Connies left in dark

Circumstances within the Conservatory's Contemporary Music Division are becoming increasingly cloudy as the fall semester progresses into its second module. Students have expressed frustrations of being left in the dark concerning departmental matters.

Returning TIMARA, jazz and composition majors were under the false impression that the Conservatory would continue to support last year's new tradition of New Music Divisional concerts - all-inclusive performances featuring works from the three Contemporary Music departments - as opposed to the previous system of strictly TIMARA, jazz or composition majors' works. After one canceled divisional concert and threats of a boycott, students are making more noise in protest than music.

"A lot of us were surprised [of the revert back to departmental concerts] because students were involved in the switch to the new system of divisional concerts," said senior TIMARA major Christopher Goodman. The New Music Committee, which Goodman noted as the major body responsible for introducing the divisional concerts last year, was not notified of the change back to departmental-only concerts.

Last year's divisional concerts gave students the opportunity not only to host concerts in a more diverse array of venues, but also a greater number of concerts to submit works to. According to major regulations, students are required to submit four works to be performed in public, not including junior and senior recitals, and were limited to only three performance opportunities per semester under the strictly departmental concerts. With divisional concerts, students had more freedom in that they had eight as opposed to three opportunities to submit works. Additionally, the venues selected for divisional concerts were more variable than the traditional Warner Concert Hall space reserved for departmental concerts.

"The concern is where concerts will be held," said Goodman. "Some pieces just work better in certain spaces; if you're a TIMARA major, you want to be able to perform well and still get your credit."

Despite arguments that the Conservatory faculty is selling its Contemporary Music Division students short by denying them the opportunity to have a say in departmental decisions, Conservatory Dean Robert Dodson argues that the New Music Committee was never intended as a body to oversee such decisions on its own merit. As its description in the Conservatory Committee directory states, the committee "selects guest artists, composers, or lecturers; approves music to be performed; and acts as research body for new music."

"There seems to be some misunderstanding among students in the TIMARA and Composition programs regarding the role of the New Music Committee and the function of departmental and divisional concerts," said Dodson. "Before last year the Committee's primary function was to decide which guest artists would be brought in to enhance programs within the Contemporary Music Division. It is important for everyone to understand that the New Music Committee is not a policy-making body."

Student members of the Committee were under the false impression that they were a significant part of a decision-making campus group. Apparently, students of the New Music Committee had the right to vote for or against divisional concerts, as was the case last year. Goodman said, "The important issue is the question of how much power the division has over the departments. It's kind of a dumb issue since the division is made up of faculty. How separate are the departments from the faculty? Is that going to be the model?"

Despite student concerns that strictly departmental concerts will limit certain opportunities, Dodson explained that divisional concerts have not been abandoned altogether. "No decision has been made to replace 'all-inclusive' concerts with 'strictly departmental' ones. The Contemporary Music Division has both departmental and divisional concerts scheduled throughout the year, and no divisional recitals have been cancelled."

Due to an unofficial boycott organized by some majors within the Contemporary Music Division, students are hesitant to committ either way. In frustration of discovering that a scheduled divisional concert was later changed into a strictly TIMARA concert earlier this semester, several students chose to withdraw works otherwise scheduled for the divisional concert.

This unofficial boycott may have put minimal pressure on the faculty, but not all Contemporary Music students are in support. "I think that only, or at least more, divisional concerts would be of great benefit to the New Music Division," said sophomore Alan Berg, "but I also think that the concert boycott initiated by some of the members of the division has complicated things further than necessary. One more motive for such actions seems to me a desire for disorganization, which is obviously counterproductive."

Dean Dodson is also strongly against the boycott. "I hope that students understand that it is pointless and without substance, since the multi-departmental divisional recitals still exist and no actin has been taken to abandon them. Students need to be aware that departmental and divisional recitals are a curricular requirement and that failure to submit works for these recitals will place in jeopardy their timely progress toward completion of degree requirements."

"There are two real issues here," said senior Rajarshi Das. "One is whether we should continue to cross-pollinate our ideas through a mutual sharing of new student work, or whether we should go back to the time-honored method of presenting work to specialized groups and audiences. This part of the question is one that goes to the heart of the philosophy behind how we think about the creation of music here at Oberlin. The other issue is a rather more serious one, in that it is essentially a legislative one."