Guest Author: Pavel Lindrose, RHSAA 2021 Alumni Scholarship winner
My first semester at Baldwin-Wallace University was full of positive experiences. My dormmates all turned out to become some of my best friends. My professors are all some of the best in their field. Especially in classes that I struggle with, every professor makes extra time to help if needed. The conservatory, as well, is a huge part of my experience as a performance major. My favorite class of the first semester was probably my Tonal Harmony (written music theory) class. We got in there the first day, and instead of analyzing Bach chorales, we listened to the Mumford and Sons song “I Will Wait” and we were figuring out what made that song work. This was funny because one normally expects to only hear classical music at a conservatory. But, at BW, you can hear all kinds of music: Classical, Jazz, Theater, Pop, Afro-Cuban, you name it. The conservatory really is a place of skilled musicians and passionate teachers.
One thing that surprised me about BW is the faculty’s willingness to adapt. The administration frequently asks the students what they feel should change. Whenever the students speak up, the university is quick to accommodate. One example of this was when the dining hall wasn’t keeping up to the students’ standards. It was shortly after this was mentioned that the dining hall upped its operational hours and diversity of great foods. Every facet of BW is this way, and it has made my freshman year a very easy-going and enjoyable time.
