JENNIFER HUMPHREYS, CELLO
Graduate Student

As music students research graduate schools, there’s no doubt that they will come across the Shepherd School as one of the premier orchestral programs in the country. Any young musician looking to make a name for him/ herself in a professional orchestra knows that Rice is one of the best places you can possibly be to prepare for such a career. However, new students are still blown away by the quality of training and musicianship here at Rice, even with all they’ve already heard or read. It really is something you just have to experience for yourself.

The orchestras here are, of course, phenomenal. Larry Rachleff has spent the past 16 years conducting and refining two of the top college orchestras in the world. Commonly-heard phrases like “Rhythm equals employment” and “I know, I hate me, too” show his commitment and dedication to high standards and a polished final performance. Both individual and group preparation are taken very seriously, and the results can be seen (and heard) in the exceptional performances given throughout the year. Orchestral repertoire classes and mock auditions take place frequently as well, while faculty members lead students through extremely detailed excerpt exploration. Shepherd students are very fortunate to be able to work with members of the Houston Symphony on a regular basis - my time with cellists Brinton Smith and Chris French has been invaluable in preparing for the world of auditions and learning what it takes to win the big job.

Of course, a huge part of being here is also private lessons. Shepherd boasts having the finest faculty from around the world, and the environment here is small and intimate enough that teachers can and want to be involved in our everyday lives. Studying with Lynn Harrell was definitely a big factor in my coming to Rice, and he has helped me grow immensely not only as a cellist, but as a complete musician. Hearing him and other faculty members perform in frequent (free) recitals on campus is also extremely educational and inspiring.

What makes such an outstanding education complete is the supportive and positive environment amongst the students. People are constantly bouncing ideas off each other, playing for each other, doing outreach in the community, and simply sharing their love of music with one another – no where else have I seen such a positive, encouraging community that sends students out with great success into the real world.