Hometown: born and raised in San Francisco, CA; currently based in Sag Harbor, NY
Major: Composition
Degree: B.M.
Class of 2012
Current Teacher: Michael Gandolfi
Why did you choose to study at NEC?
“After being on the NEC campus, seeing concerts and classes, and talking with students and faculty, it was quickly clear to me that NEC was an exceptionally vibrant environment with a lot of musical diversity and energy. Naturally, the school is also influenced and enhanced by being in Boston. This is not an all-encompassing college campus experience, which was preferable for me. The city is all around you, and an escape from school – which is inevitably necessary now and then – is just around the corner. At the same time, NEC is very accessible and intimate, and the classes have a comfortable, friendly atmosphere. Last but not least, as a composer it makes a huge difference to hear my music performed by really skilled players – and NEC has many of the best!”
What do you like about studying at NEC?
“The composition department is very open-minded. I'm glad to be here because I'm passionate about pursuing my unique compositional goals, not fulfilling a cookie-cutter curriculum or trying to fit into a stylistic dogma. At NEC, I'm surrounded and welcomed by composers who make music differently from me, and from each other. There are also plenty of composition recitals and concerts, such as Tuesday Night New Music, and orchestral readings open to composers, all of which are recorded for the students' use. These are truly invaluable resources if you put in the effort to make them happen. Composers find and organize their own performers and rehearsals – which is generally a good thing, in my view, as it helps us to build networking and production/communication skills in the real world. Composers also prepare their own parts for the orchestral readings, which also develops essential skills for concert preparation.”
What are your plans/goals after NEC?
“I hope to do a MM in Composition and a fellowship in Europe (a Fulbright or other program) in the years immediately after graduating. In the long run, I want to continue composing concert music, to score film/TV/games, and possibly to teach. An ongoing goal of mine is to create interdisciplinary works. For example, I plan to someday compose and produce a film opera. I'm strongly interested in visual art and the other performing arts, and hope to combine these with music as much as possible.”
Are there any other things about NEC or your experiences here that you would like to mention?
“NEC is a small, accessible community, and you can become involved with this school in many ways above and beyond course/ensemble/studio requirements. This year I'll be taking graduate-level courses, along with Independent Study. There are also a variety of work-study opportunities available – this year I'm working as the Assistant for the Department of Liberal Arts, and last year I worked in Audio/Visual Services. I'm currently serving on the Student Senate Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, and – most excitingly – co-founding a student group devoted to organizing and promoting interdepartmental collaborations between Classical, Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation majors. Other students I know are pursuing a unique path through NEC and forging their own connections and experiences. With some time and effort, students can – and should! – take advantage of NEC's resources.”
Nell Shaw Cohen is the recipient of the Francis Judd Cooke Scholarship for Students of Composition.
2010-07-01
DIZZY GILLESPIE