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St Olaf Choir Concert


Janice in NJ
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Good Morning,

 

More music from the lad (younger DS). The St Olaf Choir finished their West Coast Tour with their usual February Home-Concert in Boe Chapel. DS (music major - organ performance) is the bass section leader so he was asked to be a part of the recorded intermission interview. He also accompanies a couple of pieces.

 

In a couple of our conversations this fall and winter, we have talked about students handling their schedules. Here are the fruits of the boy doing something that he not only receives no credit for but also isn't directly tied to his major. Tangentially tied, of course - singing, conducting, running sectional rehearsals, accompanying - all good things for an organist - but his major is actually ONLY organ performance - notice the lack of organ anywhere. Ironically, he dropped the extra church music major so he could focus on the bench. Hmmm...it's as if a bio major was working in a chem lab for 10+ hours a week all year on the side - while ALSO STILL focusing on his work in the bio lab.

 

Anyway - this activity takes up a TON of time every week - and it has absolutely NO bearing on his GPA. CRICKETS! But if you appreciate music, I'm sure you will agree that it's time well spent. How can you NOT do it!!??!! No regrets; life is grand!

 

Happy Times To Be Sure!

 

Peace,

Janice

 

Enjoy your little people

Enjoy your journey

 

https://www.stolaf.edu/multimedia/play/?e=2077

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I'm listening to this now, but let me get this clear--the choir misses class for the entire month of February?  How in the world???

 

No. St Olaf operates on a fall-interim-spring calendar. The interim semester last for a month (January). Students use the time to take one time-intensive (typically inter-disciplinary) class, and many students use at least one of their interim sessions to do this abroad. More here:

https://stolafadmissions.wordpress.com/2011/01/21/interim-classes-on-campus/

 

This year, interim ended on January 30th, and the choir left for tour the following day. The spring semester began on Thursday, February 8th, and the choir students returned to campus late in the day on Tuesday, February 13th. They usually miss an entire week of class; this year, it was less. 

 

Because of this interim set-up, their spring semester ends a bit later than other colleges. Commencement is on Sunday, May 27th this year. So there is a trade-off with the interim set-up when it comes to summer jobs and internships; however, in general I think it's a pretty good system. Most students take four classes each in the fall and spring and then the one interim class. So 9 classes a year at one credit each for a total of 36 classes/credits. Because of interim, students get a break from running from thing to thing and have the opportunity to focus during January. It might seem like a minor shift, but that zoom-in/pan-out way of thinking about the world is a good exercise. And I suspect this set-up is the reason so many of their students are able to say they studied abroad. One month away from campus is easier to swing financially and in terms of checking all the boxes when it comes to completing your major on time at a liberal arts college. Disclosure: because ds joined the choir his sophomore year and because the choir has an intense ramp-up to tour rehearsal schedule during the interim semester, ds never studied abroad during interim. However, he did have the opportunity to travel with the choir to perform/tour for ten days(?) last June in Japan and South Korea. Fantastic. Here is a link to a video recorded by a church in South Korea. Being a part of a huge worship service on the peninsula last June with everything else that was going on at the time in politics - this - this moment in time - was one of the most significant moments in this kid's life so far. My DS will probably never see any of these people again for the rest of his life, but during this time, within this set of <x,y,z,t> coordinates, they shared something. Music and worship have a significant meaning for this person. So this kind of experience at this point in his life meant so much. And I think helping students find those kinds of events - and they are all wildly different - really, not all students are even looking for a spiritual experience, and the college respects that - helping students experience something significant that helps shape their purpose in life is one of the things the school cares about very deeply. 

 

 

(10 minutes in)

 

Regarding this week of missed classes for Ole Choir Students: Sure, I raised an eyebrow the first time this came up. However, first of all my son is a music major so it wasn't that much of a leap; and second, being a part of this group has had a huge, positive influence on him. Huge! Working with other students of this caliber has done much to make him who he is. And don't misunderstand me - I'm not simply referring to their musical caliber; they are thoughtful, engaging, intellectual young people. What a tribe! Last year my dh and I flew out and spent a couple of days in town visiting folks we know in the area, wandering around on campus, and attending ds's junior recital. This phenomenon of clustering purposeful young people in positive directions is repeated elsewhere throughout the college. The place is filled with intelligent people doing thoughtful things. There is a reason the school made it into Loren Pope's book. I know this sounds like an ad, but there is a reason that Ole's are so passionate about the hill. A special place. 

 

Peace,

Janice in NJ

 

Enjoy your little people

Enjoy your journey

Edited by Janice in NJ
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Good Morning,

 

More music from the lad (younger DS). The St Olaf Choir finished their West Coast Tour with their usual February Home-Concert in Boe Chapel. DS (music major - organ performance) is the bass section leader so he was asked to be a part of the recorded intermission interview. He also accompanies a couple of pieces.

 

 

 

Thanks for the link! One of our local girls is in that very choir and I was just talking to her parents about the tour a couple days ago!

 

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