Frequently Asked Questions
On this page are answers to questions frequently asked by people attending the Conference for the first time.
Contents
What can I expect as a newcomer to the Chamber Music Conference?
How should I prepare to get the most enjoyment out of my week?
What should I bring?
I am traveling light; what items may I leave home?
What about the living accommodations? And the food?
Can I bring my family?
I live too far away to drive to Colgate; what are my options for transportation?
By what hour must I arrive at Colgate? May I book a room for an extra night and arrive one day early?
Must I buy all the music for my coaching groups? Some pieces are very expensive!
This is a vacation, right?
Questions and Answers
What can I expect as a newcomer to the Chamber Music Conference?
We will give you a warm welcome! After you are accepted, we assign a buddy to contact you in advance of your arrival in order to ensure that you have the information you need and to answer your questions. Upon arrival on Sunday, your buddy meets you for opening night dinner, introduces you to other participants, and arranges at least one free-play session. We schedule a newcomers' meeting before dinner so you can get oriented. Sunday evening closes with a playing event.
Your activities outside of scheduled sessions are completely up to you. Many newcomers take advantage of free-play opportunities – arranged with your buddies, or with others at meal times or morning coffee or afternoon snack – in many sessions of the week. Others enjoy some free time for other activities. Even with a modest amount of free play, the amount of daily playing time at the Conference is more than most of us experience during typical weeks of our lives. We suggest that before the Conference, you try to increase your playing time at home, to get your muscles ready and decrease your chances of aches and over-use injuries. See the last of these FAQs (This is a vacation, right?) for more information, and feel free to contact your buddy or any of us with questions.
How should I prepare to get the most enjoyment out of my week?
We expect participants to come very well prepared for coaching on each piece they have been assigned, so that coaching sessions can be as productive as possible. Obtain your music and start practicing promptly after receiving your coaching assignments. Obtain the score, look at other parts, and pencil in necessary cues. Number the measures in your part and score; or, if your music edition has numbered measures, check that the numbering matches our conventions (we will send you how-to instructions). To become familiar with the piece, arrange to read or rehearse it, or listen to one or more recordings.
What should I bring?
Essentials: your clothes, personal necessities (including medications), your instrument, and music for coaching (including a full score). Cellists should bring a rockstop or chair strap for playing. Dorm rooms and apartments will have flat sheets, towels, a pillow and pillowcase, and a blanket, and a limited supply of travel-size shampoo/body wash containers will be available at CMC registration. We suggest you bring an umbrella and raincoat for occasional rainy days, long pants and light sweater/jacket for cool days and evenings; and a pencil for marking music during coaching.
Optional items that can add to your personal comfort include workout clothes and/or a swimsuit, a foldable music stand for practicing in dorms, and any music you would like to play during free-time hours that may not be in our music library collection.
Other items that some participants consider bringing:
- Stand light, if you need extra lighting
- Flashlight, if your phone doesn’t provide this
- Extra supplies as needed for your instrument (reeds, strings, etc.)
- Bathrobe
- Hangers
- A caddy for carrying toiletries to/from the bathroom, if you choose to stay in a dorm (dorm bathrooms have no hooks or cubbies)
- Your own blanket and pillow, if you prefer
- Mattress pad or fitted sheet
- Fan for your room (note that all dorm rooms are air-conditioned and apartments are not)
- Power strip (note that Colgate prohibits extension cords but allows power strips with integrated circuit breakers)
- Doorstop
- A reusable mug for hot drinks
I am traveling light; what items may I leave home?
Essentials are listed above. We provide music stands, and we have an extensive music library collection from which participants are welcome to borrow for free-play sessions.
What about the living accommodations? And the food?
See the Beyond Music page for information about housing and dining.
Can I bring my family?
Capacity to accommodate family members is limited. Family members and other guests must be registered with us and must apply by the application deadline.
Parents attending the Conference may consider enrolling their children in the Eastern U.S. Music Camp, a summer music program for older children. Their program is held on the Colgate campus and overlaps with our Conference weeks 1 through 3.
I live too far away to drive to Colgate; what are my options for transportation?
You can get to Colgate by car, air, train, or bus.
The major airport closest to Colgate is Syracuse Hancock International Airport in Syracuse, NY, about a one-hour drive from campus. The nearest Amtrak station is Utica Union Station in Utica, NY, about a 45-minute drive from campus. Bus service direct to campus from New York City is available on Megabus. Utica and Syracuse are served by Adirondack Trailways and Greyhound.
The Maps and Travel page at Colgate’s website has information about all of these options.
A shuttle service, operated by First Transit, provides transportation between the Colgate campus and the Syracuse airport and the bus and train stations. See shuttle service webpage page at the Colgate website for more information about the shuttle service.
Note that Lyft and Uber may not be reliable for rides from Hamilton.
About the First Transit shuttle service, note:
- Advance reservation is required. For example, for service on a Sunday, reservations must be made by the preceding Thursday. See the shuttle service webpage for details.
- If multiple parties make reservations for similar trips at similar times—say, if two people reserve trips from the airport at about the same time—the shuttle service may pool the rides and split the fare among the parties sharing the ride. You can request not to be pooled when you make your reservation, but First Transit cannot guarantee to honor this request; if necessary to meet demand, they will pool rides.
- If you have questions, please contact First Transit. The shuttle service webpage gives phone and email contact information.
By what hour must I arrive at Colgate? May I book a room for an extra night and arrive one day early?
All Conference attendees should plan to arrive on campus on Sunday between 2:00 and 4:30 PM, if at all possible, for Registration. Late arrivals can be accommodated by advance arrangement but should be avoided, especially for newcomers. New participants should plan to arrive by 3:30, to allow time for registering, unpacking, and attending an orientation meeting.
Early arrivals are possible only by arrangement well in advance, and on-campus accommodations for early arrivals are subject to availability, which is very limited. More information about early arrival will be provided to attendees.
Must I buy all the music for my coaching groups? Some pieces are very expensive!
Most of the literature is public domain and is available inexpensively at music stores or online music dealers. Free parts and scores for music that is off-copyright are available on several websites. In addition, public libraries in major cities have large chamber music collections for lending. We will include detailed information about music sources when we send you your assignments.
If you indicate interest in being coached on a commissioned work by a Composer-in-Residence or a Composition Fellow, and you are selected, then we will send you a part and a score in advance of the Conference, free of charge.
Photo: Alison Williams
This is a vacation, right?
We think so, but if you are attending as a participant, the Conference is definitely a vacation that requires advance preparation and a commitment to your coaching sessions. You must attend all coaching sessions for the duration of the session – please do not schedule business or personal activities during coaching hours.
Outside of coaching sessions, your time is free. Most participants arrange to play chamber music with others during some parts of the day, but this is a joy, not an obligation. You can choose instead to nap, walk, hike, bike, play tennis, swim, use the university's exercise facility, visit the library, go shopping, browse the internet, sit outdoors, read a book, or engage in conversation: the pleasures of the Colgate campus, the town of Hamilton, and the bucolic surroundings are many and yours to enjoy.
If you wish to forgo coaching and have all of your time free for playing or for any other activities, you can attend as an auditor.
