<p>Music: There’re LACs with better facilities for this. The people I knew who studied music chose HC because other factors made the difference. I know 2 music majors from my class. One went to Julliard for piano after HC and he chose HC because of the friendly/ modest campus culture and strong philosophy department. He’s now a professional pianist and also a professor in music. My other friend chose HC because of the honor code and synergy with BMC. Among other things, she was an accomplished accordion player, head of Honor Council and BGALA. She finished med school and I hear she just started her residency in ophtho.</p>
<p>After strengthening its endowment, improving diversity, building a new science center and fitness facility and developing programs and resources to globalize student experiences, the focus is now on the performing and visual arts. In the prospectus for the presidential search, it explicitly states that HC is targeting its arts programs for improvements and a committee on the arts has been developing an implementation plan for the last few years. Some of it is already tangible, other ideas to be rolled out in the next year or so but the actual construction of the new arts space probably will not occur until, my guess, 2-3 years from now.</p>
<p>What they’re doing currently, and wisely, is building a campus culture to enhance the arts 1st… more visiting artists in residence, more gallery openings, more musical performances and workshops, better equipment, a sculpture garden, added selection of courses and stipends for students to pursue summer work or research in the arts. Here are some links to a few recent music performances at HC and a link to performances available at BMC and Philly. I’m sorry that you weren’t able to connect with contacts in the music department… has your son tried e-mailing the department chair or other professors with his questions?</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.haverford.edu/musc/CurrentSeason.html[/url]”>http://www.haverford.edu/musc/CurrentSeason.html</a>
<a href=“http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/oct05/mahwash.htm[/url]”>http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/oct05/mahwash.htm</a>
<a href=“http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/jan06/music.htm[/url]”>http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/jan06/music.htm</a>
<a href=“http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/feb06/music.htm[/url]”>http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/feb06/music.htm</a>
<a href=“http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/oct05/rangeela.htm[/url]”>http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/oct05/rangeela.htm</a>
<a href=“http://www.haverford.edu/deans/SAO/arts.html[/url]”>http://www.haverford.edu/deans/SAO/arts.html</a></p>
<p>BMC
<a href=“http://www.brynmawr.edu/calendar/performing_arts.shtml[/url]”>http://www.brynmawr.edu/calendar/performing_arts.shtml</a></p>
<p>Philly music resources
<a href=“http://www.phillyfunguide.com/category.php?id=7[/url]”>http://www.phillyfunguide.com/category.php?id=7</a></p>
<p>Preppy: All top LACs (except for perhaps Reed) recruit athletes and HC is about average with its efforts when compared. My friends and I followed these articles with some humor cause, out of any topic worthy to be discussed in the NYT regarding HC, a series on athletics would be last. It should be emphasized that top LACs accept students who are usually multi-talented and have a diversity of interests… in the articles, several kids with high scores and who seemed only interested in sports were rejected. For that reason, your son will fit in at most top LACs. It’s not my intent to apologize for having athletic talent, but I can seriously fill up pages with personal anecdotes of kids at HC who you can’t judge by such social constructs although superficially, they may appear to fit such groupings. HC students are diverse in talent, interest and experiences… and, because of its size and Quaker traditions, students are really stimulated to get to know and appreciate people with different backgrounds… I think I wrote an essay about that in the last month or 2. Like I said before, these discussions are best held face to face, but if your son can’t make an overnight before he applies, he should check out some of the links that I’ve posted in the past so he can get an idea of what students are like… here are a few more.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/march05/watson.htm[/url]”>http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/march05/watson.htm</a>
<a href=“http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/feb05/grabman.htm[/url]”>http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/feb05/grabman.htm</a>
<a href=“http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/feb05/chu.htm[/url]”>http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/feb05/chu.htm</a>
<a href=“http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/nov05/fossi.htm[/url]”>http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/nov05/fossi.htm</a>
<a href=“http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/april06/turkus.htm[/url]”>http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/april06/turkus.htm</a>
<a href=“http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/may06/harris.htm[/url]”>http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/may06/harris.htm</a>
<a href=“http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/may06/suri.htm[/url]”>http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/may06/suri.htm</a>
<a href=“http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/july06/coleman.htm[/url]”>http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/july06/coleman.htm</a>
<a href=“http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/sept06/christmas.htm[/url]”>http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/sept06/christmas.htm</a>
<a href=“http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/oct06/barbershop.htm[/url]”>http://www.haverford.edu/newsletter/oct06/barbershop.htm</a></p>