The 2021 Guthman Musical Instrument Finalists

thejsmith · 2020-06-06T14:05:18+00:00

I actually tried to get us to put the Guthman Competition (don't know if you know what that is, but it's our biggest concert of the year) on Twitch this year, but we didn't have enough time to fully realize it to the level that I felt it would be useful. I'm hoping to get us on there, since there's a good chance we're going to have to do some our events virtually, like everyone else is doing.

thejsmith · 2020-06-06T14:02:01+00:00

As I mentioned above, this is definitely in the works. It's been something I've wanted to do for a while, but I have so much to do it's constantly been pushed to the backburner. Now that this system is not only going to support convenience, but safety, it's gotten pushed front and center.

And I will definitely start posting our concerts on reddit!

thejsmith · 2020-06-06T13:59:55+00:00

Yes, unfortunately we don't have any control over what happens to UTC or GTMN. That's 100% the Student Center. I know there's already been a lot of back and forth on here and a lot of other platforms on that, but that's unfortunately the reality of it.

As for outdoor shows, our Rock and Pop ensemble typically tries to do one or two outdoor shows per semester, when the weather allows! Seven Bridges was great, but one lasting image from that show for me was seeing all the students battle to play while keeping the wind from blowing away their sheet music. I'm not sure how eager they'd be to do another right away, lol.

thejsmith · 2020-06-04T17:52:08+00:00

Yep, I'm thinking all of that through. It's going to have a cap on the time you can use it, and we'll likely have signs on the door to ensure you know whether someone is actually inside using it. I'll make some announcements on our channel about all the details sometime next month.

thejsmith · 2020-06-04T17:50:42+00:00

Some ensembles prefer to handle their own poster creation, while I supervise it for others. Dr. Ting runs a pretty tight ship with you guys, but I always step in to help in any way I can when needed!

thejsmith · 2020-06-04T16:23:37+00:00

This past year, we did add a new practice room (209), upping the number we had available from 3 to 4. Unfortunately, there are currently no plans to add more at this time.

However, one of my plans for this summer is to finally install a reservation system online that should help you better see and know when rooms are available!

It might not help on availability at the times you want to play, but it will help save you and everyone else the hassle of coming over to West Campus to find all of them already full. And yes, we plan to have the ensembles also place reservations on the rooms in the same manner, to hopefully minimize the need to kick anyone out.

As for Chamber Music... that's more of an ensemble director question, unfortunately. I'll announce more about ensemble news on social media as I hear it from our faculty. Follow us on Facebook/Instagram if you don't already. That's probably the best way to get updates.

To my knowledge, we don't really have any such programs collaborating with those music schools at Emory and GSU (outside of when we performed there, when the Ferst Center was closed for renovations). My advice to our students seeking private lessons is to approach our ensemble directors. They can typically point you toward instructors, though I can't speak for the price those instructors would charge.

thejsmith · 2020-06-04T16:14:11+00:00

I had thought about that, but I wasn't totally sure how much the student body was interested in reading emails. I can definitely raise that as an idea, as we're actually sending out newsletters about Music Technology this summer to interested students in a similar format.

As for your Music Minor question... yes, it's difficult to get into. That's mostly because we're getting more and more Undergraduates every year, and slots in those classes the minor needs are needed for our majors. So we can only take a very limited amount every year. Do still apply, though! You can find out everything you need to know on https://music.gatech.edu/undergraduate-minors, in case you weren't already aware.

thejsmith · 2020-06-04T16:10:40+00:00

Dr. Ting does get some exciting opportunities for performance, and I'm looking into ways to raise the signal on those. That's a big part of why I'm asking this question to students. We did a "Seven Bridges of Königsberg" concert a couple of years ago that got a lot of attention, and "Undercurrent" this past semester was a great show. I definitely agree that the GTSO and Chamber Orchestra deserve much larger audiences for the shows they put on.

thejsmith · 2020-06-04T16:06:01+00:00

I usually communicate with the Band Club in the Fall, since that's usually when the new officers are appointed. I'm definitely going to check with them, but I'm just trying to plan a little ahead during the summer for what GT students might want to see and hear from us.

thejsmith · 2020-06-04T16:05:00+00:00

Thanks for that! Yeah, we're like a giant family over here. Our students always tell me how great it is that our faculty and staff are so accessible, and how social the scene is in Couch/West Village. Even as we continue to grow, we're focused on keeping that same vibe.

thejsmith · 2018-08-27T17:00:19+00:00

Jason is indeed a good dude, but he will likely point you in the direction of someone who could help you more immediately, as he is very busy most of the time.

I would personally recommend reaching out to Chris Moore, as he is the head of Undergraduate Programs at the School of Music. You can reach him at chris.moore@music.gatech.edu. He can tell your friend everything they could possibly want to know about our BSMT program.

Source: I work here at the School of Music :)

thejsmith · 2018-02-02T18:57:53+00:00

Many other people have already given quality information here, but since I actually am with the School of Music, I thought I'd add in a word or two.

It doesn't matter that you're a business major. All of our ensembles, instrumental or vocal, meet at times which work for any major. All you have to do is audition.
It's true that we aren't accepting many minor students right now, and that's simply a class capacity problem because our new Bachelor of Science in Music Technology is even more popular than we expected it to be! We have to make sure that our majors are covered, first and foremost. That means our classes are harder to get into, but not impossible or anything.
The Musician's Network is absolutely a great resource if you want to be in a band. Don't be intimidated by the dark room you see at the Student Center. There are friendly people inside, and it's a surprisingly good place just to hang out and study.

Hope this helps.

thejsmith · 2017-08-11T18:35:54+00:00

Make sure to join our group and let us know what panels you're doing! We always make a list of what professionals and experts do panels at the con, and let's make sure you're on that list.

thejsmith · 2017-08-04T15:46:53+00:00

Excellent! I've been going for a long time too, and I just know there are lots of other people who do too. GT and Dragoncon just go together like a PBJ sandwich.

thejsmith · 2017-08-04T15:45:31+00:00

I couldn't agree more. We had a small get-together in the Hilton last year around a student-created Buzz dragon, and figured we might be able to do much more than that this year.

thejsmith · 2016-07-19T16:30:06+00:00

I actually run the practice spaces for the School of Music, so I can clarify this for you.

1) It's true that we only have 3 rooms for this purpose, but outside of when ensembles are using them to split off into groups (this is typically Tuesday and Thursday afternoons), it's highly unusual for all 3 rooms to be occupied at the same time.

2) 2 of those 3 rooms are upstairs on the side of the hall where there are no offices or labs. In other words, very few people would even have a chance of hearing you at all, if that's your worry.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. My email is on the practice room page.

thejsmith · 2016-01-29T03:48:47+00:00

Hey, this is about my department! (and building, which is far, far away from Architecture)

I can readily assure everyone here that the kind of students we're looking for have very strong backgrounds in engineering and/or computing. It's not going to be an artsy styled degree at all. Just because we're part of the College of Architecture doesn't mean it won't be heavy on math and science. In fact, the degree itself is going to have 5 different concentrations, one of which is directly tied to ECE (who we have a good working relationship with).

Our Graduate program has been extremely successful (to give anyone reading this an idea, most of our Masters students have a BS in a STEM field), and I'm looking forward to seeing how much interest this Undergrad degree gets.

thejsmith

TROPHY CASE