With interests ranging from avant-garde to Christian rock, high school seniors seeking a spot in the class of 2010 sent more than 900 music portfolios with their applications. The number of music portfolios increased by 10 percent over the previous year, according to Dean of Admission Jim Miller '73.
Several music department faculty members, who review the portfolios, said the number and quality of applicants has been slowly increasing over the past couple of years. The rising applicant pool has brought more musically talented first-years to Brown.
"There is more excitement around the department, students are taking a more active role than they have been," said Matthew McGarrell, senior lecturer in music and the department's director of bands.
Music performance has improved remarkably over the past two or three years, as more talented first years enter the school, according to several students in the department.
"The overall level of playing, at least in the classical music, has increased dramatically," said Nora Krohn'06, a violist in the Brown Orchestra.
The Brown Chorus has also gotten better, said Clara Schumacher '06, a soprano in the Chorus. "The level of difficulty of the pieces has increased," she added.
The department's reputation has benefited from expansion in size and programs, according to some faculty. "The stature of the music program has grown, it has become a more distinguished place," said Gerald Shapiro, a professor of music.
Brown attracts some serious music students who have conservatory-level skills but want the liberal arts education Brown provides. Pianist Andrew Aziz '07 transferred to Brown this year from the Boston University School of Music so he could pursue his interest in math.
"It is difficult to do music and a second concentration (at conservatory) just because of the time that the music takes up," Aziz said. He added that students who perform music at Brown are "very talented" but are "not defined by music."
Aziz said the enhanced reputation of the department might attract more talented performers. "People talk, maybe the past couple of concerts has increased its reputation," he said.
Professors also make themselves available to prospective students interested in music. Shapiro said he met with 10 or 15 high school students over the past year, adding that it is typical for a music professor to meet with a dozen prospective students over the course of the year. Music professors also review the portfolios students send in with their applications.
While Brown does not accept applicants based on music portfolios alone, having a strong portfolio does increase an applicant's chance of admission. In an e-mail to The Herald, Miller wrote, "We are very conscious of students with top music ratings as we make our decisions, and a strong evaluation certainly can help to boost a candidacy." Miller said his office also takes into account needs within the vocal and instrumental programs.
An evolving department
Students have also been expanding their musical horizons by exploring more unconventional forms of music. One recent addition is Brown New Music, a group that performs "contemporary classical music." The group's most recent concert, which students say packed Grant Recital Hall, featured a John Cage work called "Telephones and Birds" featuring telephone recordings of bird calls.
In addition to growth in student interest and ability, the music department has also hired three new professors in the past two years. Katherine Bergeron and Joseph Rovan were hired for Fall 2004 as professor and associate professor of music, respectively. Professor of History and Music Michael Steinberg, who is also director of the Cogut Humanities Center, was hired for Fall 2005. The department is currently looking for an assistant professor in historical and cultural studies of music.
Some students attribute much of the excitement surrounding the department to the husband and wife duo of Bergeron and Rovan. Bergeron serves as the department's chair, and Rovan co-directs the Multimedia and Electronic Music Experiments program.
"They've shaken up the music department, which had been in somewhat of a static period," Schumacher said.
Bergeron said the Plan for Academic Enrichment was a main feature that drew her to Brown, citing in particular the department's ability to hire new faculty, which she said results from the Plan's initiatives.
"There was a movement of change at Brown," Bergeron said, "I felt that it was a place where you can play a role, make a difference."
Rovan's courses, which focus on music and technology, are reportedly popular among undergraduate students. Jonathan Russ '07, who took Rovan's MU 11: "Computers and Music" last semester, said the class was one of the biggest classes in the department, filling all 130 seats in Grant Hall. "It's (a) really big thing for a lot of people," he said.
Space constraints
But some faculty said some talented students do not come to Brown due to its lack of a large performance space.
"We lose good musicians because there is no large performing space," said McGarrell, the bands director. McGarrell said the large performance groups often are forced to go to other schools to find adequate performance facilities. The wind symphony, for example, had to hold its most recent concert at Rhode Island College.
Students in the Brown University Orchestra agree the lack of performing space is a problem. The Orchestra usually performs in Sayles Hall, which students say does not have great acoustics. Also, the orchestra is placed on the floor, leaving only half the room open for audience seating. Many audience members have difficulty finding seats at concerts.
"For the audience and performers it is not enjoyable in a room where you can't hear everything as well," said Nathaniel Seelen '08, who plays in the orchestra.
But others, like Shapiro, see the lack of performing space as less of an issue.
"I doubt that it has a big impact on admissions," Shapiro said. "If students were basing their decision on facilities, there are a million reasons why they wouldn't want to go to Brown."
