One of the classes I’m taking this semester is CL-130, a secondary clarinet lesson at Eastman. I’ve been playing the clarinet for many years now, and it’s really nice to be able to work on something outside my majors and to continue to learn more about classical music and clarinet. Practicing/performing on the clarinet is also one of the few things that helps me relax and keeps me sane when I’m stressed out about schoolwork. From time to time I get questions about secondary instrumental classes at Eastman, so I decided to write a post on it to ease any concerns about taking these classes!
Secondary instrument lessons at Eastman are two-credit classes (and you’d receive a grade for it on your transcript). To enroll in instrument classes at Eastman, you have to first sign up for an audition, in which you play a piece of your choice. After you pass the audition, you would be assigned an instructor (usually graduate students at the Eastman School of Music), and you then could schedule your classes with him/her. You can talk to your instructor to schedule the lessons at times that work best for (both of) you, so no worries about class conflicts! One thing to note about scheduling your classes would be to take into consideration the Eastman bus schedule.
Each student gets around seven to eight hours of lesson time over the semester. Last semester, I had 30-minute lessons every week, and for this semester I’m having one-hour lessons every two weeks. The grading criteria for different instruments may not be exactly the same, but they are quite similar. For me, my final grade is based mostly on my participation in the lessons (e.g., punctuality, preparation and effort, etc.), and I am also required to attend two concerts (any concerts in the classical idiom) and turn in the program. In the spring semester, part of my grade will be based on my performance at the jury. At the jury, you perform whatever pieces you have prepared in front of several faculty members of the Eastman School (I played a concerto by Carl Stamitz in my last jury). From what I know, you’ll get a good grade as long as you put in effort, so please do not hesitate to take classes at Eastman just because you think you are not good enough!
I’m really glad that I got to take clarinet lessons at Eastman and continue to develop higher proficiency as a clarinet performer. The lessons are all relaxed and enjoyable, and the instructors are very nice as well, so I definitely recommend anyone who’s interested to give it a try 😀
-Florence