I have been studying music at the University of Oregon for the past four years and have been noticing interesting changes here in our school. Every term, the halls seem to get fuller and fuller with new faces I’ve never seen. These new people must be very dedicated to practicing their instruments, because in the last two years I haven’t been able to find a practice room without waiting at least half an hour.
Last week, I got so frustrated looking for a practice room that I went to the elevator to practice, only to find an equally frustrated trumpet player already using it. Thinking I was smart and beating people to practice spots, I toted my instrument to the basement bathroom (an acoustic nightmare) and was met with a panicked vocalist.
Right now, it’s 4 p.m. on a Friday afternoon, and I am jammed in the only computer lab on campus that has the necessary software to complete my assignments. I had to wait 15 minutes for this computer. We need more room in this school.
I am now officially making the claim that the University of Oregon school of music is busting at the seams. The only “unpracticed” area of this school is the roof — because we can’t find the roof access. We can’t practice in the residence halls or community living spaces. And our study requires regular and long (10-20 hours a week) practice hours.
The reason why this school is growing so rapidly is the outstanding faculty we have here. From Pavarotti World Contest winners to world renowned jazz pianists to international composers, our star-studded faculty is drawing some of the biggest groups of music students to the University. Also, with the recent development of new programs such as string pedagogy or music technology, there are waiting lists to get into the class or to even be admitted as a major.
The University’s school of music is in dire need of both renovation and expansion. Attention, people! Our campus has the best music school in the Pacific Northwest, and it has the potential to shine in the 21st century, but only with the proper facilities.