Eastman dean steps down
NewsJamal J. Rossi, dean of the Eastman School of Music, will ‘not seek reappointment’ in 2024 after ten years in the post.
His achievements?
As a leader deeply committed to issues of equity and inclusion, Rossi established Eastman’s first diversity committee; led the creation of the ROCmusic Collaborative, a partnership program with other arts and civic organizations to provide tuition-free music instruction at recreation centers throughout Rochester; forged a formal partnership with Gateways Music Festival; formed the Eastman Action Commission for Racial Justice; created the George Walker Center for Equity and Inclusion in Music; and hired the school’s first associate dean for equity and inclusion.
Is Eastman considered a top conservatory? We don’t hear about much great talent coming out of there compared to the other music schools.
Traditionally, Eastman has excelled at producing orchestral musicians rather than soloists.
Well, it used to be (depending on what you went there for, of course). And I’m sure it will be again. These sort of things tend to be cyclical. That it has waned in recent years is because of SJW leadership like this guy who pursued a social agenda instead of anything that is actually substantive in the field. Sadly, such are the times in which we live.
Hahaha! Um…well you’re wrong there for sure. Should we start a list of all of the folks you may have heard of????
The focus of a great music school should be to offer the highest possible level of education to talented pupils, and not just to mass-produce stars. In this endeavor, Eastman has always had their heart in the right place. They produce musicians, period.
Another example of screwed up priorities. Instead of focusing on excellence, they focus on equity.
Peter Mennin, Renee Fleming, Maria Schneider, Eric Ewazen, to name a few, to start you off.
What matters lasts. After 10 yrs of wokeish behavior he leaves a legacy that quite frankly doesn’t matter.
Well, at least nobody could accuse him of being a racist!
Notice, his “accomplishments” are all about “equity & inclusion”. Nowhere does it say that this “equity & inclusion” has anything to do with making the school of music more competitive with other schools, or making the students already enrolled into first class musicians. Music is already ALL COLORS and competency is based upon performance. We audition behind screens so that auditions are equitable. The person auditioning does not speak to the judges at all. No one can see if you’re male or female, black, white, brown, yellow, or purple with pink polka dots! Creativity dies when quotas are imposed for whatever reason! STOP with the equity sham and focus on the development of REAL ability based upon a person’s efforts and talents in their craft.
Not a word here about his musical and/or artistic impact.
Too bad Dean Rossi is leaving Eastman. He seems the academic leader of the century as far as the future of academia and the arts in US society go. I wish him well.
This is a deliciously two-edged statement, right up there with Gilbert’s line from Iolanthe that “if there is an institution in Great Britain which
is not susceptible of any improvement at all, it is the House of
Peers.” You must be affiliated with one of Eastman’s rival institutions, but you must also be pretty confident that this dean’s next billet won’t be at yours!
Whatever happened to “equality”? I remember not long ago when this “equity” stuff was more of a fringe thing.
Today you need “equity” to succeed in the investment business. Equality is irrelevant.
No school of music in the world has as many deans as the Eastman. My niece went there. They charge and arm and a leg for private lessons. The tuition for graduate instrumental majors is 150% what the tuition it for others. Long ago the school was hijacked by musicologists who’d rather rear the next Philip Ewell than permit music majors to practice their craft. The whole school seems nothing more than a punchline in the debate about where music ought not to go—Eastman seems to pride itself on not training performers. A sad place for future baristas.
Wow this blog is truly a relic of a the past. How are you still even alive? Talent knows no color, race or gender and music education is about more than training horses and athletes. Seems this Deans contributions will yield results for years to come and he should be very proud of doing what needed to be done despite the racist old peanut gallery’s stupid culture wars. I left the field entirely because of garbage like this.
How lovely to hear from a self-excluder.
Yes, but what, in detail, did he accomplish in education and music and finding a place for new artists in performing arts landscape?
As usual, the “leadership team” focused on woke fantasies to appease the chronically outraged.
There we go with the new pejorative Republican word, “woke.” I’ve not read a single comment or article that uses the word according to it’s meaning. Why are you afraid of people becoming aware?
Please do enlighten us with your informed wisdom.
It should be pointed out that, in answering his own question (“His accomplishments?”), NL offers a single paragraph focused on DEI, out of a nine paragraph announcement. It is evident how the editor feels about that issue, but it might be ethical to point out that this excerpt omits a lengthy list of other accomplishments cited. It’s sad that so many in the thread seem to have accepted this selective coverage as complete. A link to the full piece would display more integrity.
Rossi raised funds, hired good faculty, kept the school out of scandals, and managed to remain dean for 10 years without getting fired or receiving a no confidence vote. As I recall, quite a few presidents and deans over the past five or so years have been connected to major scandals. You trash Leon Botstein, who has done wonders at Bard, for the conservatory and the college (he saved the college), you trash Mannes for no real reason, then you post a snarky question about Rossi and ESM, while you let Curtis, Michigan, Juilliard, and others off the hook, places that had histories of problems. Rossi was a fine dean and ESM is a fine institution
What is cut-and-pasted here is only a small portion of the press release regarding Dean Rossi’s career. I encourage everyone to look at the full document: https://www.esm.rochester.edu/general/2023/05/eastman-school-of-music-dean-jamal-rossi-to-step-down-after-2023-24-academic-year/
Oh, Please! Try Renee Fleming, Judith LeClair, John Williams, Chuck Mangione…
Oh, Please.
Look how far back you’re going.
I’ll give you one name, then you can do your own research. Maria Schneider. If you haven’t heard of her, that’s on you.
I’ve played with Eastman piano students, and they could play. Technique, musicality, heart, and an unbending love of music.
With all this wokeness, I’m surprised that they haven’t changed the name from Eastman to Eastperson/they/theirs