One of the highest level conservatories
Written: Mar 06 '07 (Updated Apr 07 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Faculty, Student Body, Large dorms, Important performance venue in New York
Cons: Highly Selective, Overlooked by The Juilliard School
The Bottom Line: I am extremely fortunate and honored to study at Manhattan School of Music; Great faculty and supportive atmosphere.
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| pianoman1189's Full Review: Manhattan School of Music |
I feel that the previous reviewer unfairly jumped to conclusions about a school that he did not even attend.
I attend MSM pre-college, which is a full Saturday program at the school complete with a full curriculum: Private lesson, ear training, music theory, piano literature, conducting, and ensemble. It is a top notch music conservatory with faculty at the very top of their field (Pinchas Zukerman, Patinka Kopec, David Dubal, Arkady Aronov, Linda Chesis, Midori) among many many others. Many of the faculty are members of the New York Philharmonic, and all of them are accomplished performs. MSM offers a lot for dedicated and very hard-working students. Having visited both Mannes and Juilliard, I can honestly say that the environment at MSM is much more friendly. All three conservatories exude intensity, but MSM is very supportive of young aspiring musicians.
I found the security guards and the "lunch ladies" to be quite friendly. It is always a comfortable temperature in the building (except on extremely cold winter days, when they decide to overcompensate by blasting too much heat). Greenfield Hall, where most solo and chamber concerts reside, is an acoustically superb hall. The practice rooms are in need of renovation, but house primarily Steinway Grands. Borden Auditorium, where the orchestras perform, needs a bit of renovation. The cafeteria food is... cafeteria food and nothing more. The newly constructed dorm building is beautiful and very spacious. It houses lots of practice rooms, and is right around the corner from MSM.
MSM is located in Morningside Heights in uptown NY. It is a cozy location, with low crime rates and lots of cheap, high quality restaurants (very important for young musicians). Being able to live in NY as a student means having lots of opportunites to freelance. MSM students are frequently called for professional gigs, provided and nicer alternative to "work studies" at other schools.
MSM is also very important in the history of American classical music, as it housed the early Juilliard School before its move to Lincoln Center. MSM is a leader in contemporary music and jazz, much beyond that of Juilliard. The school recently received a large grant, allowing it to build two new performance spaces, attract more top-notch faculty (such as Andre-Michel Schub), build a 1.5 million dollar penthouse for the president (which DOES have practical value) and renovate the practice rooms. Selectivity is not always directly correlated to the quality of the program: Juilliard is still more difficult to get into, but the overall atmosphere is not supportive. Students who thrive in cut-throat, competitive environments should apply to Juilliard. Students who would like to create a friendly network of professionals and work together to progress musically, academically, and as a person should apply to MSM. MSM is still very intense (as it is in NYC), but overall more sympathetic and helpful as far as career development.
If you have been playing your instrument passionately for an extended period of time, and are dedicated to all aspects of music, then Manhattan School of Music will welcome you with open arms. The only difficult part is getting in :-) As a student there, my views are biased in favor of MSM, but I highly encourage everyone to visit the school and hear some performances by its world-class faculty and highly gifted students.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
pianoman1189
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Reviews written: 1
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