Music for the non-major

UChicago
Thu, 14 Mar 2013 09:29:42 +0000

cjforme, I’m sure some of our current students can chime in on this as well, but beyond answering questions officially here I am a graduate of the College and was active in music on campus, so I hope I can be helpful, too!

Music performance and participation opportunities are quite abundant at UChicago. There is no requirement that students who wish to participate in ensembles are music majors (or, even, that they are taking any music courses on campus), and there are many different groups to choose from-- depending on the instrument you play, or if you are a singer, there are options in the wind ensemble, chamber orchestra (orchestra + small wind section), symphony orchestra (full symphonic orchestra including winds, brass, and percussion), jazz groups, and choral groups. Auditions happen at the beginning of the year and are relatively low stress-- you sign up for a time to come in, prepare two contrasting short solo excerpts, and sight read, and your one audition counts for all of the ensembles you are considering. The time commitment is present but not overwhelming-- usually each group rehearses once per week. There are also opportunities to audition for and be placed in to coached small chamber music groups (mostly string groups but pianists and winds are usually also able to find space if interested), and to audition for a stipend to take lessons with a local teacher. Overall the music groups are VERY inclusive, and perform at a good level but with low stress or pressure. For most students participation in music groups is a way to keep up with an instrument that you enjoy and to do so in a group that is focused but not too intense, rather than, say, to prepare for a career in music performance.