even on their website - they discourage it and say many do not finish. Our daughter is a bassoonist, and is very interested in Rochester since she can study engineering and the River campus offers many performance options for non-music majors.</p>
<p>She is also applying to Northwestern as a dual major: engineering/bassoon performance. What makes this program interesting is that it is designated as a 5-year program, probably knowing that is would be really hard for someone to complete a dual degree program in 4 years with music as an option.</p>
<p>I too understand that Fine Arts is really a demanding, time consuming major.</p>
<p>A bassoonist! I actually know two professional bassoonists. </p>
<p>(One is second chair with the Philadelphia Orchestra; the other used to play for the Toronto Orchestra and now teaches privately and mostly plays with chamber groups. Professional bassoon is a fairly small world. Shortly after I met friend #2, I told her I actually knew another bassoonist. [Bassoonist #1 is the younger daughter of a very old friend of my husband]. Friend #2 could immediately tell me the other’s professional pedigree and who her teachers had been. There aren’t even 6 degrees of separation among bassoon players apparently.)</p>
<p>Yes, the bassoon community is very small - and they know everyone! Our daughter is the principal for the Portland Youth Philharmonic and her teacher is the principal of the Oregon Symphony. Funny - but she is looking at Purdue, and rumor has it, that we need to track down the contra bassoonist from the Indianapolis Symphony for lessons if she chooses Purdue! She is heading out in Feb. to Northwestern to audition for a dual degree engineering/bassoon performace program, and of course one our daughter’s other teachers talked to a friend who knew one of the professors at Northwestern! They are an awesome, quirky, clique!! Looks like one of the mechanical engineering professors at U of R is also a bassoonist, there is a post on the ME page on some research he has done.</p>
<p>The difficulty in trying to do the dual degree at Eastman is the timing of classes. Eastman students are required to play in large group ensembles. For a bassoonist, they will either be assigned to the Eastman Winds or to the orchestra. Assignments may change over the course of the semester depending on what the orchestra is playing in any given 4 week cycle. All large group ensembles rehearse for 2 hours 3 days a week. And you have to be in large group ensembles for 8 semesters. </p>
<p>My son looked at doing the double degree in political science, but there was one required class that only met in the afternoons on M, W, F which is when the orchestra rehearses. It was a conflict that there was no way around. His only option would have been to stay for an extra year to take the classes he had no way of scheduling while at Eastman, but he didn’t want to take a year away from his music focus. So he took classes in Poli. Sci that interested him when he could fit them in, but that was it. </p>
<p>My guess is that you will find the same is true in Engineering. There are going to be conflicts that can’t be reconciled.</p>
<p>Shennie - thanks for your response. The wonderful thing about Rochester is that there will be lots of options at the River Campus for our daughter if she gets accepted and decides to go there. She was quite impressed!</p>
<p>I can’t imagine doing engineering and a fine arts degree in 4 years. There are too many engineering requirements. Even Brown, which has next to no requirements, starts engineers first term freshman year because they need 19 courses (out of 30 required). </p>
<p>If one is really serious about this dual degree, one needs to be thinking 5 years at any school.</p>
Looks like one of the mechanical engineering professors at U of R is also a bassoonist, there is a post on the ME page on some research he has done.</p>