Smith Music Department

silverstars · 10-10-2009, 08:57 AM

Hi, everyone. I am very interested in Smith College, everything I've heard about it has been absolutely wonderful and everything I would want in the college...except one thing. I've had a hard time finding any information on the Music Department at Smith. Is it a strong department, particularly for students studying voice?

je_ne_sais_quoi · 10-16-2009, 01:05 PM

Here is a link to the music department at Smith.

Smith College: Music

It might be a good place to start your research.

My Smithie daughter is not a music major but she plays French horn in the orchestra and takes for-credit private lessons with a professor. She also sings in one or two of the numerous Smith vocal ensembles. Most of her friends are involved in music as an extracurricular activity. I'm sorry I have no direct knowledge of the music department as a major study focus.

Good luck in your search!!

TheDad · 10-16-2009, 01:17 PM

Parent of a former French horn player here. I don't know about voice training per se but the Sage Hall performance complex is gorgeous. With so many acapella groups on campus, you'd think there would be good underlying vocal instruction but I can't swear to it.

Hah. This is my 6000th post on CC since I joined in 2002. Glad it was in the Smith forum.

Prairie · 10-16-2009, 04:45 PM

Silverstars, you might also take a look at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. Lawrence has LCM, the Lawrence Conservatory of Music, a nationally-ranked conservatory, the only one in the US which is dedicated to undergraduates. Lawrence has a combined BMusic/BA five-year program for the serious student of music. Or you can be a BA student and take many classes in the "Con". The curriculum is very rigorous and the students and professors are first rate.

This is not to cast any doubt on Smith's program (about which I know nothing), only to contribute to your perspective as you search.

mini · 10-16-2009, 06:41 PM

Smith has two first-rate professional opera and lieder singers who are full faculty in the music department, one of whom is the chair of the department. There are quite a few professional opera singers who have come out of Smith. The college is also part of the Five College Opera Consortium, and there is an opera company in town. There is a program for medieval/Renaissance singers (and players) which my d. was heavily involved in.

In the year my d. graduated, she ended up with a 5-6 fellowship at Princeton (in musicology/Italian Studies, though at Smith, she was a composer), and one of her good friends got a funded fellowship to Yale in choral conducting. PM me if there is more you'd like to know.

SmithieandProud · 10-16-2009, 11:17 PM

Smith music dept is GREAT! it's one of the oldest departments at Smith, and has some very dedicated students and teachers in it. I had several friends who were music performance majors and minors (two in instruments, one in voice). Training is very good, very demanding, not conservatory level (it's not a conservatory after all) but still, quite good especially if you plan on studying Italian in conjunction with voice. There's a special study abroad program in Italy (Florence, I think? or Rome? help me out here someone) that only music majors can apply to so that's a special perk.

mini · 10-17-2009, 12:41 AM

Actually, that study abroad program is in Milan. But you can get voice instruction at Smith's program in Florence as well, or play with the local orchestra. (My d. did.)

MomTj · 10-17-2009, 02:04 PM

D. is a first year string player in the orchestra, so that's been our only experience with the music department thus far. She is enjoying it. She says the goal is for the music department to put on performances they can really be proud of. And, while everyone may not enter the Smith orchestra at the same level of expertise or training, they all work together towards a common goal. Like everything else at Smith, the goal is ongoing improvement. : ) I can't wait to hear the Montage concert next weekend!

And, for the record, D. turned down the double degree conservatory program with a hefty scholarship at Lawrence for Smith. Lawrence is a great school, it's just that Smith was where she was supposed to be, she felt. And, with D. being a conservatory level player, I can tell you that she is very happy at Smith. It's home to her now, she says. She is not majoring in music and is very happy about that decision -- it will always be a very important part of her life, she just doesn't want to make it her career.

I could go on and on about how she ended up at Smith and how delightfully happy she is there. Perhaps another post, another time. : )

upbeat · 10-17-2009, 08:33 PM

My D. seems to be having fun playing fiddle for the Wailing Banshees. It's fast finger work and she loves to play by ear..a good change from all those years in orchestra. They are performing in the Montage too. We will miss it since we are not going back for parent's weekend, but she gave me a preview when she was down to visit for Autumn break.

MomTj · 10-27-2009, 03:00 PM

The Wailing Banshees were so enjoyable! The specialization of the group is Irish music, I'm guessing? D. and I were discussing after the concert the great variety of music available at Smith, especially for a school of its size. : )

composer · 10-28-2009, 07:11 AM

It's a very good department, the professors like to help the students with choosing the appropiate classes that will best advantage you. This fall, they helped me got out of a prerequisite becuase, due to my conservatory training (I've had extensive music theory classes and some college classes that I took at age 12), the class would not benefit me. They gave me several special placement tests and I'm currently taking two 200-level courses that I am enjoying immensely. I'm going to be taking a 300-level seminar this spring.

If you are looking to major in Music, the major is changing next year. I have a vague idea with what is going on with that. From what I've heard, it's supposedly supposed to allow more flexibility in concentrating in what exactly you want to do with the major i.e. performance, composition, musicology, music history, etc. The presentation of the major is this Thursday at 5pm so I'll know better then.

You should call up the music department and schedule an interview or talk with a voice professor (either on-campus or on the telephone). I do not sing but my pre-major advisor is the head of the department and a voice professor, she'd be a good person to talk if you want to find out the new possible changes in the department and about voice specfically.

Also, if you're in the area, you should try to hear a concert at Smith. The falculty concert was very good last weekend and the voice professor sounded absolutely beautiful. Also, there are many different voice groups here that would be a lot of fun for you.

Feel free to PM me.