Music Department Offers More Opportunities
Issue date: 5/2/06 Section: Editor
<[Editor's Note: The following letter to the editor was sent to the editors on April 14 but, due to a technical oversight in the production office, it was not printed in the April 18 edition. We apologize to Professor Galm for the delay and have published the letter below]
To the Editor:
I appreciate Jackie Sparks's concerns about musical performance
opportunities for students on Trinity's campus (Tripod Opinions 4/11/06). She presented a comprehensive discussion regarding the challenges of organizing and maintaining a student orchestra or concert band. I would like to point out, however, that there are more opportunities for student participation than were presented in this article. In addition to the Chamber Ensembles, Trinity's music department offers the Trinity Samba Ensemble, which is open to student participation across the campus, and
features many students who have never played a musical instrument. These students perform alongside some of Trinity's music majors. The Trinity Jazz Ensemble also offers an opportunity for students to play musical instruments on campus. Both of these ensembles are supported by academic classes that
study the history and socio-cultural contexts in which these musics were created, and have thrived. While I agree that there are limited opportunities for students to perform in small groups, I would suggest that you might be able to arrange your own groups under the structure of the musical instrument lessons program. Beginning this Spring, limited financial aid for music lessons became available for non-music majors who are receiving a Trinity financial aid package. While we do not currently offer a concert band or orchestra, Trinity's music department most certainly does offer a variety of music-making opportunities for both music majors and non-majors that helps to support our mission as a small liberal arts college.
Eric Galm
Assistant Professor of Music and Ethnomusicology
To the Editor:
I appreciate Jackie Sparks's concerns about musical performance
opportunities for students on Trinity's campus (Tripod Opinions 4/11/06). She presented a comprehensive discussion regarding the challenges of organizing and maintaining a student orchestra or concert band. I would like to point out, however, that there are more opportunities for student participation than were presented in this article. In addition to the Chamber Ensembles, Trinity's music department offers the Trinity Samba Ensemble, which is open to student participation across the campus, and
features many students who have never played a musical instrument. These students perform alongside some of Trinity's music majors. The Trinity Jazz Ensemble also offers an opportunity for students to play musical instruments on campus. Both of these ensembles are supported by academic classes that
study the history and socio-cultural contexts in which these musics were created, and have thrived. While I agree that there are limited opportunities for students to perform in small groups, I would suggest that you might be able to arrange your own groups under the structure of the musical instrument lessons program. Beginning this Spring, limited financial aid for music lessons became available for non-music majors who are receiving a Trinity financial aid package. While we do not currently offer a concert band or orchestra, Trinity's music department most certainly does offer a variety of music-making opportunities for both music majors and non-majors that helps to support our mission as a small liberal arts college.
Eric Galm
Assistant Professor of Music and Ethnomusicology
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