<p>Hi ladylazarus,</p>
<p>There are auditions for the private lesson subsidies. Basically, if you can carry a tune/play your instrument competently, you will get at least a 1/3 subsidy. There are also 2/3 subsidies, which are not too difficult to get if you play well, but you will most likely not get a 2/3 subsidy in your first semester. There are a very limited number of Garrigues scholarships, which pay the full cost of lessons plus transportation, but they are not awarded to first semester freshmen. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get as large a subsidy as you expected first semester, because it is very likely that it will be raised after one or two semesters.</p>
<p>There is also a very strong music department, with a five semester music theory sequence and a good number of music history courses. There are also plenty of performance opportunities. There are 7 or 8 a capella groups on campus; 1 all-male group, 1 all-female group, 2 other co-ed pop groups, a jazz group, a soul group, a Jewish group, and I think there is one more group, which I can’t recall at the moment.</p>
<p>(ladylazarus, this reply was actually written by the son of momof3sons, an actual rising junior.)</p>