My RC music experience has allowed me to participate in the Chamber Music program, something that, as a non-music major, I would not have been able to do in the School of Music. I have taken 4 semesters of the class, and each semester I am in a different group and it is a completely unique experience. Some examples of the groups I have been in are:
~Winter '06 semester: Quintet (2 violins, 1 cello, 1 clarinet, 1 viola), and Septet (2 violins, 2 cellos, 1 trumpet, 2 violas, 2 cellos)
~Fall '06 semester: Trio (Violin, Clarinet, Piano; 3. Moderato, Khachaturian)
~Winter '07 semester: Trio (Violin, Piano, Cello)
~Fall '07 semester: Duet (2 violins)
As you can see, my experiences have been diverse throughout my semesters in the Chamber Music program.
Although I have not taken any of the other music classes offered, I have heard many good things about them. Afro-Cuban drumming in particular is unlike anything else offered at the university, and Creative Musicianship allows students to write their own music. The RC choir is also very popular, among both experienced and inexperienced singers.
The RC/East Quad auditorium, although not particularly large, provides a venue for concerts for all of these programs, and it truly defines the RC standard of the "living-learning community."
Elizabeth Parker
(website creator)
Current RC student, graduating in 2009