Staff Spotlight! Robert Flynn

Name: Robert Flynn

Title: Administrative Coordinator, Performance & Composition and Theory

What he does: Robert works mainly with the faculty in the performance and composition/theory areas to coordinate recitals, update information, and maintain records.

Come see him if you need a form for your recital. Robert is also excellent at hunting down answers about requirements and policy. Or you could also check in with him if you need a pen.

What is the craziest thing you've ever done?
Recently baked bread with fun-dip instead of sugar.

Staff Spotlight! Margaret Rowley

Name: Margaret Rowley

Title: Senior Staff Assistant, Admissions & Student Services

What she does: Margaret answers the phone and (wo)mans the front desk of the School of Music, so she is a good first stop for any questions or issues. If she can't solve your problem, she probably knows who can.

Come see her if you need a WebReg code (important!), you have difficulty registering for classes, you need a quick signature on a CPT form, you have a question and don't know where to go, or if you just want to chat with a fellow music-maker.

What is her favorite office machine? RICOH the copier, obviously. He prints, copies, scans, collates, and staples (when he feels like it). He sometimes works so well that she can almost forgive him for breaking down so often.

Staff Spotlight! Andy Chae

Name: Andy Chae

Title: Admissions Coordinator

What he does: He helps with the operations of admission auditions. In addition, he recruits prospective students in various parts of the country and helps to assist applicants with any questions they have about applying and/or auditioning for BU School of Music. 

Come see him if: You're interested in applying to another program within the School of Music (for example, if you're about to complete your BM and want to apply to the MM program at BU).

Fun fact: He tries to eat at least one Haagen Dazs Chocolate Almond Ice Cream bar a week.

Staff Spotlight! Beth Barefoot

Name: Beth Barefoot

Title: Administrative Assistant to the Director

What she does: She supports the Director of the School of Music, handling as many of his administrative tasks as she can, allowing him more time to focus on issues that only the Director can address.  Her familiarity with the faculty and staff of the SOM and CFA is useful in helping students find answers or resolutions to unusual or difficult situations when other attempts may not have succeeded.

Come see her if: You have exhausted all other possibilities!

Fun fact: She is the world's youngest (and, we think, funnest [is that a word?]) grandma! Ask her about her amazingly cute grandson, Booker.

New And Updated! Apartment Hunting in Boston, Volume I: Finding A Place To Sleep At Night

Boston is a great city, and a great place to live. One of the things that makes it so amazing is all the people who move to Boston because it's such a great place to live. The downside to this wondrous bank of shiny new friends is that moving to Boston can be a nightmare. While one blog post can't totally alleviate the difficulties, we have tried to provide some useful tips to help ease the process. Welcome to Volume I of Apartment Hunting in Boston: Finding A Place To Sleep At Night.

Hunting for an apartment in Boston is tough. If you are a musician, your livelihood can add another layer of complexity to the search. For the student new to Boston, here are a few stories (and lessons!) to help with your apartment search.


STORY 1: DON'T BANK ON IT
There once was a bright and beautiful apartment with two (TWO!) living rooms. The owners seemed a little cagey about the cost of utilities, though, and when you mention bank account numbers for your security deposit, they comment that "we don't really do that. We'll just keep the deposit and return it to you when you move out."

Lesson: Know your legal rights. Boston landlords are required by law to put your security deposit into a savings account which accrues interest. That way, your deposit can be returned to you along with the interest if the apartment is in good shape when you move out. This is for the protection of the tenant. If the landlord will not be putting your security deposit into a separate, interest-accruing account, this is a definite red flag. Massachusetts has different rental laws than other parts of the country. Read up on your legalities to help you as you apartment hunt, and watch out for people who might not be renting legally.

STORY 2: FEE FI FO FUM
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful apartment with a lakeview, and it didn't even smell weird. There were no clumps of dog hair under the radiator, and no Insane Clown Posse blaring from next door. The Realtor says, with a twinkle in his eye, "this apartment is full-fee."

Lesson: What even IS a fee?! In Boston, if you use a Realtor to hunt for your new apartment, you may be charged a fee. The fee essentially pays the Realtor for the work that she/he does for you, and is usually equal to one month's rent. Sometimes the landlord will cover half (or even three-quarters!) of the fee, particularly if the rental date is quickly approaching, or if the apartment is in less-than-ideal shape. The best way to pay no fee is to look for an apartment rented by the landlord her/himself. This makes the search much more difficult, but it might be preferable to paying the fee. You can use Craigslist to filter out search results. If you want to avoid paying a fee, you will likely need to look every day (multiple times) and email or call right away if you see something you love.

STORY 3: I'M ON FIRE (Not really)
In a faraway land (Brookline), in a faraway time (last week), a beautiful apartment was rented to a magical prince. Even though the apartment had major benefits, like windows, floors, and a working refrigerator, there was one thing that made the apartment better and more wonderful than every other apartment the magical prince had ever seen: Heat Included.

Lesson: Some apartments in Boston, especially if they are managed by a large company or are in a large building, include heat and/or hot water in the rent. This seems completely useless as you are moving your sweaty self into the place in August, but in February, when there are icicles forming on your fingertips, you will love it! Be sure to check which utilities are included before you sign a lease to avoid any surprises.

Spring Is Here (Almost); Hurray!

As we all know, Boston has received (almost) record amounts of snow this spring not-spring. We would like to smugly suggest that we were reasonably prepared for such an occasion.

The amount of snow obviously caused difficulties with things like going to school, life, getting places, eating, and being a human. While it was really hard to exist with all the white stuff falling from the sky all the time, there were a few things that were facilitated by the vast amount of cloud dust:

1) Swimming practice.

Can't get to the pool? No problem!

2) Friendly interactions with neighbors.

Day 1

Day 21

3) No need to go to the gym!

No need for you, gym! I get enough of a workout walking everywhere because my bus isn't running!

4) Hilarious jokes in the newspapers!

... This is a joke, right? ... Right?!

Luckily, the sun is shining, birds are singing, and trains are angrily blaring their horns at pedestrians across from the CFA. Here are some awesome things to check out whilst the weather is nicer than it has been (and let's face it, we are REALLY appreciative of basic things like being able to get to parking meters and not having to climb Mount Snow-manjaro to get to an intersection):


1) Visit the Boston Common.
This historic park is probably pretty familiar to all of you, but did you know that it's housed the British army, an execution after a witch trial, and a major Vietnam protest?


2) Take the T.
The MBTA is back up and running! Also, they have announced 15% fare discounts in May, and a FREE RIDE DAY in April!


3) Get bubble tea in Allston.
This bubble tea is, in our opinion, totally 100% worth walking to Harvard Ave. Drink it in the sun!


4) Go to Cold Stone.
10 out of 10 Andy Chaes in the School of Music office prefer Cold Stone.


What are you doing this spring? How are you replenishing your requisite Vitamin D deposits?

Music Music All The Time: Summer Music Festivals All In One Not-Boring List!

Okay, we know that it's only Autumn, that wondrous season where the trees are naked, drizzly and depressing days become the norm, and Daylight Savings ensures that we are suddenly catapulted into complete darkness at 4:00 PM.

Well, good news! It's time to think about summer music festivals! Now you can bask in the thoughts of warm, music-ey comfort that a gorgeous summer festival affords, the hours of peaceful practice while a gentle breeze wafts the edges of the delicate pages of your Khachaturian concerto. And you can think all these thoughts while you make your audition recordings in the dark.

The University of Houston's Texas Music Festival provides all applicants with a scholarship covering tuition, room, and board (valued at $4,000)... so... that's awesome. This festival is open to ages 18-30.

Domaine Forget in Quebec has a number of sessions throughout the summer. Information will be up on their website by the end of November.

The Brevard Music Festival in North Carolina offers a number of programs for college and high-school. The age limit is 29, and specific programs include Orchestral Studies, Collaborative Piano, and Composition.

But what about those of us who are, shall we say, more seasoned? More life-experienced? Old?

This wine tastes like musical
maturity, with slight notes
of a mix CD from 2001.

Dig, if you will, Yellow Barn in Putney, Vermont. With no upward age limit, this small festival is open to individuals and pre-formed ensembles; So Percussion and eighth blackbird are alumni ensembles. Boston auditions are January 28-30.

Round Top is another option with only a minimum age limit: participants must be born before December 31, 1997. This orchestrally-based festival also provides full-tuition scholarships to all participants, so the fee is minimal.

The Aspen Music Festival in Colorado only has minimum age limits as well. This large program offers chamber music, orchestra, and opera theater.

Bowdoin International Music Festival in Maine has 6-week and 3-week sessions, and no upper age limit. Pre-formed chamber ensembles are also invited to apply.

You mean... I GET money
to take lessons?!

"Okay," we hear you say. "What about those of us who are legit broke and cannot handle any fees of any kind?"

Might we suggest working for, rather than attending, a festival? Here is a short list of festivals that hire staff:

Interlochen Arts Camp in northern Michigan hires a full staff, from waterfront, counselors, production, front-of-house, and box office, to more specialized positions like collaborative piano, instructor of yoga, and kiln technician. Summer employees can study with faculty and perform on staff recitals.

Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, also in Michigan, hires staff for the summer. They also have a number of advanced graduate students serving as faculty. Staff and faculty play in a number of large, small, and jazz ensembles.

Boston University's own Tanglewood Institute has not only a number of RA positions open to college students who have finished their sophomore year (and older!), but institutes that are open to students until age 20. There are also paid internships available. Students can study with faculty, time permitting, and enjoy the Berkshires (a significant perk!).

Anybody out there enjoyed any of these festivals? Any that we should add to the list?

Getting Involved With The Community: BU ArtsOutreach!

Performance anxiety
and wobbly notes.
#woodwindproblems

We all know that music has the power to elevate us out of our current situations, change our mindsets, and lift our spirits. It can also move us profoundly and deeply. That's why we became musicians. Sharing the gift, however, is another story- if you're like we are, you sometimes feel that you perform only for people who are silently judging you, or who wish they could be at home watching Orange Is The New Black instead of listening to your Mozart concerto. You worked hard on that concerto. They could at least show a little enthusiasm for your historically accurate interpretation.

But sometimes playing out in the community can be the answer to these dreadful woes. Sometimes it's a relief to play for people who aren't also extremely high-level on your instrument, or who aren't musicians at all. Sometimes it's nice to get your feet on the ground and play for the audience music was meant for: human beings.

BU ArtsOutreach is a great program in which you can play music for patients in lobbies, foyers, pediatrics, geriatrics, surgical ward, adult outpatient, and trauma units at the BU Medical Campus. In other words, this program connects musicians with those who might need us the most: those under tremendous amounts of stress. 

YAY! EXTRA PERFORMANCE
OPPORTUNITIES!!

Do you wish you had more performing opportunities? Do you struggle with performance anxiety? Do you love to play Yanni music but your teacher won't let you put it on your recital? BU ArtsOutreach can help with these issues as well! Think of it as an extra opportunity to perform for people who are excited about hearing you play.

Who can play? Solo instruments or chamber groups. 

How do I get there? The B.U.S. will drive you to the Medical Campus FOR FREE. 

How do I sign up? Email Courtney Miller at BuArtsoutreach@gmail.com. 

Do I have to lug my music stand across town? No. You'll be provided with one there.

If you've already wondered how to get started performing in the community, and especially if Boston is new to you, this is an easy and wonderful way to get integrated into your new hometown. Not only will you be providing patients and staff at the BU Medical Campus with a sonic experience and good memories, but you'll also be giving yourself the gift of performing for people who need your music.

And Now for a Non-Musical Interlude: REGISTER YOUR STUFF!

Greetings, incoming Bostonites! As many of you know, biking is one of the fastest, awesomest, and most exercise-y ways to get around the city. It's important to remember, especially when you bike a long way, to lock up your bike properly (with a U-lock running through both the wheel and the body of the bike). BUT (and this is exciting), you can also REGISTER YOUR BIKE with the BU police department (and/or Parking & Transportation Services). This is important because if your bike did get stolen, the police would already have a record of the make and model, plus important identifying information like a serial number.

ALSO, you can REGISTER YOUR LAPTOP! According to the police department at BU, theft is the most-reported crime on campus, and laptop and electronic theft is a big part of that. So you can do a few things to safeguard yourself:

1. Don't leave your laptop alone.
2. Don't leave your laptop alone.
3. Register your laptop with the police department.
4. Don't (ever) leave your laptop alone.

Registering your stuff is a great mini-task at the beginning of the school year, when organization is at its peak. We are looking forward to a safe start to the semester, for both us AND our stuff!

And Now for a Non-Musical Public Service Announcement: Mice in the Practice Rooms (And Allston Rats)

Remember all the awesome things about Allston? All the sushi restaurants and proximity to BU and interesting, under-30 people living there? Remember how Aerosmith wrote their first song in their apartment on Comm Ave? Remember the rich history of comedians and actors who spent their student years in this wondrous neighborhood? Well, Allston has rats. (To be fair, so does Back Bay.)

This is a dramatic re-enactment.

Rats, like most living things, eat food. They tend to like food that people leave lying around, like in a dumpster or on the street. That is why rats tend to hang around in alleys. Eventually the rats eating the food begin to multiply, which can be expressed in the following mathematical equation:

Rat plus hamburger equals two rats. Or, less literally, rat plus food equals rats everywhere.

As the rats multiply, they eventually start to take over the human population. The good news? Rats mostly live outside. The same cannot be said for mice.

Don't be fooled by the cuteness.

The domicile of mice, particularly in the winter, is indoors where they can eat dropped crumbs from unsuspecting humans and partake in the free heat. The problem is that because mice live indoors, the threat is more immediate than that of a rat. In other words, when mice live in the practice rooms in the basement of the CFA, they leave droppings and generally create an unsanitary space reminiscent of that of the Allston rat. This can be expressed thusly:

Mouse plus CFA equals Allston rat.

This isn't the end of this dark equation, however. The real truth is that an indoor space acts, for mice, the same as dumpster food for rats.

Obviously the mice need a little help from us, however. Eating in the practice room and dropping crumbs is a fast and simple way to make sure that the entire building fills with mice. This is good for exactly nobody, including the practice room eater. It is worst, though, for the student who doesn't eat in the practice room, and just wants to have a nice, focused practice session free from rodent interruptions.

Here is a time-lapse of the worst-case scenario:

DAY 1

DAY 2

DAY 3

But wait! There is good news! Eating in the student lounge, where there are tables and open space that is vacuumed regularly, is an excellent way to avoid the Practice Room Mouse. The start of a new school year is a wonderful time to introduce habits into our daily routines. This year, let's eat in the lounge, with friends (instead of in the practice room, with mice).

Arriving in Boston Before September 1st, Volume III: Integrating with Your BU Community

Boston is a great city, and a great place to live. One of the things that makes it so amazing is the constantly evolving energy from people who move to Boston because it's such a great place to live. Once you have joined their ranks and settled in, it's time to make space for yourself in your new neighborhood. Welcome to Volume III of Arriving in Boston Before September 1st: Integrating with Your BU Community.

This is the fun stuff, you guys.

Practice.

You can see Andy Chae in the School of Music Office for a temporary ID card for access to the practice rooms. He will trade you money ($20 right now, but stay tuned as the amount may change in the future) for the card, which you can swipe in either access door in the basement. Money will be returned to its owner, in exchange for the safe return of the ID.

Practicing is an essential part of performing well on your ensemble audition, if applicable. These auditions tend to fall at the beginning of September, before school starts, so this little chunk of pre-September-1st practice time can be very nice to have!

Go to graduate orientation. 

You will learn how to register for classes, meet fellow graduate students, and gain valuable life skills. If you are feeling particularly sociable, see if some graduate students would like to end the day by getting a meal together, or grabbing a drink. It's important (and fun!) to cultivate these friendships early.

Find a job.

Once you have been assigned your BU login information (name and password), you can access the BU Gig Board. This is a great place to start hunting for work in your area of music. The key is being flexible and having fun, answering emails quickly, and not being afraid to play in new situations.

Also, jobs and quickie jobs are listed here, which is (again) accessible with your BU login information. These jobs include everything from office work to test proctoring to nannying. Find something you like to do, send out a few emails or make some calls, and keep a close eye on the boards for new postings. If you are an international student, on-campus jobs are interesting and plentiful.

Explore Boston

This is, after all, a big part of why you made this crazy-awesome move, right? To spend time in this historically rich, beautiful, culturally saturated place? Buy a one-week pass for the bus and subway system and ride a line all the way to the end; better yet, get yourself a Charlie Card for reduced fares and general awesomeness. Walk to Wally's and listen to some great jazz. Treat yourself to a meal at one of the great restaurants in Kenmore Square. Visit the MIT Museum. Take a stroll through Harvard Square. Go to the Granary Burial Ground. Above all, make yourself at home in this beautiful city which is, now, your home!

These are some quick, simple ways to start to settle into your new environment. Have some tips? Anything you wish you had known before? Let us know!

Arriving in Boston Before September 1st, Volume II: How to Handle Your Stuff

Boston is a great city, and a great place to live. One of the things that makes it so amazing is the constantly evolving energy from people who move to Boston because it's such a great place to live. The downside to this wondrous bank of new friends is that moving to Boston can be a nightmare. While one blog post can't totally alleviate the difficulties, we have tried to provide some useful tips to help ease the process. Welcome to Arriving in Boston Before September 1st, Volume II: How to Handle Your Stuff.

Part of relocating to a new environment involves bringing your stuff with you, like a demented turtle with a shell full of furniture. But with leases that start right before school, this can sometimes be much harder than if we were all actually turtles. Here are some tips from those of us with experience to make your experience slightly less crazy.

Where To Stay While You Wait for Your Lease to Start?

$$$    Hotel. Boston is full of interesting hotels; some of them may even be haunted!

$$      Hotwire.com. This site can help you save some money on a hotel room for a few days.

$$      Sites like airbnb or Craigslist can save some green and provide valuable introduction to the locals.*
$        Hostelling International Boston is a good way to reserve a bed- you can cancel with no penalty up to
          24 hours in advance. 

Free!  Stay with friends or family in the area. 

*We aren't endorsing these methods; use at your own risk and be sure to read the terms!

Where To Put Stuff?

This is especially applicable if you have to move your worldly belongings to Boston before 9/1, but can't move into your apartment until 9/1 (the perennial problem with the Boston student experience):

If you can find another prospective BU student, it might be possible to organize a Pod share. Since Pods can be dropped at your convenience where you are headed, this would eliminate the need for storage.

Many storage units in and around Allston and Brighton offer a first-month-for-$1 deal. If you can move your things in and out within a month, you are only responsible for the assorted move-in fees (like the processing fee) and buying a lock. This can be a cheap option for temporary storage. A word of advice based on our personal experience: if you go this route, get a bigger storage room than you need. You won't pay any more for the first month, and it's so much better than finding out, at midnight on a Sunday after a 6-hour drive in a wildly huge moving van (for example), that your stuff won't fit.

If it's possible, signing a lease for August 15th instead of September 1st can alleviate a great deal of stress. Not only will you miss the September 1 move-in craziness, but you may not need to store stuff at all.

Allston Christmas

There are no words to describe Allston Christmas. So instead, here is a picture!

Photo Credit Here!

Allston Christmas is the wondrous/terrifying time in Allston where everybody moves out of, and in to, their apartments all at once. This is a real thing, with its own Urban Dictionary entry. People might walk away with your sidewalk-bound stuff, thinking that you've forgotten it. People might intentionally leave all of their stuff on the sidewalk for others to take. It's a glorious nightmare.

The best way to use Allston Christmas to your advantage? Don't bring any stuff to Boston with you. We say in all seriousness that you can most likely furnish an entire apartment for free by September 1st. Anything you cannot collect on the street can most likely be delivered to you (and we recommend this for mattresses!).

How can Allston Christmas destroy your day? If you start your move into Allston by midday or later, you might be stuck in traffic for hours days.

Where to NOT drive your moving truck:

Storrow Drive, inbound. The bridges are too low, and moving trucks will get stuck underneath them. No, yours won't make it. Yes, someone will try it and get stuck, and subsequently block up traffic all day. In general in Boston, it is an excellent idea to keep your eyes peeled for signs that say "no trucks" or "truck detour" or "last exit for trucks" or "don't you dare drive your truck under this insanely low bridge."

What to remember:

You are moving to Boston to be a part of an incredible community, located in a fantastic city. You will have culture, concerts, amazing food, and in all likelihood, a ton of great like-minded friends at your doorstep. Embrace the process! Nicholas Sparks said that "Nothing that is worthwhile is ever easy," so just keep in mind that this process will be, in the end, very, very worthwhile. 

Arriving in Boston Before September 1st, Volume I: Navigating the Apartment Maze

Boston is a great city, and a great place to live. One of the things that makes it so amazing is the constantly evolving energy from people who move to Boston because it's such a great place to live. The downside to this wondrous bank of new friends is that moving to Boston can be a nightmare. While one blog post can't totally alleviate the difficulties, we have tried to provide some useful tips to help ease the process. Welcome to Volume I of Arriving in Boston Before September 1st: Navigating the Apartment Maze.

Hunting for an apartment in Boston is tough. If you are a musician, your livelihood can add another layer of complexity to the search. For the student new to Boston, there are a few things that are important to consider, and we thought we would share some of our more interesting experiences in the Boston apartment scene!

Know Your Legal Rights: Massachusetts has different rental laws than other parts of the country. Read up on your legalities to help you as you apartment hunt.

Fee/Half Fee/No Fee: In Boston, if you use a Realtor to hunt for your new apartment, you may be charged a fee. The fee essentially pays the Realtor for the work that she/he does for you, and is usually equal to one month's rent. Sometimes the landlord will cover half (or even three-quarters!) of the fee, particularly if the rental date is quickly approaching, or if the apartment is in less-than-ideal shape. The best way to pay no fee is to look for an apartment rented by the landlord her/himself. This makes the search more difficult, but it might be preferable to paying the fee. We like to avoid paying money, ourselves, and use Craigslist to filter our search results. This method means that you need to look every day (multiple times) and email or call right away if you see something you like.

Utilities included/not included: Some apartments in Boston, especially if they are managed by a large company or are in a large building, include heat and/or hot water in the rent. This seems completely useless as you are moving your sweaty self into the place in August, but in February you will be super thankful! Be sure to check which utilities are included before you sign a lease.

Pets: Many Boston apartments specify "no pets." Many more are cats-only, and there are a few magical apartments that allow dogs. Be sure to check your lease or call your landlord before you introduce an animal to your space.

Security Deposit: This is important. Boston landlords are required by law to put your security deposit into a savings account which accrues interest. That way, your deposit can be returned to you along with the interest if the apartment is in good shape when you move out. This is for the protection of the tenant. If the landlord will not be putting your security deposit into a separate, interest-accruing account, this is a definite red flag.

Musical Instruments: Some landlords don't want musicians in their buildings, period. Sadly, this tends to be more true for the private (no-fee) renters. Once, we sent an email inquiring about an open apartment, and the landlord called to say that she had Googled us, knew about our musician status, and wasn't going to rent to us (even if we promised never to play in the house). In our experience, the best bets are to
a) move into a bedroom in an apartment where there are already musicians living.
b) move into a large building rented by a company so huge that they won't care if you are a musician.
c) don't say anything, and keep your practicing at school.
Obviously all of this gets more complicated if you have a piano.

Roommates!: If you want to live with other people, there are certain populations that swear by Craigslist roommates. You can typically find lower rent, interesting friends, and no fee by moving into an apartment that is already occupied. No guarantees implied or expressed, but we know of someone who moved into a Craigslist apartment and (four years later) is married to one of her roommates.

Transportation: If you are attending BU, you will likely be looking for an apartment on the B-Line of the Green Line subway. Keep in mind, however, that there are bus routes that also run directly to BU from Brighton and parts of Watertown. Beware of advertisements that an apartment is "steps" from the train/bus stop, as sometimes "steps" means "1298264 steps." Ask your realtor/landlord to point out the bus or train stop to you while you are looking at the apartment.

Settling: Define your apartment hunt. Write some questions down, and answer them: How much time do you have? Is your move-in date flexible? What is your budget? Do you want to live alone or with others? Are there any make-or-break considerations? Do you want a porch? Do you want utilities included (and does this affect budget)? Are you bringing a furry friend?

Once you have decided what is most important to you, you can structure your apartment hunt much more effectively. If budget is most important, things like space or location can be more flexible. If location is a must, maybe your move-in date can shift slightly.

The best part about apartment-hunting in Boston is the reward of finding a place to hang your proverbial hat in a very cool, historically rich city. Have you lived in Boston before? Do you have any tips?