NEC remains an active and vibrant community. While the COVID-19 pandemic has brought changes to the way we teach, learn, and collaborate, we are a community that is committed to supporting each other, to celebrating great artistry, and to sharing in the power of music.
If you have questions or concerns not addressed here, please reach out to our Student Services team at student.services@necmusic.edu.
Today's briefing: Greetings - we've posted our latest testing metrics on the COVID-19 Testing Program page.
Vaccination Requirements & FAQs: We've recently posted frequently asked questions regarding vaccinations - view FAQs here.
Massachusetts COVID-19 Vaccination Distribution Update: All people who live, work, or study in Massachusetts are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine regardless of residency status. We strongly encourage all members of the NEC Community to pursue COVID-19 vaccination.
Please follow these simple steps to:
Step 1: Check your eligibility
Step 2: Pre-register to schedule an appointment at one of seven mass vaccination locations or Search for appointments at pharmacies, health care providers, and other community locations
Step 3: Prepare for your appointment
Please visit the Mass.gov website to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine or contact the Health & Counseling Center at 617-585-1284.
CDC mask guidance: A reminder that the CDC issued new guidance related to face mask effectiveness for both preventing the transmission of COVID by the mask wearer, and the protection offered to the wearer by various mask types. Such recommendations include the use of double-masking when using specific mask types, and highlight the importance of achieving a proper fit. Learn more on the CDC website.
Looking for a live stream? Live video feeds from NEC's concert halls can always be found at necmusic.edu/live. We also premiere concerts, including live broadcasts, on YouTube. Details for each event can be found on our concert calendar.
For reference, we have made available our completed Massachusetts Higher Education COVID-19 Control Plan, as required by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Plan template is available in two parts; included below.
Have music to share? Send it to us via #NECMusicHub.
In the coming academic year, NEC will continue to offer an experience firmly centered in profound teaching, learning, and artistry. This Fall, our work will return to a primarily in-person format, enabled by the broad availability of vaccination, expected decreases in COVID transmission globally, and our success in maintaining the wellness of our community though measures to assure health and safety. The in-person experience will enhance the face-to-face experiences we treasure with the best of what we have learned over the last year—dynamic and relevant approaches and tools that advance our work.
As you prepare to make your way to us, we want to share some recent decisions regarding vaccination and NEC’s current safety measures to support our return to a full and safe in-person experience.
Whilst we know the impact of COVID remains very real for us all, individually and collectively, we are grateful for the resilience, creativity, and optimism so evident in our NEC community. Even with extensive health and safety protocols, we were able to keep in-person music-making happening at NEC this past year only because of the consistent commitment each member of NEC community demonstrated to keeping safe our community—and, indeed, the broader communities in which we live.
As we look forward to a full return to campus in the fall, we know that ensuring public health will require ongoing vigilance, as certainly we will be living with COVID-19 and its variants for the foreseeable future. To that end, NEC will require all students (16 years of age or older) to be vaccinated against COVID-19. As with every vaccination requirement, exemptions will be approved for medical or religious reasons. Students will be required to submit documentation verifying vaccination to the confidential student health portal, and specific instructions and deadlines will be forthcoming next week from the Director of Health Services.
We recognize that International students may receive COVID-19 vaccines that have not been approved for use in the United States. We expect that vaccines with efficacy similar to US-based vaccines will be accepted by NEC, unless federal or state guidelines mandate otherwise. International students with questions should please contact the Health Center or Office of Student Services.
A list of FAQs and updated safety protocols will be maintained on the NEC Resource Center, and as always, staff in the Health Center and Office of Student Services, are available to assist with any questions or concerns, and you can find our staff directory here.
The ensembles and performances so integral to our work will center around in-person experiences, while integrating preparation for the online stages that are now part of every professional musician’s life. We expect that audiences will return to our concert halls, and we will continue to broadcast all of our concerts through live and premiered streaming and video that has brought new, larger, and more diverse audiences to NEC than ever before.
Large ensembles will increase in size this fall, as permitted by the most up-to-date health and safety protocols developed in collaboration with public health agencies and officials. We expect that distancing requirements and air exchange time will be more modest than were necessary this spring:
Small Jazz and CI ensembles, as well as chamber music groups, will also be focused on in-person experiences.
We expect that studio lessons will be held primarily in-person. Determined in collaboration with faculty, as well as enabled by technology and evolving pedagogical practices, classes will be held either in-person, hybrid (a combination of in-person and remote work) or fully online.
The vibrancy and vitality of NEC's campus life will be renewed this fall as we reconnect in our physical spaces. As a part of this plan, Rebecca's Cafe and the Speed Dining Commons will reopen with new order-ahead options offered to students for greater flexibility. Student organizations and events will resume a full complement of in-person activity.
As previously announced, we will reopen fully our residence hall for the coming academic year. The housing application and selection process for returning students is well underway, and we will soon be in touch with admitted students regarding their next steps. Students with questions may contact the Office of Student Services at student.services@necmusic.edu.
We will also continue to offer a full complement of health and counseling services, and—as COVID will not be completely eliminated—we will continue a testing/screening program at a level that is most appropriate at the time.
We fully recognize the significant investment that our students and families make in their education, and accordingly, we thoughtfully consider any adjustments to tuition and fees whilst ensuring the quality of an NEC education.
As we continue to work to contain costs, we are able to limit our annual tuition increase this year to 2.5%, lower than the past several years. COVID-related health and safety measures associated with the operation of our dining service have necessitated an increase to the cost of our meal plans, and we have nominally increased the Health Center fee. There will be no increase to residence hall room fees and no increase to the comprehensive fee.
In recognition of impact of these changes, we have made significant, concurrent increases in financial aid available to returning students who have financial need. We encourage all students in need of financial assistance to contact the Financial Aid office at finaid@necmusic.edu. Our Financial Aid staff are here to support you, and they stand ready to assist you.
More detail about tuition and fees can be found on the tuition and fees page.
After an extended period of challenges for our international students, we very much look forward to welcoming them back to campus in the Fall, as COVID transmission is expected to decline globally, and embassies and consulates reopen. We are also monitoring relevant travel parameters, and our Student Services team will be in touch over the course of the coming months to provide support and updates.
As always, the health, wellness, and safety of our NEC community remains our foremost priority. There are many questions yet to answer, and with the start of the Fall semester several months away, we encourage you to check this page regularly for update. We will be in touch with updated information in the days and weeks ahead.
The NEC Student Health Commitment is a pledge that all NEC students are encouraged to sign. It offers guidelines compiled by students, for students to help the community reduce the spread of COVID-19 and continue making music together on campus. Watch this video to hear NEC students explain what the NEC Student Health Commitment is all about!
In this series of videos, Leah McKinnon-Howe, Nurse Practitioner and Director of Health Services at NEC, provides helpful information about COVID-19, what NEC is doing to prepare and maintain a safe and healthy campus, and how you can help to keep yourself and others safe.
Ensuring the health, wellness, and safety of our community is our first priority. In preparation for this academic year, NEC has engaged in a deliberative process of crafting a plan that matches our unwavering commitment to health and safety with a student experience of uncompromising quality, depth, and impact. We have developed this plan in consultation with numerous public health officials, agencies, and experts, and in collaboration with partner organizations and other institutions spanning the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and beyond.
The Conservatory has implemented a wide range of initiatives to provide a healthy living and learning environment for the year, and we will all need to do our part to care for each other, to support those who need help, and to ensure we comply with safe distancing, face covering, daily screening, and other health-related policies.
Requirements for travelers to Massachusetts, including Massachusetts residents returning home from travel, became effective and institute a period of self-quarantine upon arrival. Some states may be designated by the Commonwealth as "lower risk" are exempt from these requirements. Travelers arriving from outside of these states will also be required to complete a state travel registry form. NEC students traveling to Massachusetts from outside the excepted states will be required to observe these state self-quarantine measures. Anyone experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19 should self-isolate, not travel, and contact their health care provider for guidance on testing and symptom management.
Self-quarantine can be observed in an individual's place of residence.
There are currently three COVID-19 vaccines available in the U.S to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 18 years of age and older. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are currently in use, were granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) in December of 2020. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine (Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine) joined their ranks on February 27, 2021 becoming the third vaccine approved for the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
Click on the links below to learn more about each vaccine:
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine
Massachusetts is currently in Phase 2 of its vaccination plan. At this time, vaccines will not likely be available until later in the Spring.
In the interim, the NEC HCC has taken steps to become an eligible vaccination site for students when vaccine become available. The Emergency Response Team is considering the best options for making vaccines available to faculty and staff. We will send out future updates as the information becomes available.
We encourage anyone who is currently eligible to receive the vaccine to pursue vaccines that are available to them. Learn more about Massachusetts COVID-19 vaccination phases and how to secure your vaccine.
We strongly encourage all students, faculty and staff who are eligible to receive the vaccine to be vaccinated.
Yes. The effectiveness of vaccines at reducing an individual's likelihood of transmitting infection continues to be studied in the healthcare and scientific communities. As a result, NEC's COVID-19 testing requirements for students, faculty and staff who are coming to campus regularly to study, teach, or work remain the same.
Documentation of COVID-19 vaccination (or any required vaccinations listed in the Student Health Report) should be uploaded to NEC’s Student Health Portal. Learn more about how to register for the portal.
At this time, vaccinated individuals must continue to comply with the Massachusetts travel order and related testing and quarantine requirements. Due to the rapidly evolving changes in guidance, please refer to https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-travel-advisory.
Individuals who are fully vaccinated with an FDA EUA (Pfizer, Moderna, Janssen) approved vaccine or a WHO EUL (Astra-Zeneca, SinoPharm) approved vaccine do not need to quarantine when entering Massachusetts or the US. International travelers are still required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test 72 hours before traveling and 3-5 days after arrival in Boston or the US https://www.mass.gov/guidance/guidance-for-people-who-are-fully-vaccinated-against-covid-19#isolation-quarantine-and-testing.
While experts learn more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide for real-life conditions, it will be important for everyone to continue using all the tools available to us to help stop this pandemic, including quarantining after a possible exposure, covering your mouth and nose with a mask, washing hands often, and staying at least six feet away from others.
By requiring COVID-19 vaccination, NEC has the opportunity for the community to approach herd immunity thresholds (HIT), and decrease infection rates and serious complications associated with COVID-19. Furthermore, this requirement reduces the risk of onsite cases, which could significantly impact the daily operations of the Conservatory.
There are many benefits to requiring COVID-19 vaccination at NEC, especially in a community focused on musical education and due to public health guidance indicating the role of aerosols in viral transmission.
A COVID-19 vaccination requirement is expected to allow NEC to return to an environment that includes more in-person collaboration.
Students may request an exemption from the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for medical or religious reasons. A health care provider must verify medical exemptions.
Students requesting a medical or religious exemption from the COVID-19 vaccination must complete a vaccination declination form and submit it electronically through the NEC Student Health Portal. NEC will notify you whether your request has been approved. NEC expects any such requests to be submitted on or before June 30, 2021.
The deadline for submitting documentation confirming you have received the COVID-19 vaccine is June 30, 2021.
Satisfactory proof of COVID-19 vaccination, including the date(s) of vaccination, and the name of the vaccine administered (ex. Pfizer, Moderna, Janssen) must be uploaded to the NEC Student Health Portal by June 30, 2021. Students may satisfy the requirement to upload documentation of the COVID-19 vaccine in two ways:
There are currently three COVID-19 vaccines available in the U.S to prevent COVID-19:
The Pfizer BioN Tech (age 16 and over)
Moderna vaccines (age 18 and over)
Johnson & Johnson vaccine (Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine) (age 18 and over)
The Pfizer BioN Tech and Moderna vaccines require two immunizations to complete the series. Students who receive these vaccines will not be considered fully vaccinated until 2 weeks following their second vaccine. Documentation must show that both vaccines have been administered.
NEC is closely monitoring state and federal directives and guidance from public health experts concerning vaccines that have not been approved for use in the United States. NEC will share updates with the community in accordance with any such mandates and guidance.
At this time, international students who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 outside of the United States (U.S) must upload proof of COVID-19 vaccination through the student health portal (See Q. 5 for documentation requirements) for review by the Director of Health Services. NEC will contact such students directly if additional information is required and/or if additional measures must be taken upon the student’s arrival in the United States.
NEC expects all students to submit documentation confirming they have received the COVID-19 vaccine prior to the Fall 2021 semester. Students who fail to submit this documentation absent an approved exemption or proof of good cause why they could not receive the vaccine (e.g. a student living in a country where there is not access to a vaccine prior to the Fall 2021 semester) may be prohibited from enrolling in in-person courses and prohibited from access to the Residence Hall and other NEC facilities, including classrooms and performance spaces. NEC cannot guarantee any courses will be offered virtually during the Fall 2021 semester or that remote learning will be offered after the Fall 2021 semester.
The Spring semester will be comprised of a full 14 weeks, and will begin on January 25, one week later than previously planned. To ensure the health and safety of our community and reduce the need for travel mid-semester, Spring Break will be reduced in length, and practice facilities will remain open during these times. More information about the academic calendar can be found here.
View the full Academic Calendar
Similarly to the Fall semester, we will continue to offer a hybrid experience for Boston-based students, with a focus on music-making on campus combined with online classes; and a fully-online experience for remote students.
Boston-based hybrid option:
Fully-remote option:
The health, wellness, and safety of our students and faculty is our first priority. We have conducted a thorough assessment of all practice rooms, studios, classrooms, and rehearsal spaces to assess issues such as safe distancing, air-flow, traffic-flow, etc. Room assignments for classes, lessons, and rehearsals are being made accordingly. For more information on health and safety procedures, see the Health and Wellness section.
Studio lessons will continue to be offered both in-person and online, through the full 14-week semester.
Ensembles and performances are an integral part of the Spring semester. All live performances will be streamed, and held in all of our concert halls, including the Eben Jordan Ensemble Room, Brown Hall, Burnes Hall, Jordan Hall, the Keller Room, Pierce Hall, the Plimpton-Shattuck Black Box Theatre, and Williams Hall. When appropriate, some ensembles will make live recordings for broadcast, similar to the Fall semester.
The Blumenthal Family Library will be open, though some services may be modified to accommodate safe distancing. The library will offer expanded digital resources for the 2020-2021 academic year.
New England Conservatory
Blumenthal Family Library, Circulation
290 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115-5018
Common areas across the campus have been reconfigured to ensure they support safe distancing, while also offering students an opportunity to study, relax, or work between classes, lessons, or other activities. Students needing a space to study may consider the following locations which have particularly suitable capacity and layout:
Student Services will be working closely with student leaders to develop programming and outlets through which students—whether first-year, transfer, or returning students—can meet and build a community. Programs and activities will include opportunities to connect virtually and in-person. In-person programs and activities will be limited in size and participants will be expected to follow social distancing guidelines and wear masks.
Student services will continue to support student clubs and organizations and resources will be made to help support student events. Student leaders are encouraged to hold meetings and events virtually. In-person programs and activities will be limited in size and participants will be expected to follow social distancing guidelines and wear masks.
The Office of Student Services will be open during normal business hours and offer both in-person and virtual meetings with students. Through campus-wide cooperation and collaboration, our staff is dedicated to academic support, health and wellness, accessibility, international services, residence life, and student activities.
SEVP rule changes that were recently proposed by the U.S. federal government - and that would have introduced restrictions on studying online while within the United States - have been rescinded. Students with questions are encouraged to reach out to their international student advisor in Student Services.
Students are strongly encouraged to maintain regular communication with their international student advisor in Student Services to know about current guidelines, restrictions, and other information from the US government.
If students have specific questions about travel, they should contact their international student advisor for assistance navigating travel guidelines and requirements.
From platforms for classes to low-latency audio-visual for simultaneous ensemble playing, NEC is adopting new technology solutions to support a robust learning experience for online learning.
To ensure you have a smooth start, we are asking that you confirm you are able to access key technology resources as soon as possible to ensure that there is time to troubleshoot any issues.
If you are studying via the hybrid model and plan to use the computer lab, know that the lab will be operating on a reservation system due to COVID-19 protocols. Appointments will range from 15 minutes to a maximum of an hour.
We have heard from students whom, when purchasing personal technology, expressed an interest in more guidance on tools - hardware and software - that would reinforce their digital learning, recording, and music making experience. Below is a list of recommendations provided by our staff. If you do not have these items already, then consider purchasing them as soon as possible. We recognize that some of these items represent a financial investment. If you have experienced a hardship and currently have financial difficulty, then reach out to Financial Aid for potential assistance.
Recommended tech for students in order to benefit from low-latency remote connectivity:
Minimum computing recommendation: Quad core processor > 1.6ghz (ideally 2ghz or greater) with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage. If your computer does not meet these specs, FastMusic is an alternative option. FastMusic is essentially a Soundjack audio transmission computer, and can be controlled with an older computer or even a smartphone.
Headphones: Open-ear designs are best for remote collaboration as you get a sense of your space. Closed-ear designs are best for recording, as the sound is isolated from the mic. Please consider your use case before purchasing. The AKG K240 is a semi-open headphone that may be considered for either use. Bluetooth will add significant latency so staying with wired headphones is recommended, and you may want to consider purchasing a headphone extension cable for more flexibility of movement.
Microphone: While no mic is ideal for every situation, we recommend a condenser mic (cardioid for front pickup or omni for 360-degree capture) and a low-latency interface. We have tested and can recommend the following, although please be aware of limitations of certain devices, as noted:
|
Device |
Notes |
|
Focusrite Scarlet 2i2 |
Currently does not work with Windows. |
|
Presonus Studio 24c |
|
|
MOTU2 |
Currently does not work with the Symphonics FastMusic Box. |
|
Audient Evo4 |
Requires a powered USB hub. |
|
Presonus Audiobox USB 96 |
|
|
Audient iD44 |
Requires wall power |
|
Audient id14 |
Requires wall power |
Don’t forget to get a mic cable and stand.
Other recommended gear and software:
Notation software (required for first-year undergraduates): NEC recommends using Sibelius
Recording software: NEC recommends that students use Reaper for recording as it works on both platforms, is very flexible, and has a lower price point than other options. ($60).
Required MIDI Keyboard for Theory Classes: M-Audio Keystation 49 MK3 49-key Keyboard Controller.
Purchasing gear:
While you may purchase from any dealer, the B&H EDU Advantage Program is free and available to faculty, staff, and students who are enrolled in accredited and approved programs. Signing up for the EDU Advantage Program entitles you to discounts with quick turn around when you order through EDU. Visit www.BandH.com/edu or email edumembership@bhphoto.com for more information.
The information on this page is designed for NEC undergraduate and graduate students in the College. Students in the NEC Preparatory School and the School of Continuing Education will continue to receive updates directly from their program. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our team should you have questions.