Depending on your skill level and your commitment to your instrument, anywhere from some to a lot.

Ensembles in the conservatory are audition-based, which means that college students are eligible to participate though it is competitive (this is true for the Oberlin Orchestra and all the conservatory choirs). Usually auditions involve a prepared piece of your choice and sightreading.

The conservatory also hosts College-Community Winds and College-Community Strings, which are ensembles that bring together college, conservatory, and musicians in the community. Read more about those groups, and more conservatory-sponsored music groups, here.

Independent of these groups, there’s the Oberlin College of Arts and Sciences Orchestra (watch a video interview with the founders here). The OCASO performs at least once a semester, and now that it’s an ExCo, you will get credit for participating.

If you’re interested in private lessons, you will audition and be placed with either a professor (sometimes for individual work, sometimes in their studio depending on space) or a high-level conservatory student.

Auditions for all groups and individual lessons are during orientation.

(By the way, all this information and more will be available during the Music Resource Fair during fall orientation.)

- Ma’ayan Plaut ‘10, Social Media Coordinator