Music School Abandons its History 
as it Changes Course

By Victor Rosenbaum

Elliot Carter, who died in 2012 at the age of 103, was arguably the most famous and influential American composer of all time, studied at the Longy School of Music in the late 1920's and early 1930's while studying at Harvard.  In 1988, when Longy celebrated his 80th birthday with a concert of his music, he told me that those musical studies at Longy had been the most important in his life up to that time.   The role that the Longy School of Music played in his life would not be possible for future Carters if a recent decision by the School's administration and Board to terminate the community division goes into effect.  For Carter, like dozens of others – including renowned cellist Laurence Lesser, past President of New England Conservatory, Phyllis Curtin, the greatest American soprano of her generation, and Robert Freeman, for more than a quarter of a century the innovative Director of the Eastman School of Music – was a part-time student in what is now called Longy's community division.  Others, like the award-winning composer and Boston University Professor Richard Cornell, the Metropolitan Opera's principal cellist Jerome Grossman, and the internationally renowned pianist Anton Kuerti, got their musical start as children in the Preparatory program, also slated to be closed by the end of the coming summer.

But it is not simply these luminaries who are important in Longy's history.  It is also the thousands of others, past and present, who cultivated their love of music under the guidance of Longy's esteemed faculty, becoming amateur players and concert-goers.   It has always been the philosophy of Longy that music should be for all and the entry point could be at any age.

That the Board and administration of Longy (now part of Bard College) would cut off a component of the school that has been so central to its identity is, frankly, unfathomable.  Institutions, in my view, must evolve within certain parameters, based on their history and character.  Just as shutting down Harvard College to focus on graduate education would not be an option, so is this recent Longy decision an abandonment of institutional history and character.  Aside from the heartlessness of terminating fifty-four faculty members in one fell swoop, and leaving nearly a thousand students – children and adults – out in the cold, the decision shows scorn for the community that has supported the school since its founding in 1915.  For a school that describes the mission of its Conservatory division as “preparing musicians to make a difference in the world”, it seems a particularly sad irony that it is cutting off so much of the world within its own community.  Longy, with its diverse population of children, adults, and aspiring professionals provides, in fact, an ideal environment for fulfilling its mission and exploring the idea that music is an essential part of a full life.

I understand that Longy is embracing “El Sistema”, the Venezuelan program that has produced a national network of youth orchestras in that country as well as the renowned conductor Gustavo Dudamel, and intends to undertake education in underserved communities through that approach.  But laudable as that may be, it is no reason to abandon the programs and students that have made Longy a unique resource in Boston for so long.  Recognizing that the love and mastery of music start early, the teaching of children is a component of every important music school in the world – from Beijing to Juilliard – and should remain an important part of Longy's identity as well.

While limited space was given for the reason to terminate the community programs, this explanation defies credibility. Additional space can be found, or program sizes can be contained or gradually downsized to be manageable in the available facilities.  Another option would be an off-site location for the community division.  While this would sacrifice the special charm and benefit of the inter-mingling of ages in Longy's main Harvard Square buildings, it would be preferable to abandoning the programs altogether.

One thing is certain: whatever the problems or challenges Longy may be facing, they can be addressed and solved through open dialogue and collaboration with all constituencies -- faculty, students, and the community,  – something that has reportedly been sorely lacking there in recent years. I am certainly not one who clings to a romantic image of the good old days.  I understand the need for innovation and new directions.  The merger of Longy with Bard College, for instance, holds exciting possibilities for the future.  But I hope that the administrations and boards of Longy and Bard will reconsider its recent decision and conclude that important new directions need not be at the expense of what has already been built over nearly a century.

Victor Rosenbaum
Director and President, Longy School of Music, 1985-2001
Faculty: New England Conservatory / Mannes College of Music