Klarinet Archive - Posting 000600.txt from 1996/10

From: Steven Belanger <3sdb4@-----.CA>
Subj: Re: Decisions, decisions...
Date: Thu, 24 Oct 1996 20:57:55 -0400

>
> A friend of mine is faced with a similar dilemma this year, and something
> she's looking at are places where she can minor in music. We had a guy
> from Queens (This is Canada...) come and talk to us in choir, and he
> bragged about their program... Our music teacher commented later that
> their problem is that their music department is small... but Rebecca (My
> friend) has met some of the clarinet people there and likes them. I don't
> know what you've got in your area, though!
>
> -> Terri <-
>
Speaking as one of those clarinet players from Queen's, what's there not
to like about us?

Seriously, though, your music teacher was partly right. We ARE a small
department within a moderately large institution (again, this is CANADA),
but I think this is our greatest asset. In my four years here, I have come
to know everyone fairly intimately. The student-faculty ratio is great, so
it alleviates the problem of intimidation and unapproachedness that
plagues many larger schools. I do not, nor have I ever, hesitated to
approach a professor with academic questions, personal questions, advice,
or otherwise (like my current problem: where am I going to go for graduate
school???? AAAAAAARGGHHHHH!)
The other bonus of such a smaller program is the breadth of education.
Queen's University School of Music does not require its students to
declare an area of specialization, EVER. Thus there is no segregation
between the performers and the historians, theorists and composers, etc. I
myself am a (self-declared) performance major, yet have taken almost every
single upper-year theory and history course available. In some ways this
makes life harder, because I am interested in so many things now, I have
to start making decisions. But at least I can find comfort in the fact
that I am much more wise and mature NOW, than I ever dreamed of being,
coming out of high school.

Does anyone on the list agree or disagree?

If you or your friend have any more questions about Queen's, send me a
private message and I would be happy to answer them.

Steven Belanger
Queen's University
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
3sdb4@-----.ca