Composition Mentorship Program
We have a very special and important program in our department called the MENTORSHIP program that pairs graduate students with each undergraduates enrolled in composition classes. Students meet once a week for no more than an hour to look over whatever the undergraduate students are writing, propose suggestions about their music or about literature they could use as models, answer more general questions about new music, composition, or the composition program, commiserate with them about the faculty (!) or about requirements, etc., and give them coping tools as appropriate. This is not another layer of curriculum for the undergraduate, but rather a way to provide more support for the very personal career path of composing. As such, what happens in the sessions should be completely up to the undergraduate student. Undergrads, take the lead, and graduate student, please be prepared to support them in whatever they need. Here’s how it works:
- We ask the graduate student mentor to take the lead and be in contact as soon as possible and try to determine a good weekly time that fits your schedules (or at least a single meeting time to get started, and to then set up additional meetings).
- Please follow up if you do not manage to connect right away – we all remember what it was like to be an undergraduate and how busy things are.
- Please respect each other’s time. If you schedule a meeting, please show up!
- Mentees: if you miss more than two meetings without prior notification, know that your mentor is no longer obligated to continue meeting with you, and any reconnection will need to be at your initiative. All of us are very busy, and no-shows are a most inconsiderate use of a person’s valuable time.
- Either mentors or mentees PLEASE contact Dr. Rudy (or any of the composition faculty) with any issues at your earliest convenience. It is not uncommon for personalities to not be compatible, and should that be the case, we will work with you both to find an arrangement that works!
Graduate students, please let faculty know if you want to participate (those on scholarship are required to participate!). Undergrads, if you would like to continue with your same mentor from last year, please speak with them and make sure they want to continue, then let us know! These relationships often develop into special friendship, and are valuable for both the grad student (teaching experience!) and undergraduate (another view on your work!).