Music splits from performing arts

By Molly Gore

The music department separated from the Center of Performing Arts on April 2, leaving music students and the department's former chair confused and frustrated.

As a result of the separation, the department of music will have an independently produced season and will be entirely responsible for its own publicity.

"It is an administrative decision on the part of the dean and the provost that, at this moment in time, it is in the best interest of the center and the music department to move forward separately," said Senior Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and former Director of the CPA Amy Shachter.

Prior to the split, the CPA and the department of music worked in conjunction with each other on the planning, programming and publicity for the season of performances in the CPA.

To cover the music department's new costs, it will receive a 12 percent budget increase.

According to the document printed by the College of Arts and Sciences detailing the particulars of the decision, the separation is reportedly in response to concerns that the CPA is not conducive to the academic mission and goals of the department of music.

Shachter declined to explain why the separation would be in the best interest of each institution or the precise reasons for the decision.

There is still confusion, especially among music majors, as to why an institution that works so closely with all performing arts departments would find it in its best interest to eliminate just one branch.

"This is going to look bad from the outside," he said. "It is an educational misstep to eliminate just one of the branches," said Andrew Willingham, a music major and co-president of the pep band.

Lisa Rademacher, the current director of the Center of Performing Arts, said the separation of the institutions is appropriate due to the differing missions of each.

"The CPA is here to facilitate teaching students and engaging audience through the performing arts. The department of music is an academic institution. They have different goals."

Former music department chair Hans Boepple said he didn't understand the decision.

"I am very surprised (and disappointed) that the dean's office chose to exclude the music department from the CPA. It doesn't seem possible that a Center of Performing Arts would invite one department (theater and dance) but not the other (music), when our two departments constitute all the performing arts on campus," wrote Boepple in an e-mail.

The Dean of Arts and Sciences Atom Yee and Co-director of the Justice Arts Initiative Carolyn Silberman declined comment for this story.

To reconcile the different goals of the CPA and the performing arts departments of the university, the College of Arts and Sciences introduced the "Justice and the Arts Initiative" to help provide a functioning link between the center and the departments of theater, dance and all performing arts.

"I don't understand; I'm so frustrated. Everyone has just ignored me. I don't know what to do, and I speak for all music majors when I say we are concerned and confused," said Willingham, who attempted to contact members of the administration, including Provost Lucia Gilbert and University President Paul Locatelli, S.J., neither of whom responded.

Boepple said in an e-mail he hasn't been told the reasoning behind the decision either.

"I wish that I could tell you the reason, but, to be honest, (my department and) I truly don't understand the reason. We are all hopeful that the dean's office will reverse its decision soon," Boepple wrote. "It is truly puzzling that the dean's office has made this decision to exclude the music department from the Center of Performing Arts."

Rademacher said the details behind the decision aren't being made public due to the privacy of the matter.

"There isn't a lot to say because it's a very internal kind of thing," said Rademacher.

From the outside, the only change felt by those not directly involved in the performing arts program will in the appearance of documents publicizing events put on by the music department, as they will not list the department and the CPA as partners in production.

Despite the fact that the two institutions are now separated, Shachter said the split may not be permanent.

"The dean and the provost have made the decision based on administrative reasons," said Shachter.

"We are working with the department of music, and it is possible in a year or two they will be allowed to join the center again,"

The department of music will still work with the CPA as a presenting venue and will receive preference in reserving facilities over non-university requests to use the venue.

Shachter assures the department of music will still be able to offer their full academic program and schedule of events.

"I think there is a lot of misinformation going on about what the implications are from music being separated from the CPA and a lot of concerns about the impact on programs."

The CPA provides the box office support and the technical support for performances, and those two things are still going to be available to the department of music if it still chooses to use them.

Contact Molly Gore at (408) 551-1918 or mgore@scu.edu.