TSS at SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music

In the fall of 2018, TSS, Inc. initiated a student-apprenticeship program in the Orchestra of Northern New York (ONNY). We sponsored ten students from SUNY's Crane School of Music to perform with the orchestra as student trainees. These TSS Apprentices assume full professional duties, and receive the same remuneration as other orchestra musicians. We have continued this program for 2019-20, so to date 20 student musicians have experienced playing with a large regional orchestra, currently in its 32nd year. We are working now to build on this initiative in similar directions as outlined above for UGA: cooperate in fundraising; form a TSS/Crane chamber music society with a senior ensemble at its head; break-out small ensembles with mixes of musicians from ONNY and Crane; and finally, with Crane also having land-grant outreach responsibilities as a SUNY unit, perform live serious music widely throughout Northern New York and the adjacent Adirondack Mountain region. Pursuing the latter already, we are establishing relationships with community arts councils, and have funded a Kids-Go-Free program at one of them.

SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music was founded in 1886. It has a long history of excellence in music education and performance. Each year it features more than 300 recitals, lectures and concerts presented by faculty, students, and guest artists. The Crane School offers rigorous undergraduate and graduate training programs emphasizing performance and practice. Its 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio is favorable to developing close relationships between its distinguished faculty and young scholars. Crane students regularly premiere new works, study with guest conductors and visiting artists, and perform in nationally televised concerts. Performance opportunities extend well beyond the Crane campus to such famous venues as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. The Crane choir has performed in churches across Germany and Spain, and its Latin ensemble plays often in New York City and has recently toured Cuba. Crane alumni include sought-after performing artists, award-winning educators, prolific composers, and executives in music business, non-profits, and creative fields. Crane students also benefit from SUNY Potsdam’s active arts environment, featuring programs in music, theatre, dance, fine arts and creative writing.