I'm musically oblivious to the point that I'm often embarrassed to blitz out song requests to my sorority because it reveals just how behind the times I really am (I will categorically deny requesting "Party In The U.S.A.," um, yesterday). Given that this is my baseline level of awareness, it's possible that I've totally overlooked a sick Hanover-based music scene, but my band-geek-turned-art-school-hipster friends from home are full of stories about jamming to underground, alternative rock bands in trendy local clubs and grinding to recorded music in the sweaty Heorot basement doesn't exactly measure up.
It's not like the College to fall short in any one area like that (forgive me if I sound like I swallowed a PR machine, but even the most cynical of us have to admit that our little bubble is chock full of opportunities, assuming one is sober and conscious enough to appreciate them). As a government major, I've been fortunate enough to let countless prospects slip through my fingers the bustling New Hampshire political scene provides all the schmoozing and thankless campaign work any aspiring government mogul could ever need.
But what about our musically-minded intellectuals? What's it like to seriously study music in an intellectual scene overwhelmed by economics and a campus scene dominated by frat parties blaring Top 40?
Considering that I still lack an art distributive requirement and was ejected from the last music class I took in high school due to an incident involving a double bass and gravity, I decided to ask some real live music majors to recount their experiences as I sought some answers.
Many of the students I tracked down were quick to divide their "serious" musical involvement from their "social involvement." Pen Vineyard '11, a member of the Glee Club and the Dartmouth Cords, said he saw his involvement with "Gleek" and the music department as worlds apart from his activities with the Cords.
"They're completely separate," he told me, emphatically stretching his arms wide apart to illustrate the division.
Vineyard said that he saw his academic studies and performances with the Glee Club as more serious, while a cappella is much more casual.
"A cappella is kind of obnoxious," Vineyard said, elaborating that performances are fun but often "silly or gimmicky."
Elizabeth Bruyere '10, vice president of the Glee Club and musical director of the Decibelles said that she also saw a definite divide between Glee Club and a cappella, mostly because of the different types of music involved.
The music department offers classes centering on classical music and Glee Club sings mostly classical choral music, which makes it easy to group the two together, Bruyere said, explaining that her a cappella group tends to sing current pop songs.
The music majors postulated that this divide between popular and classical repetoire may in part contribute to the perception of a barren Dartmouth music scene. While there are many groups that sing or perform classical music, Vineyard said, most of them tend to be lesser known on campus. He confirmed his theory on the spot when I recognized absolutely none of the names he reeled off, but my Google searches confirmed that the numerous chamber groups coordinated through the Hopkins Center do indeed exist.
Vineyard, a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, wondered if the Greek scene might impact the student perception of the music scene.
"A cappella groups can perform at Greek houses. That gives them social power," he said.
Classical groups often perform in the more official theaters in the Hop. The audience at such performances is mostly Upper Valley residents, Elizabeth Shribman '10, a member of the Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra, said.
"You see a lot of white heads in the audience," she said.
Bruyere, who chose to go to Dartmouth instead of attending a conservatory, said the average student at the College is not as familiar with classical music, which decreases its social power.
"At a conservatory, more formal performances might get more respect," she said.
Vineyard agreed.
"If I went to a conservatory, maybe it would be cooler that I was in Glee Club," he mused, but added that he enjoyed having separate social and serious music outlets.
Bruyere seconded the benefits of these separate scenes.
"People at a conservatory can be almost too focused on performance," she said, explaining that she chose to come to Dartmouth for social considerations, and because she also wanted a liberal arts education.
All of the music majors cited Dartmouth's extensive opportunities as great benefits of the school, adding that they did not feel that they had sacrificed musical opportunities in pursuit of their bachelor's degrees.
"If you look for the opportunities [to perform], you'll find them," Shribman said.
Bruyere allowed that while many musical outlets are widely available, they have not made an impact on the collective campus consciousness.
"The Glee Club has been working on publicity, getting more people aware of who we are," she said.
I was enthused to discover that we do have an actual music scene, even though that reveals that I am indeed oblivious, as well as uncultured and unappreciative of classical music. (Burn.)
As a cynical Dartmouth student, I'm not sure if the more classically focused scene will ever permeate the slightly beer-fogged general awareness. Campus DJs, however, will always be on top.
"I would absolutely love to be a DJ, that's so cool, if I had the money to do that," Vineyard said. "Not only is it a musical outlet that's socially powerful, it's really freaking sweet."
I have to admit, I agree. DJ Espresso Shot Slam will now be spinning disks in the Sigma Delt basment. See you tonight.