Studying at Baylor:
The Baylor bassoon studio typically has 8-10 members. These members are primarily music education or bassoon performance majors. However, there are at times non-music majors who are actively involved in the studio. There is a weekly hour-long studio class and an hour-long reed class. Freshmen have their own reed class with Dr. Shoemaker each week in the fall term.
Studio class is an opportunity for community building, performance practice, and covering general topics together. We work on orchestral repertoire, play solo repertoire, etudes and scales-whatever each student is working on at the time. It is also a time for presenting research projects, discussing related literature, and for playing in bassoon ensembles.
In freshman reed class, we always start from the beginning, no matter the experience the students are entering with. We cover profiling, shaping, forming and adjusting. By the end of the semester, all students will be making their own reeds. After the fall term, freshmen join in with the rest of the studio in general reed time, where they can work independently or receive assistance from Dr. Shoemaker or the more experienced reed makers.
Studio class is an opportunity for community building, performance practice, and covering general topics together. We work on orchestral repertoire, play solo repertoire, etudes and scales-whatever each student is working on at the time. It is also a time for presenting research projects, discussing related literature, and for playing in bassoon ensembles.
In freshman reed class, we always start from the beginning, no matter the experience the students are entering with. We cover profiling, shaping, forming and adjusting. By the end of the semester, all students will be making their own reeds. After the fall term, freshmen join in with the rest of the studio in general reed time, where they can work independently or receive assistance from Dr. Shoemaker or the more experienced reed makers.
Graduate Assistantship
Baylor offers one graduate assistantship in bassoon. It is typically available once every two years. The ideal graduate assistant for Dr. Shoemaker's studio should be a strong performer who wants to be a leader for a primarily undergraduate studio, wants mentorship from Dr. Shoemaker, and desires frequent performance opportunities and ample teaching experience. The assistantship is currently assigned through the 2019-2020 school year. It is possible to acquire an additional assistantship or scholarship for graduate students, so those interested in graduate study should not be discouraged from applying for 2019. For more details, click on the "Graduate Assistantship" link in the Baylor drop-down menu seen above. If interested, please contact Dr. Shoemaker directly via email.
