Saint Rose needs to reverse cuts to its music program

I would like to express my sadness and disappointment that The College of Saint Rose has chosen to cut the majority of the music department.

My daughter, a junior majoring in music education, chose the college for its solid history in music education, the program's vitality and the faculty's excellence.

She has been thrilled with her choice. Her colleagues are empathetic, talented and driven. The camaraderie and mutual support between the music students is a joy to witness. Her professors are knowledgeable and kind, both skilled educators and musicians.

Shortsighted is the best word I can think of. The music offerings, particularly music education, made the college stand out among its peers. Students came from across the state and country. Now, it will be merely another liberal arts college.

Music industry, the only remaining music major, has thrived because the music program as a whole is a draw. Industry students call upon the music education and performance students to play on their albums. They participate in ensembles with other students. Without these, I believe the industry program will wither.

My daughter is facing a final semester without her professors to oversee and mentor her student teaching. She will have no ensembles, the vibrancy of which was a deciding factor in her choice.

David Bebe, a talented cellist and full-time faculty, is her private lesson teacher. However, he will not be there for her last semester.

This decision moves the college far from its legacy: its excellence of academics, its embrace of the arts and its service to the community. I hope the college will see the decision to cut these programs as ill-considered and reverse it.

Marie-therese Miller

PH.D. Salt Point