A Day in the Life

Saturday Serenade A DAY IN THE LIFE

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF STUDENT MUSICIAN JAKE TODD ’20

Meet Jake Todd ’20, a boarding student from Jackson, WY, and one of ten current CSW students who study at NEC Prep, a musical preparatory program at the New England Conservatory in Boston. Jake found out about NEC when he came to CSW for a campus tour and was introduced to Michael Weinstein, chair of CSW’s Music Department. For a serious cellist like Jake, the idea that he could attend a school like CSW with its unique, student-focused academic program, and also be in close proximity to one of the best music programs in the world, felt like an ideal situation. He accepted his admission offer from CSW and auditioned to join NEC’s Youth Repertory Orchestra.

Now, every Saturday, Michael drives Jake and at least one other classmate to NEC, where the students spend the day fine-tuning their craft and preparing for upcoming performances. Participation in NEC’s prestigious ensembles is by audition only and requires a high level of skill and musicianship. By all accounts, it is an intensely challenging program, but for students like Jake, it is equally rewarding.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A CSW/NEC SCHOLAR

8:00 a.m.

1:10 p.m. Head to orchestra rehearsal. Unpack and tune cello. Break out into sectionals. Rehearse String Serenade under the direction of conductor Cynthia Woods. Take a break to refill water and have a quick snack. Reconvene as a group and rehearse Carnival.

8:00 a.m. Pack a violin, cello, numerous backpacks, and 3+ people into Michael Weinstein’s Toyota Corolla and haul it to Boston.

9:00 a.m. Private lesson with instructor, Emmanuel Feldman. Work on solo repertoire, including two movements from the Bach Cello Suite no. 4 in E flat Major, the entire Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto in A minor, Popper Etudes, and the first Piatti Caprice.

Jake: “NEC evaluates you on a 1-to-4 scale in categories like performance, music theory, and ear training. A level 4 cert means you are ready for conservatory education. Last year I tested and qualified for level 3 certification in performance.”

10:30 a.m. Head to a practice room to work on orchestral pieces: Dvořák’s Carnival, Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings, and Mozarts Overture to The Magic Flute. Continue to practice material covered in morning lesson.

10:30 a.m.

Jake: “Being a successful musician is all about discipline. If I need to practice and don’t want to, I’m still going to practice.”

1:10 p.m.

11:30 a.m.

11:30 a.m. Eat lunch — a carryout container of last night’s dinner at the CSW dining hall. Kill time before orchestra rehearsal. Watch Netflix. Stand on the corner of Mass. Ave. and Huntington and watch the city go by.

Jake:“Being from the middle of nowhere Wyoming, being able to be in a city like Boston is really fun for me.”

3 p.m. Take a stroll through the NEC library. Hang out, rest, and wait for other CSW students to finish their rehearsals.

6:15 p.m. Meet up with Michael and other CSW boarders and head back to campus.

6:45 p.m. Arrive back at CSW. Eat dinner and hang out with friends and unwind in Aleph.

Jake: “After a long day of practice and rehearsals, there is no way I’m getting any homework done.”