Music Department Rocks Through SMC Campus Closure
Illustration by Carolyn Burt / The Corsair
The Music Department at Santa Monica College (SMC) is home to many aspiring musicians. The curriculum prepares students to transfer to four-year institutions, or to gain an Associate’s Degree in the Music Major. COVID-19 has altered this process, as it has sent everyone away from all SMC campuses.
SMC music major Nicole Rocha said, “I miss everything. The practice room and engaging with my fellow applied students. We helped each other a lot. We wrote music together and were each other’s critics and fans.”
In the second week of March, President Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery announced in one of her online messages that many classes were moving to remote learning, “in order to limit the potential transmission of COVID-19.” By March 15 all SMC classes transitioned online "for the remainder of Spring 2020 Semester," said President Dr. Jeffery.
"I understand how the recent change might have initially seemed to be a daunting undertaking," said President Dr. Jeffery who is a classical musician herself, with a Bachelor of Music Education from Oklahoma State University.
Dr. Brian Driscoll, Music Department Chair said, “These are incredibly stressful times for all of us—teachers, students, parents… everyone.”
President Dr. Jeffery praised the music department as she said "I am very impressed with the resilience everyone has shown, and I am extremely proud of how faculty and students are together finding a new rhythm, harmonizing and making music in inspirational and innovative ways.”
According to Dr. Driscoll, their “instructors have been going above and beyond to make sure that both the learning about music and the experience of making music continue for students and the community,” although they are unable to physically meet for lessons and rehearsals.
Taking classes, practicing and being around scholars with similar interests, Rocha said “It made me always want to be better and practice and be just as good as my fellow classmates.”
Many were skeptical about how music classes could work online, but in the end Dr. Driscoll affirmed everything worked out better than what was expected.
“I thought for sure once all classes went online that the applied music program would have to be canceled,” Rocha said, “due to the fact that we do a lot of collaborations and focus on live performances.”
The online transition was mostly successful for the department, however, some students struggled to adapt and even thought of quitting.
“The transition was pretty hard for me,” said SMC music major student Aviana Tiara Brown, “especially for my Music Fundamentals class, which was already pretty hard. I was really allowing the fact that I had to show up to class every week hold me accountable. With the class moving online, it really made me frustrated and made me want to give up. I'm glad I didn't though.”
Classes such as Theater Arts 52, Advanced Production - Musical Theatre and Music 78, Jazz Ensemble were forced to be cancelled due to their performance element. Performance events, a key element to the curriculum, are regularly rehearsed and showcase the student’s melodic skills. “The Power of Music” which was prepared by the Santa Monica College Symphony Orchestra was one of the many events that got cancelled.
“Many of our ensembles have had programs planned for quite a while,” Dr. Driscoll said, “even if they only had four weeks to rehearse this semester.”
SMC students used to hear musicians rehearsing acapella and instruments playing as they walked throughout campus. Today, silence blares while students attend school online.
