Looking forward

After auditioning at the Berklee College of Music last November, alumnus Miles Waldman (‘16) felt confident that he would get into his top choice school. Waldman has been playing music for 14 years and it is one of his true passions.

In the audition, Waldman had to exhibit different musical skills. He had to display his ability to sight-read, improvise a piece on his instrument (the bass) and play a prepared piece (“Darling Dear” by the Jackson 5.)

One of the reasons Waldman applied to Berklee is that students can study all types of music, while in many other music schools students are restricted to more traditional music types such as classical and jazz. Last December, Waldman was accepted into Berklee and he is looking forward to the next few years.

“I always really liked music,” Waldman said. “I always played music, and wanted [to] study music in college.”

A fresh start

Alumnus Jacob Serfaty (’14) entered Kenyon College as a physics major, but switched to film his sophomore year. Serfaty changed to film because he joined a movie-making club at Kenyon and his eyes were opened to his love for film.

“Through all those outlets I was able to really figure out what I actually enjoyed, and what I really wanted to major in,” Serfaty said.

To switch his major to film, Serfaty filled out a form and had his adviser sign it. After making this adjustment, Serfaty enrolled in an introduction to film course, and is currently working on a screenplay. In the future, Serfaty is considering a career in animation so that he can incorporate drawing into his art.

“The best part of taking on an art wherever you go is you’re not [only] learning about it, you are doing it,” Serfaty said.

Reflecting back

Art and Design Instructor Benjamin Tellie helps students apply to colleges’ visual arts programs. His main job is to help students create a portfolio for whatever medium they choose. Tellie encourages students to keep work from their junior and senior years to showcase in their portfolios.

Tellie believes that students must major in the arts if they want to pursue them professionally, as the knowledge students gain at their college will not be available to them anywhere else.

“I believe it’s in the overall experience a person will have in their college education that might help guide them to what they might want to do with their career path,” Tellie said in an email.

Tellie realized he wanted to be involved in art when he was a teenager. After graduating from Temple University, he attended Columbia University for a master’s degree in art and art education at their Teacher’s College.

“Majoring in art and art education and my undergraduate and graduate education has helped me shape who I am today, not only as an art educator teaching at CESJDS, but a person who is interested in community service work, research and being an artist,” Tellie said in an email. “It changed my life completely.”