Madison Loves Music

Students who were looking for a music class on the main campus this semester were in the wrong place.
Over the course of the winter session the entire music program was moved into its new facilities a few blocks northwest at the Madison campus.

Several of the classrooms at the Madison campus have been fitted with chairs and music stands rather than desks, and although regular courses like math are offered in traditional classrooms just across the hall, the pianos that are tucked into the corners of many rooms make the campus seem like a special place for students with an interest in music.

Jake Aronson, a music major at Santa Monica College, talked about this as a main point saying "it's nice, I think there is a piano in most classrooms."

Besides the classrooms the campus is home to other fantastic resources such as the Pete and Susan Barrett Art Gallery and the brand new Eli and Edythe Broad Stage. These additions do a lot for student morale as Terry Carter, an instructor for Guitar 84A at the Madison campus, says "it gives you a university feel at a community college."

Devin Schneider, who works at the art gallery, agrees with instructor Carter when he talks about the Broad Stage saying "I've been here since they started construction, and it is a beautiful, really nice addition to the college."

After teaching music courses at the main campus for a year and a half, instructor Carter was thankful for the new facilities as he said "this place is really nice, cleaner, the rooms we had [before] were old."

However, Carter does see some complications with not offering any music courses at the main campus, as he said "the main campus was a lot easier for non music majors." Carter feels that the fact that music courses are only going to be given on a satellite campus may discourage students whose main focus in school is not music, but would still like to take a course or two for the fun of it. But he sees this as a temporary problem, saying that it won't be a big deal "once everyone gets used to the idea that this is where the music is."

In fact Carter's complaint was the only noticeable one as Aronson talked more about the upside of the new facilities and stated that the satellite campus is easier to park on and even that the classrooms seem bigger.

When asked, most people on the satellite campus said little more about the facilities than "it's nice" and had vague terms of endearment to describe them.
However, this was quite fitting as the enormous Broad Stage towers over the main building and gives a feeling of professionalism to the entire college.

With the little things like high ceilings in the music rooms for good acoustics and the well kept grounds, the campus truly speaks for itself and doesn't seem to need a further description. It is no wonder that for the most part, music students and instructors alike are excited to have their new home.