Opera singer is named dean at Herb Alpert School
mainUCLA’s emerging Herb Alpert School of Music has named Eileen Strempel as its inaugural dean.
A voice professor at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Strempel has sung roles with various opera companies, including Moscow’s Bolshoi Opera.
She also has extensive experience in higher education for the arts.
Have you ever heard of her?
Whipped Cream . . . And Other Delights
Can someone please tell me where do all these music graduates go?
There are too many damn music schools in America.
Just because American universities are rich and can afford to open up music schools?
I guess I just answered my own question: Graduates of American university music schools go on to become teachers at newer American university music schools!
It’s a self-perpetuating system. (Dean Strempel’s career reflects this development.)
Those who can’t do teach.
Those who can’t teach teach gym.
Why can’t they all become Hedge Fund managers or Drill Sergeants, eh?
There is a severe shortage of music educators (and music education) in America.
Music schools are not there just to produce first clarinets for the Boston Symphony or LA Phil, they are also there to produce grade school teachers to educate youngsters in disadvantaged neighborshoods.
I know of a junior high school in the inner city that has only 2 music teachers: the band director, and the string orchestra director.
The string orchestra director is a saxophone player. When his students went to auditions to get into the city’s arts high school, they all found out (including the teacher himself) that he taught his string students everything wrong. None of his students got into the arts high school which had an excellent general academic program.
We need music schools and music educators.
I love it: at the music department on the UCLA campus, Herb Alpert’s name is above Arnold Schonberg’s , and with bigger letters too. I took a photo of it.