Students enrolled in the Gilbert Week: NYC Seminar for Music Professions will meet with arts professionals, visit performing arts institutions and learn about a wide variety of career opportunities in music.
Students in the ’ (VPA) Rose, Jules R. and Stanford S. Setnor School of Music will have the chance to immerse themselves in the culture of New York City as part of the school’s newest learning opportunity. The Gilbert Week: NYC Seminar for Music Professions is a one-week field trip that allows sophomore music majors to meet with arts professionals, visit performing arts institutions and learn about a wide variety of career opportunities in music.
The Gilbert Week was established with a gift from Dennis ’73 and Nancy Shapiro Gilbert ’74. Dennis studied voice and percussion at VPA and earned a bachelor of music degree in music education; Nancy received a bachelor of science degree with a dual major in elementary education and English from SU’s . They are members of VPA’s Advisory Council.
“The Setnor School of Music has the responsibility to not only educate our students during their four years at SU, but to expose those students to the career opportunities that are out there in the real world so they can focus on a direction and curriculum, including internships,” say the Gilberts. “This will lead to a fulfilling career in the areas of music that exist in today’s competitive work environment.”
“The Gilberts’ generosity helps ensure that we are helping students prepare for opportunities in today’s music industry,” says Setnor School of Music Director Patrick Jones. “The Gilbert Week will allow music majors to learn about varied career opportunities in music by meeting professionals behind the scenes at some of the world’s leading music venues, such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center; innovative music organizations such a the Orchestra of St. Luke’s; and businesses such as Steinway & Sons pianos.”
The first Gilbert Week will take place in during spring break 2014, March 9-16. Ten sophomore music majors will be accepted. The students must be in good academic standing and complete an application that includes a statement on what they hope to gain from the experience.
The Gilbert Week joins a growing number of week-long immersion programs offered by VPA, including the Sorkin in L.A. Learning Practicum (Sorkin Week); Ginsburg-Klaus Art in Los Angeles Week; and McAuliffe Week in Washington, D.C.
Music has thrived at ϲ since 1877, when SU became one of the first universities in the United States to grant a degree in music that required four years’ study in both music and theory. Today, the Setnor School of Music continues this tradition of innovation by offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs that prepare students for 21st-century music careers.
The Setnor School consists of 80 faculty and staff and 330 music majors and minors in four departments, a career development center and a community music division serving young and adult musicians from across the region. Setnor students pursue degrees in composition, conducting, performance, music education and the music and entertainment industries that include performances and field experiences in Central New York; internships in London, Los Angeles and New York City; and a semester abroad in Strasbourg, France.
