USM?

[koolaroo]

I hear a ton of great things about USM's music program. Can anyone here share some info on it? (Other than 'IT'S GREAT!' That doesn't help me out any.)

[rodelliot]

Hey, I done grad-ee-ated from USM, it's real good!

Seriously. Southern Miss has a rock solid music program. What are you looking for? Legit sax? Jazz? Music ed.? Other?

Dr. Lawrence Gwozdz started his fisrt year my sophomore year at USM. He's a great teacher and player (legit only, please) and is of the Sigurd Rascher school of playing. He's a fine gentleman to boot (but I don't recommend booting him. He's a little guy!) I played bass sax in the original touring group, tThe Saxophone Chamber Music Society that Dr Gwozdz founded in 1984 (or '85)

Other than legit sax, I don't know the jazz studies anymore. When I was there ( I played lead alto in the 12 o'clock band, which was the best) Raoul Jerome was the director of jazz studies. I understand that he still haunts those halls, though Larry Panella (tenor player) does a fine, if not better job, than Jerome did. Larry has a pretty good resume having attended NTSU (North texas U now) and Northern Ill. He's played with some pretty big people too, so he's got that stage moxy!

It all comes down to what you want, really. The college experience in Hattiesburg,MS is a good one. They have a fantastic marchimg band, great wind ensembles and excellent facilities. AS I read the names of the staff, most of the staff that is there now was there when I graduated in 1987...that's impressive, as long as they're good!

All that to say, the choice is all yours. If you live close enough to drive, do so. It's worth the trip.

Have you checked out their site?

http://www.usm.edu/music/

[mathias_saxwizard]

I just finished my second year at USM. I left the music program(sax performance major) after my first semester because I discovered that it really wasn't what I wanted to do. BUT--- I can give you the run down on the program.

About Dr. Gwozdz-

very classy man. always wonderful and helpful to me whenever i asked for it. always. he(and the studio by nature) is demanding. I've never known anybody, and ive got a couple of friends that are still in the program, who felt like they'd just knocked his socks off. It's hard to do. From the perspective of a freshman music major, you feel like he's got his favorites. nobody's ever put down and he's never disrespectful, but as any good teacher is, he's critical. he also has a great sense of humor. that becomes important. And did I mention that he's a genius? I'm in the honor's college, on the trivia team, whole nine dorky yards and Dr. Gwozdz blows my mind sometimes. He could be a literature/history/acoustics/art/religion/photography professor just as easily as he is saxophone professor. He's brilliant and awe inspiring. Buy some of his recordings. I'd recommend the 'American Tribute to Sigurd Rascher' CD. Again, great man. But don't be mistaken he's very proper and makes me think of the word 'authoritative', although he doesn't quite carry that connotation. He expects a lot and either gets a lot or he tells you that you're not cutting the mustard. it's refreshingly straightforward and honest, but it's forever more rough on the ego. And when you walk in his office, you'll know who you're dealing with- he has posters in his office with his picture and name on 'em in six languages. And there's a section of the wall devoted to 'Me and Sigurd Rascher'. That's intimidation.

The Guys(and like 8 Girls)-
The USM Sax Studio is the most distinctive group of people in the music department. there are trumpet players and clarinet players and 'string people', but there's not another group in the music school like the sax studio. imagine 30 of the most talented, intelligent, dedicated people you know. now throw them all together, living, eating, sleeping, breathing together 5 days a week. they're almost the stuff of fiction sometimes. they're a wide and various population, but close knit. Like I said, they've been living on top of each other long enough to know what it's like walking around in each others' skin. they're all first rate players. The guys in the concert band would be the wind ensemble players at a non saxophone school. Sometimes it gets a little old. There's a lot of competition and some infighting but they're a strong lot and I'll always think a lot of them. Great players, every one of them.

The Studio-

Don't go to USM if you don't plan to work your ever loving *** off. Gwozdz's rule- If you're in a 3 credit hour lesson, that means you should be putting in 3 hours a day. Whether or not that happens across the studio is a different story, but it's probably not far from the reality. Those guys work. If you're going to be a sax player at USM(and this is vaguely true across the dept. in general) don't plan on being Greek or doing a lot of partying or rebel rousing.

The sax studio(at least in my perception) views itself as a staunchly classical entity- Rascher School. Old horns, emphasis on history and design. Tonality and Expression will be judged infinitely higher than technique or anything else. There are some guys who do jazz and do it very, very well but they're a separate entity and expected to do the Ferling and Rascher books just like everybody else. They're working off of the conservatory model although they don't have the name. It's total immersion. You're required to do reviews, go to every saxophone related thing in the town. if you're not practicing or hearing recitals, you're supposed to be listening to recordings. And it turns out some of the best players in the country.

My freshman year, Dr. Gwozdz didn't take a freshman for lessons. We all got sent to the grad students. They're awesome, don't get me wrong, but for the first two years time with The Man comes at a premium. I think he took a freshman this year, but I could be wrong.

Serious players, or those who plan on one day being such, are expected to take 3 ensembles- A Sax Quartet, a Sax Chamber Orchestra(there are 2, number 1 is a touring group that kicks *** and takes names across the country) and your Marching/Concert Band requirement. That's at least 4 rehearsals a week. If it's marching band season, it's at least 6 a week.
Yeah.

About the School-

USM gets a lot of bad press. The University president is(on a political spectrum) somewhere between extreme right and Neo Nazi. In my two years here, we've had at least 10 major administration/faculty controversies. It gets distracting. And you will periodically wonder if you're degree is going to be worth the loans you're taking out to get it.

They make you do marching band. Everybody hates it. School with a world class symphony and the best instrumentalists in the Southeast(besides florida st. and yes, it's at least #2) and they force you to do marching band as part of your degree requirements. It's crap. Everybody hates it, and the marching band suffers because of it. Of course, people in the marching band say that they hate it when they're together but a guy wrote an editorial in the school paper about the crappy marching band this fall and he will get hate mail until the end of time. same old rules- don't **** off the band people because they will stand unified against you.

Conclusion-

THat's about it. I'm sure it's more than you ever wanted to know, but I hope it helps you out.



M*

[koolaroo]

hah, yes, I've heard some bad stories from my high school band directors, but they also have said a lot of good things about the music program, so yeah. I don't know if I even want to go in for music or not though, I was just wondering. Thanks for the info though! It sounds really cool. A bit intimidating, but cool. : )

[saxmasta89]

Woah this is awesome...I live in Gulfport, MS(only about 3 hours away from USM!!!), but this is really cool seeing people from..not Mississippi posting about this...I was wondering if it competed with other really good band programs, like maybe texas or something. My band directors have told me about it and they went to college there. I was planning to go there too for my college years, only 4 years away. Now that I see how good it is I can't wait..lol

[awholley]

Koolaroo,

Don't ignore the great teachers in your own back yard, either. Patrick Meighan at FSU and Jonathan Helton at UFL. Both have great reputations, and you'd have in-state tuition.

Sounds like USM is a great school from the reviews you got. I nearly went there to study with Kenneth Deans, Gwozdz's predecessor.

Alan

[gary]

Hey saxmasta89 - definitely keep USM in mind for the future. But if you're jazz oriented, keep in touch with the program and if it's being put in the shadow. An advantage to you is that it will be in-state tuition., though, and close enouth to home to go there when you need something but just far enough to keep prying parents away. By the way, it's closer than 3 hours.

Small world, I used to live in Gulfport. I took composition lessons from Luigi Zannenelli at USM and lessons from a flutist I wanted more from than lessons (name withheld to protect the stalked!).

[saxmasta89]

Gary,
Hey thats pretty cool that you lived in Gulfport. Have you heard of a guy named Jerry Ball that lives in the Pascagoula/Vancleave area? on the other comment: :shock: lol

[gary]

No. I just added it up and I think I lived there before you were born. :shock:

[saxmasta89]

You probably did...i was born in 89

[sessionsax]

I passed up a full scholarship to USM because of the marching band requirements and the fact that the school is so clasically oriented.

Instead I paid the whole bill to go to Belmont University and get a commercial music degree.

[koolaroo]

yeah, i'd really just like to go for jazz studies, sessionsax. I don't really like marching band or anything. and i have looked at FSU Alan. It's just that I know too many people who went and ended up partying too much. I'm a Nole fan at heart, but I really don't want to risk getting too caught up in the wrong things. I don't trust myself. As it stands now, I get distracted easily, so maybe I shouldn't go to a school where I know several focused people have gone and gotten lead astray. Any suggestions of good jazz programs? I've heard good things about FSU's, but any other schools?

[gary]

It's just that I know too many people who went and ended up partying too much.You'll have that challenge no matter where you go.

The year before I went to NTSU (UNT) it was rated by Playboy as the number two party school in the nation. That fact didn't make much a difference to many I knew in the music department. That is not to say there was no partying going on. Just that you either find your own balance or you do not.

Surely you know some people in H.S. who are out of it most of the time because of their extra-curricular activities while many other students are clear-eyed achievers.

When I was at NTSU all girls had to live in the dorm and they had 22:00 curfew that was ruthlessly enforced. Like one lass told me "Ain't nuthin' you gonna do after ten, ya can't do before ten". :wink:

It's up to you, not necessarily the environment.