The Conservatory of Music at Kean University is more than just another degree program. It is a department in which every student closely supports every other student in the department. This close relationship that students have with each other provides for an experience like no other, especially because they are still so accepting of new additions to their department. When a student begins his or her career in the Conservatory, the warmth of the other sixty to seventy students is felt immediately. It does not take long at all for students to feel at home in the music department. Rebecca Foster, sophomore music major, says, "It's a conservatory so it's a lot smaller... You're not just a number here; it's more personal which helps your music grow."

Aside from the outstanding camaraderie between students, the music department is home to some of the most brilliant professors in the field. The eight wonderful resident educators - in addition to the thirty-two adjunct faculty - produce an extraordinary amount of music teachers in the area. They are all dedicated to honing the skills of their students and watching them grow into professional quality musicians.

In order to help these students reach their maximum potential, the Conservatory is equipped with some of the most state-of-the-art technology and equipment. They have a myriad of musical computer software to assist students in different aspects of music, as well as high end Kawai digital pianos. In 2000, the department also acquired several new band instruments.

Many other schools offer grand programs with hundreds of students and a variety of the most accomplished faculty, but those music programs cannot even compare with Kean University's. Aside from the vast difference in tuition rates, those programs do not give students the direct, one-on-one attention that this program does. Here, students receive individual assistance for no extra charge. Other schools may provide private lessons for hundreds of dollars per semester, but Kean is able to provide the same direct attention while also saving students thousands of dollars over four years.

In addition to the remarkable faculty and students, Kean University's Conservatory of Music has received recognition from some of the most prestigious musical organizations in the nation. For instance, the National Association of Schools of Music (NASMNASM

For more information regarding the Conservatory of Music and how to apply, visit (www.kean.edu/KU/Conservatory-of-Music.)