Date CreatedMay 14, 2024
Jazz Small Group A
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2022
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2022
- Spring 2022
- Fall 2021
- A Graduate Student
Architecture
G3
- Teacher
No
No
- Improves my mental health
- Creates meaning in my life
- Is a part of my identity
I have grown immensely over the past years playing in the ensemble!! Live performances have been key to my development as a musician, and weekly rehearsals have been so good for my mental health that I would say I couldn’t have done my PhD program so far without them.
Date CreatedMay 14, 2024
Princeton University Orchestra (PUO)
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2022
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2022
- An Undergraduate
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
2025
- Family Member
Yes
Yes
They are very important and a wonderful experience. It’s a great way to see how professional musicians live, see the world, and get closer to other members in the ensemble.
It is not as valuable because I have already traveled in a lot of places in the US, as have most other students. But I would be excited if it were in very elite concert halls or working with famous American musicians or something.
It was great to have tours and structured educational events. The buses were a great way to get to know people.
It might have also been fun to plan nights out for the students as well (for example, seeing a concert together).
Overall I really loved it, and I’d be so excited to go on another PUO tour.
- Improves my mental health
- Creates meaning in my life
- Is part of why I chose to come to Princeton University
I have learned a lot about performance and managing my nerves. I have also gotten a lot better at sight reading, which has historically been a weakness of mine (compared to other players at my level).
I like to take advantage of every minute of rehearsal. I feel so lucky to be able to play at such a high level. College might be the last time I ever play in an ensemble, so I want to appreciate it as much as possible. Also, the music we play is fantastic.
Date CreatedMay 14, 2024
Princeton University Orchestra (PUO)
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2022
- Spring 2022
- Fall 2021
- Spring 2021
- Fall 2020
- Fall 2020
- An Undergraduate
Computer Science – B.S.E.
2024
- Music Department Website
- Audition Materials
- University Website
- Family Member
Yes
Yes
- Is a part of my identity
- Is part of why I chose to come to Princeton University
More appreciation for orchestra and also my peers and the level of musicianship that they've accomplished.
Date CreatedMay 14, 2024
Jazz Small Group 1
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Fall 2022
- An Undergraduate
Computer Science – A.B.
2026
- Music Department Website
No
No
- Gives me a sense of belonging
- Is a part of my social life on campus
- Is part of why I chose to come to Princeton University
I have improved my jazz skills by playing with musicians who are better than me.
Date CreatedMay 14, 2024
Jazz Small Group A
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- An Undergraduate
Music
2025
- Friend
No
No
- Gives me a sense of belonging
- Improves my mental health
- Creates meaning in my life
- Is a part of my identity
- Is a part of my social life on campus
Playing jazz in an ensemble is a completely different experience than solo piano. I learned so much about how to play off of other people, and my jazz vocabulary greatly improved.
Date CreatedMay 14, 2024
Jazz Small Group 1
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- I’ve never taken studio lessons
- A Graduate Student
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
G4
- Music Department Website
No
No
- Gives me a sense of belonging
- Improves my mental health
- Creates meaning in my life
- Is a part of my social life on campus
It gave me an avenue to play jazz on a regular basis in a small group, let me compose music and get my compositions workshopped with a live band, and helped my progress my skills in communicating in a jazz combo setting. Miles has been a great teacher on how to lead rehearsals and make interesting arrangements of jazz tunes
Date CreatedMay 14, 2024
Creative Large Ensemble (CLE)
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- I’ve never taken studio lessons
- A Graduate Student
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
G4
- Music Department Website
No
No
- Gives me a sense of belonging
- Improves my mental health
- Creates meaning in my life
I love the feeling of being a part of a large musical group like this, especially playing the bass which is so integral to the group’s sound. CLE gives me the opportunity to play in a setting like this and be a part of something larger than myself. Darcy chooses really interesting repertoire that challenges me like no other ensemble I’ve been in before has.
Date CreatedMay 14, 2024
Princeton University Orchestra (PUO)
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2022
- Spring 2022
- Fall 2021
- Spring 2021
- Fall 2020
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2022
- Spring 2022
- Fall 2021
- Spring 2021
- Fall 2020
- An Undergraduate
Molecular Biology
2024
- University Website
Yes
Yes
They truly bring together the orchestra, which is a really big group
- Gives me a sense of belonging
- Improves my mental health
- Creates meaning in my life
- Is a part of my identity
- Is a part of my social life on campus
- Is required by my parents or family
- Is part of why I chose to come to Princeton University
How to be a leader and a better musician
Date CreatedMay 14, 2024
Jazz Vocal Collective
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2022
- I’ve never taken studio lessons
- An Undergraduate
Electrical and Computer Engineering
2025
- Music Department Website
No
No
- Gives me a sense of belonging
- Improves my mental health
- Creates meaning in my life
- Is a part of my identity
- Is a part of my social life on campus
- Is helping me prepare for my career
This ensemble offers me the opportunity to pursue my love of music while also providing me with constructive criticism and feedback I can use to improve my playing. It is very valuable to my development as a musician.
Date CreatedMay 14, 2024
Princeton University Orchestra (PUO)
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- I’ve never taken studio lessons
- An Undergraduate
Molecular Biology
2027
- University Website
- Teacher
Yes
No
Yes
Not as valuable to tour in the United States.
- Is a part of my identity
Better musicianship
I really wish there was a stronger sense of community and more well-attended social events. It sometimes feels like people don't care.
Date CreatedMay 14, 2024
Princeton University Orchestra (PUO)
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2022
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2022
- An Undergraduate
Economics
2026
- University Website
- Teacher
Yes
No
- Gives me a sense of belonging
- Improves my mental health
- Creates meaning in my life
- Is a part of my identity
- Is a part of my social life on campus
Fun with fellow musicians and discovery of exciting repertoire
Date CreatedMay 14, 2024
Princeton University Orchestra (PUO)
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- I’ve never taken studio lessons
- An Undergraduate
Neuroscience
2027
- Audition Materials
- University Website
- Family Member
Yes
No
Yes, I think they are very important to experience the performing aspect in a different way.
- Gives me a sense of belonging
- Improves my mental health
- Creates meaning in my life
- Is required by my parents or family
Allows me to practice my instrument, and hone my skills when I otherwise would likely not make time to do so.
Date CreatedMay 14, 2024
Jazz Vocal Collective
- Spring 2024
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2022
- Fall 2021
- Spring 2021
- Spring 2020
- Fall 2019
- An Undergraduate
History
2024
- Teacher
No
No
- Gives me a sense of belonging
- Improves my mental health
- Creates meaning in my life
- Is a part of my identity
Performance skills, greater confidence, and an understanding of how to engage in ensemble with other performers in order to enhance and complement each other’s talents!
Date CreatedMay 14, 2024
Princeton University Orchestra (PUO)
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2022
- Spring 2022
- Fall 2021
- Spring 2021
- Fall 2020
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2022
- Spring 2022
- Fall 2021
- Spring 2021
- Fall 2020
- An Undergraduate
Computer Science – B.S.E.
2024
- University Website
Yes
Yes
- Is required for my degree program
- Is part of why I chose to come to Princeton University
It was nice to get to do live performances, and rehearse with a full orchestra.
Date CreatedMay 14, 2024
African Music Ensembles (AME)
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2022
- An Undergraduate
Chemistry
2026
- Friend
I Don't Know
No
- Gives me a sense of belonging
- Improves my mental health
- Creates meaning in my life
Great experience with learning music aurally and playing from memory, as well as basic improvisation.
Date CreatedMay 14, 2024
Creative Large Ensemble (CLE)
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2022
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2022
- An Undergraduate
Chemistry
2026
- Music Department Website
No
No
- Is part of why I chose to come to Princeton University
Jazz experience, opportunity to play Bass Trombone
Date CreatedMay 14, 2024
Princeton University Orchestra (PUO)
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2022
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2022
- An Undergraduate
Chemistry
2026
- Music Department Website
Yes
Yes
Yes!
I value touring internationally more, since it's not really an opportunity that I would get elsewhere
- Creates meaning in my life
- Is a part of my identity
- Is required for my degree program
- Is part of why I chose to come to Princeton University
Phenomenal orchestral experience, doing major orchestral works.
There is a really, really, really really weak sense of community. I know basically nobody outside of my instrument / similar instruments, or other groups that I am in.
Date CreatedMay 14, 2024
Sinfonia
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2022
- An Undergraduate
Chemistry
2026
- Music Department Website
- Friend
No
No
- Gives me a sense of belonging
- Improves my mental health
- Creates meaning in my life
- Is a part of my identity
- Is a part of my social life on campus
Extra opportunity to play more orchestral music. Really fun!
Date CreatedMay 14, 2024
Jazz Vocal Collective
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- An Undergraduate
Economics
2027
- Audition Materials
- Family Member
No
No
- Gives me a sense of belonging
- Improves my mental health
- Creates meaning in my life
- Is a part of my identity
- Is part of why I chose to come to Princeton University
I learned how to accompany a vocalist, how to play through changes melodically, how to phrase specific genres of jazz, and to use emotion.
Thank you for the experience.
Date CreatedMay 15, 2024
Sinfonia
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2022
- Spring 2022
- Fall 2021
- Spring 2022
- Fall 2021
- An Undergraduate
Neuroscience
2025
- Teacher
No
No
- Gives me a sense of belonging
- Improves my mental health
- Creates meaning in my life
- Is a part of my identity
- Is a part of my social life on campus
I have gained a deeper love of music, a community, and so many friendships.
Date CreatedMay 15, 2024
Sinfonia
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2022
- Spring 2022
- Fall 2021
- Spring 2021
- Fall 2020
- Spring 2020
- Fall 2019
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2019
- An Alum
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
2023
No
No
- Gives me a sense of belonging
- Improves my mental health
- Is a part of my social life on campus
- Is part of why I chose to come to Princeton University
The opportunity to create music with other like-minded peers; collaboration, adaptation, diligence.
Date CreatedMay 15, 2024
Sinfonia
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- I’ve never taken studio lessons
- An Undergraduate
Politics
2026
- Music Department Website
- Friend
No
No
- Gives me a sense of belonging
- Improves my mental health
- Is a part of my social life on campus
Other than increasing my musical ability, participating in Sinfonia gives me a space where I can come together with my peers to enjoy playing music for music's sakes.
Date CreatedMay 15, 2024
Sinfonia
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2022
- Spring 2023
- An Undergraduate
English
2026
- Music Department Website
I Don't Know
No
- Improves my mental health
- Creates meaning in my life
- Is a part of my identity
I have loved the opportunity to get to play canonical repertoire that was on my bucket list to play, as well as getting to grow so much more as a musician and keeping up my playing.
Date CreatedMay 15, 2024
Sinfonia
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2022
- Spring 2022
- Fall 2021
- I’ve never taken studio lessons
- A Graduate Student
Architecture
G4
- Music Department Website
No
No
- Gives me a sense of belonging
- Creates meaning in my life
- Is a part of my identity
Playing music with others
Date CreatedMay 15, 2024
Sinfonia
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2023
- Fall 2022
- Spring 2022
- Fall 2021
- Spring 2024
- Fall 2023
- An Undergraduate
Computer Science – B.S.E.
2024
- University Website
- Friend
No
No
- Improves my mental health
- Creates meaning in my life
- Is a part of my identity
I’ve grown as a musician and had a space that serves as an excellent creative outlet.