Beyond the studio, YSM students sample new disciplines
When you arrive at the School of Music, you know that, in addition to individual studio instruction and chamber group, you’ll likely take courses in music history, or explore the state of the music industry today, or even try taking up a second instrument. You may not expect to learn about Yiddish theater in Argentina. But Jacob Duff ’26MM did just that, enrolling in a Yiddish language class through Yale College’s Jewish Studies Department.
Duff isn’t the only one registering for unconventional courses. Students across YSM are venturing beyond the practice room to take classes in the College and at other professional schools on campus. And the fact that faculty and administrators encourage pursuing coursework outside of YSM makes it all the more attractive.
“The opportunity to take courses from across the many departments and professional schools of one of the world’s great universities is a signature of the Yale School of Music curriculum,” says Deputy Dean Paul Berry. “It’s a truly uncommon opportunity, and I’m always excited to see the myriad ways in which it helps students deepen and reimagine their engagement with the music they love."
In Fall 2025, roughly 15% of YSM students took a class outside the School, which is typical for recent semesters. Classes range from the expected (language courses that improve diction), to the surprisingly relevant (art history courses that reveal aesthetic overlap with go-to repertoire), to the practical (business courses that prepare professional musicians), to the purely indulgent (painting, just for fun).
Initially drawn to the language program for personal reasons — both his grandparents and his mother speak Yiddish — Duff couldn’t help but find relevance to his studies at YSM, connecting discussions about Yiddish theater and klezmer music to his own oboe playing.
For the class’s final project, Duff made his way to the University’s archives to research the art and culture of the Yiddish diaspora. The experience of digging through records and handling historic documents was totally new. “I’d never done that kind of research before. It was an incredible experience,” he says.
Ultimately, he settled on a collection of theater posters from Argentina, which he digitized and translated. “I realized that the headliner on this poster from Argentina also founded a theater in Manhattan,” he says. “I loved seeing cross-cultural connections like that.”
Reflecting on the benefits of the class at the end of the semester, Duff says: “Pursuing other tracks only stands to help your musicianship. The glossary of what is possible in music expands. Your confidence in your artistic ability grows.”
Vincenzo Calcagno ’27MM, who took a history class on Palestine and Israel, shares a similar view.
“It’s vital for us, as artists, to take it upon ourselves to further our own education — if not purely for learning’s sake, then at least to become more interesting people and mindful citizens of the world,” he says.
Of course, stepping out of the comfort and familiarity of your field and into a totally new academic department can be intimidating. But Calcagno offers reassuring words to his peers: “You already possess the skills needed to succeed in any academic setting, exemplified by the years of intense dedication to your craft: discipline, commitment, and thoughtfulness. You need only be willing to apply yourself.”
José García-León, the Henry and Lucy Moses Dean of Music, also emphasizes this connection between musical excellence and academic curiosity.
“Yale’s broader academic ecosystem is not an add-on to the students’ education, but a core pillar of how they can be better prepared to be artists who lead and innovate. By embracing Yale’s extensive academic breadth and wealth of resources, our students have the opportunity to see and understand music in connection with the world beyond,” he says. “That expansive vision lies at the heart of our Strategic Plan: preparing artists to be intellectually agile, socially engaged, and ready to shape the future of the field.”
Albert Lee, Associate Dean for Student Life and Community Engagement, echoes the Dean’s sentiment, saying, “Central to our mission at YSM is developing musical artists of the highest caliber who also serve the profession and society. Part of that development is engaging our students’ varied intellectual curiosities. Classes outside of YSM are as much a part of the artistic journey as the time students spend in the practice room. It expands their thinking, connects them to community, and inspires new ways of thinking about music’s relevance in our world.”
Like Duff, Esther Orlov-Mayer ’27MM took a language course in the College: Critical Contexts in Medieval & Early Modern Iberia. After minoring in Hispanic Studies at Oberlin, they wanted to stay engaged with the material and preserve their language skills. And, more than that, the class proved to be a refreshing outlet.
“Everything I do is music — which I love — but it’s nice to have something that’s totally different to cleanse the palette a bit,” Orlov-Mayer says. “It reminds me that I’m a person beyond being a musician, that I’m part of a wider community, which is really important for my mental health.”
Diego de la Cruz Iwadare ’27MM, too, emphasizes the benefits of finding community through these non-YSM classes. “I’ve met so many wonderful people in other disciplines,” he says after taking an economics course. He goes on: “The greatest asset here is the people. We’re all here working on something unique, developing something. The more you get around, the more you learn.”
Working towards a career in performance and arts administration, Iwadare sought out a course to develop specific, relevant skills and, in so doing, open the doors to more classes in other departments. With the economics course under his belt, he’s already looking to what’s next, eyeing a class on negotiations at the School of Management.
“I’m not planning on becoming an economist or anything close to that,” he says. “I just want to know more about it, and what a better place to learn than here at Yale?”
