For some, like Laura Lawless '00, who felt that her "childhood had been curtailed by frequent trips away to compete," and that she had "lost hours with friends because of musical responsibilities," coming to Harvard provided a newfound sense of freedom. With a dearth of practice rooms and a lack of adequate lesson subsidies, though, fair Harvard holds no beacon of liberation to guide her music students.

The complaints spring from all sides. No one should have to practice in recycling rooms, as Caine does; oboist Dearbhla McHenry '00 remembers many quality hours spent in the Greenough laundry room. When it comes down to practice room access, "the Saturday 1 p.m. to 4:15 is a pathetic gesture," laments composer David Salvage '01. Likewise, Kar-mun Woo '01 finds it "sad and rather insulting that Harvard can't trust us enough to give us access to practice rooms without somebody there to patrol us."

Cellist Stephen Cho '97-'98 points out that the $200 per semester lesson grants will pay for "about a lesson and a half with some teachers in the area." These grants seem little more than a token act on the part of the Office of the Arts, and this policy often forces students to consider the practicality of furthering their musical pursuits. "Barring the miniscule possibility that I win the Mass Millions jackpot, I am going to put music on hold for a little while," says Cho, who is currently pursuing a career in investment banking, even though he realizes that music is, has always been and always will always be his one great passion in life.

One possible explanation for Harvard's apparent insensitivity to musi- cians' need is surprisingly simple: it justcomes with the territory. "Harvard made aconscious choice decades ago not to do what Yalehas done," said Allston Burr Senior Tutor ofKirkland House and music seminar instructor Dr.Mark Risinger. That is, the college chose not toestablish a school of music. With Juilliard,Curtis, Peabody and the New England Conservatoryin relatively close proximity, Risinger explained,there was no need for Harvard to divert itsfaculty and finances from academics. "We don'thave the same sort of obligation to maximizeperformance opportunity that a conservatory wouldhave." "My primary concern in talking withprospective students," Risinger added, "is to makesure they have an accurate impression of whatHarvard is like for performing musicians." Such adistinction is crucial for the student who mightsign away four formative, potentiallycareer-developing years.

This is not to say that Harvard is completelyoblivious to the efforts of rising musicians.Cellist Haimovitz is living proof. He now shareslabels with the likes of Eduard Lalo on PolygramKlassik. Following Haimovitz's transfer to Harvardfrom Princeton, the music department went to greatlengths to accommodate his needs and his erraticperformance schedule, as did Kirkland House, byensuring that he had access to sufficient practicespace. When referring to the majority of cases,however, Risinger offers a logical analogy."Musical performance here is akin to varsityathletics. People will be enthusiastic andsupportive," but in the end, the emphasis stillrests on academics.

It Was Good Enough For Yo-Yo Ma '76...

So why would a serious student of classicalmusic performance even consider coming to Harvard?Just ask Joseph Lin '00, of recent "Joe with HRO"fame. "I had an idea of what life was like, and Ididn't want to be so narrowly focused." He said,"I definitely think that coming to Harvard,instead of shutting the door to music, has openedit more. You appreciate it within a broadercontext."

A broader context includes more than thediversity inherent to a liberal arts curriculum.One of the most important components of musicalperformance is, after all, the audience. "Hereyour audience is as broad and deep as you couldhope for--and refreshingly young. The sounds youmake will hit your audience in a thousanddifferent ways. Could you hope for as much withthe better informed but narrower spectrum oflisteners in any musical establishment?" asks Kim.Exposure to personal diversity is one advantageHarvard holds over any conservatory's studentbody. Salvage delineates this advantageous linkbetween audience and musician, saying, "Peoplehere are fascinating and driven. So many know somuch about so many different things, that theinteraction is amazingly refreshing--and alsogreatly beneficial to music making."

Faculty members like Risinger, Dr. Robert Levinand Dr. John Stewart, who helped Lawless tounderstand that "being a musician does notnecessarily mean alienating oneself from otherdisciplines," also illuminate and lend credibilityto Harvard's music department. Additionally, thereis always the option of taking a semester off ordeferring admission entirely. Cellist Jennifer Lee'01, who deferred admission for a year to study ata conservatory in Germany, found the "depth of themusic world of Europe unbelievable." Yet shereturned to Harvard because she felt that sheneeded "something more, "even if it meant leavingher professor thinking that she "came here tobecome an egghead."

Resting in this particular carton of eggheadsare a lacrosse player, concentrators in physicsand comparative religion, future I-bankers andclinical psychologists. At one point during theiryears at Harvard, Ma, Lynn Chang '75 and JamesBuswell '70 may have been eggheads as well, butbeing an egghead has its benefits. Chances are, ata conservatory, musicians like McHenry would notfind that their friends are delighted for themwhen they're bouncing off the walls after a reallygood lesson. Nor would one find a duo of pianistslike Andrew Park '01 and Woo, who "sit there andjust laugh." Park knows the answer to the Harvardquestion, too, as everyone does. When asked "Whyare you here?" by a peer, Park provides a gentlereminder: "For the same reason that you are." Youcan't argue with that.CrimsonSamuel P. Tepperman-GelfantTHE FOUR TOPS: Members of the EhrkernString Quartet rehearse in the Adams House LowerCommon Room; they could be at Julliardinstead.