Ask Weirsdo: Music at NSU

The naturally gifted Diamonelle, who attended the university of hard knocks
Originally uploaded by weirsdo

Somewhat snarkily, it seemed to us, Karen commented on the last post, "Yay !! All of that and Nearby State University, too!"

In case that appears anticlimactic, I want to set the record straight, because I am definitely a spare-no-expense parent when it comes to educating my kids.
In addition to employing Mall Diva's amazing teacher, NSU is currently interviewing a recent Van Cliburn Competition winner for their piano professorship. Their viola professor was in the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and is still Principal Viola of the NYC Ballet Orchestra. One of their cello professors won a Naumburg Solo Recording Prize and is up for a Grammy.
Mall Diva's teacher has very few slots open each year, so to get into his studio at fifteen is perhaps the biggest of the three honors. Really, her admission to the International Music Festival is linked to this, since he takes his students with him, and they don't have to audition to get in there.
Obviously, having Mall Diva go to NSU is very convenient for us, especially since she is too young to go far from home, in my view. She even gets in-state tuition, through a reciprocal agreement. I am told that the academics there generally leave a lot to be desired, and so I have tried to give Mall Diva a solid foundation of an education here. But we could have looked longer, spent more, and not gotten such a superb teacher and program. In addition to being an internationally renowned performer, this teacher is able to target physical and psychological impediments to making great music quickly and provide clear and effective advice on how to overcome these. And he is gracious and generous (as are his students, for the most part). I have seen a lot of great teachers, and he is the best I've seen for advanced students.