<p>rigaudon, I DO live in Rochester, and am connected in the music scene here, so can speak with some knowledge. Like any school, Eastman has some majors which are better than others, so of course, it’s the teacher who is all important. The weather here is a given- if one has never experienced " Lake Effect", it’s a phenomenon unlike any other!
As for the neighborhood around the school, simply put, it’s not safe.Rochester has a very high crime rate and for many years, the murder rate per capita, was the highest in the state, which for a small city, had a major impact upon the city’s ability to attract tourists, business,etc. A change of police chief and mayor has led to an improvement in the murder stats, but an important point has been the fact that years of work to design and build a Performing Arts Center in the city collapsed due to the studies which showed that the very people who would make use such a facility would not attend due to their “fear of going downtown”! So now, the search is on for a suburban location.
My D has had many occasions to perform at the Eastman Theatre-even here HS graduation was held there- but none of the kids will walk anywhere other than to ESM’s dorm or down East Avenue, which are orders even given by those running All-County or All-State festivals in the theatre.
I’ve always found it odd that while most conservatories are proud of the number of local orchestra/symphony members who teach at their schools, that hasn’t been the case at Eastman. That may not be important to some, but connections are important in the music world and playing in an active ensemble certainly can’t hurt.
It’s all a matter of personal taste and finding the right spot for each student, which includes the teacher, performance opportunities and the proper mix of courses. A school attracts top faculty by consistently striving to improve in all ways and Eastman has just taken a major role in the latest renovations to the Eastman Theatre. Their dorm/dining facility is great too. This setting may well be fine for some students while others would feel stifled and still others are happiest in a more remote location such as Oberlin.My D’s best friend attends the U of R River Campus and I taught there for some years, so I know that end of it also. I was merely stating what I have personal knowledge of, and having lived here for almost 36 years I think I’m qualified to do that much!
I know that Marjecat is familiar with the city and that her D will make the choice that’s right for her.</p>