Charles Abromovic

[crazy for ivan moravec]

hi everyone! i was just wondering if any of you studies or studied at the Temple University? i'd like to get your comments about Charles Abromovic as a teacher, really interested to audition there. if he is your teacher, please tell me how you find him as one. thank you.

[pianistimo]

he's a piano teacher, i take it?

i know a person who teaches there by the name of tram sparks.  she teaches conducting privately during the summer - and is very heavily involved in the music and choral program in the fall/spring.  but, i'm sure (because she plays fantastic piano, too)  she knows all the instructors.  will look up her e mail if i can find it.

ok. it's datsparks@aol.com            i hope that's still her address.  she is a musical genius to me.  i always like to hear her play.  and, yet, her main instrument of teaching is voice.  tell her susan referred you.  maybe also tsparks@temple.edu

[pianistimo]

don't forget west chester uni either.  they are an 'all steinway' school now.  west chester is a very good hole in the wall music school and yet they have a wide diversity of classes.  and really great instructors (practically all from julliard) - if that is what you are looking for?  not sure.  sometimes people go for a specific instructor.  i like BOTH of the ones i met.  dr. carl cranmer and dr. veleta.  i had dr. cranmer for piano lessons and dr. veleta for 'the piano concerto.'  they both were so helpful!

ps they have an ALL NEW MUSIC BUILDING, too.  west chester is about 45 minutes from where i live and about the same from temple, i think.

also *** try cabromovic@temple.edu

[crazy for ivan moravec]

wow, thanks so much! i really appreciate this.

[pianistimo]

you're very welcome.  i've never actually been ON the campus of temple, but we've driven by several times.  i hear some really good stuff - and isn't christopher o'riley presenting his 'from the top' show from temple?  always great musicians around there.

the only thing i didn't like was the area of town.  now this may be a moot point if the dorms are basically on campus and locked down at night - which i think they are.  west chester uni is in a better area of town - but the dorms are more delapidated.  they have very hot chicks there.  they walk around at all hours with no midriffs and short skirts.  it might be distracting to you unless you stay in the library when they are walking around the block.  basically these chicks are never seen near the library, but often frequent the bookstore.  explain that one?

temple has only serious musicans which are all ugly.  excepting tram.  she's really pretty.  it keeps the quality of music up.  i don't know how attractive abromovic is - but carl cranmer is a knock out.  of course, this wouldn't matter to you since you're a guy.  well, in any case.  the first thing to get out of the way is what your goals are.  and, if you prefer one library over another.  i think temple university might have the better library.  but west chester now might have the better performance hall as the new music building surely has one.  also, they have some sort of 'salon' settings in a formal library.  the thing about the old library is that it is extremely dusty.  i used to have serious coughing attacks there.  just have to be careful when you pull a book out.

also, the xerox machines are crap.  they take your money and occasionally work - but usually spit it out sideways.  the one in the library has paper jams all the time.  i don't know why they post 'you will be fined if you copy x amount of copyrighted material'  - i mean if you actually copied a whole book on that stupid machine - you should win a prize. 

[crazy for ivan moravec]

thanks! i think i'll go for the hot chicks, haha, just kidding. im also seriously considering minnesota school of music, uni of michigan and boston uni CFA. i might also limit my auditions to 5 schools. application fees are quite expensive (considering that i'm converting peso to dollar, haha). i mean, for sure i wont audition in julliard or manhattan schools coz i'd be wasting my application fee coz i know i wont get in anyway, hehe.

one thing i need to consider most is that there has to be the least distraction for me... like not much hot chicks! no, seriously. i need to stay focused.

thanks again!

[pianistimo]

university of indiana, i heard, isn't bad either.  but, for a career - why not at least attempt julliard?  you could always find out what they are looking for in an audition and go to your home uni one or two years and fulfill the requirements of the audition (getting better at theory, or sightreading, and playing if you think that's a prob?).  also, this is a cheap way to get your 'requirements' out of the way.  usually credits transfer, don't they? 

where can you find out about tranferring credits from one uni to another (and match up the requirement credits)?  i mean it could save thousands since you are a resident of your own state.  then, all you'd need to do would be to focus mostly on music classes and have time to practice. 

i think julliard has a generous grant to talented students that lets them study for free.  check into it.  of course, the cost of living is sky high around there - but, if you are living on campus or with friend in nyc it might save some money.  wonder if parents around the country are now trading students (student exchange) to live in various homes to avoid the cost of dorm and food?  who knows?  i offerred my son's best friend to come to pa and stay with us.  not sure where he's studying right now - but he lived on the west coast and we are now on the east.

[crazy for ivan moravec]

julliard? i dont know. quite a big school for my level. i live in the philippines and while it may be cheap to study for masters here, i dont think it will ever give me the environment and good standards that i know is there in US universities. i need to get out of here fast! hehe. my plan is just to get there, in any uni that may give some scholarship, then work my way to more diplomas- before i come back here to take some education studies. right now, i tend to think that im not looking for a concert career. i just want to become better with my playing and get those "papers" (diplomas),that's all.

[pianistimo]

with your samples, i don't see what's stopping you from at least attempting julliard.  they like young artists, but temple is probably a great school, too.  what did you find out about abromovic?  i hope that you get to study wherever you most want to.  temple is known for many fine artists.  tram is an 'all around' musician.  it's hard to find instructors like that.  you can ask her almost any question about music and she's got some kind of good response.  she is quick and precise.  not sure where she studied herself - but you know, the temple singers might always need some back up pianist/accompanists.  that would be a fun job!  not sure if she does it all herself - but i found with other choirs that they needed extra for parts.  then, the longer you stay the more they fit you in.

i learned a tremendous amount of information about music interpretation from choral accompanying and just listening to a great director.  she is definately one.  and, because of your interest in music - i would DEFINATELY take her conducting class.  yes.  you should go to temple if julliard doesn't work out.