Agree completely. Oberlin consistently has among the highest annual number of Fulbright Scholars and faculty MacArthur Grant awards (they just got their third in the last three years), while maintaining that “quirky, artsy” vibe among clearly strong academics.
As to those who study music along with something else, there are approximately 180 total students who are dual degree (a BM in performance and a BA in an academic subject) over 5 class years, so not in reality a large number.
I can’t say I’ve ever noticed the music in the bathrooms but the College admissions building is in the hotel, so that’s likely the reason for it, not because of the conservatory. The Conservatory admissions office is in another building altogether.