Bob Cole Conservatory- The Music corner of CSULB

With music coming in and out of this space in all different styles, this space is far from the norm. Thinking of Los Angeles I would use words such as traffic, danger and wild. At the Bob Cole Conservatory I have known it to be a place of learning and high quality, completely serious performance. To get a new perspective on this space, I explored the halls and went down a level to the practice rooms. This area is very open and yet there are hidden spots that one would not notice unless they carefully looked and listened. One Wednesday night I walked around and in the distance I could hear music being played. Although they were either jazz or classical majors, they got together for a jam session to play some pop songs. As it got later I went to go sit on the grass and came across some children playing in they grass and around the buildings. Never before did I see this area as a playground, but that just shows how different people see spaces differently. I realized what may be fun about this place to the kids. The railing is perfect for handing on and the architecture gives things to hide behind and jump over. This space is fun, peaceful and safe. This corner of Cal State Long Beach is filled with people so passionate about music that they constantly return to this place not just for work, but also for play. Everyone in the space and program knows each other and it acts as the ideal comfortable learning place. Looking at the students and their environment, I see a bit of Los Angeles, but it is only the performance side. All of these students work hard because they want to make it in the music business, either as a famous performer or an inspiring teacher. The dreams of LA shine through in this space. The difference is that this is a space of acceptance and growth. LA is known for making dreams happen, but it is also known for crushing them. This space develops talent, musicianship and most importantly, passion. The passion is what brings them back in so often. Passion keeps them there when they don’t have to be.

            Another time, I observed the people going into a large performance held in the CPAC, which is on the Conservatory corner of Cal State Long Beach. This is a completely different side to the corner. I came as an outsider since I was not going to the performance and even the way I was dressed was completely different from the people attending. I walked around and saw ladies in elegant dresses and men in suits. For the most part, the crowd was made of women in their mid 20s and then the men and other women looked much older. It was a cultural concert event for the Vietnamese. If I did attend an event like this, I would have dressed up and I probably would not have noticed many of the other people. Here, I got a good look at most. The ladies all gathered around to take endless amounts of pictures while the men gathered in circles discussing different things. Although I could not understand them, it still seemed like the typical guy talk. Seeing this environment, I felt it showed the part of LA that is very cultured. Although Los Angeles is such a small place in comparison to the whole world, it contains all types of people and we have all still somehow adapt to this space the same. Many take the beloved “selfies” and other types of pictures to capture the night while men still all act macho and want to just hang with the guys. Our society just does that. The way this space fits its purpose is being perfectly adaptable to every type of show and any type of crowd. Maybe the one night I observed this extremely nice event, but in the future, one of the shows listed is a dare dog performance and I doubt people will be wearing ball gowns for that!

            The many uses of this corner continues to amaze me and I feel like it’s easy to find something new each time. This is LA. The change, growth and diversity is what makes Los Angeles unique and this corner has all of that. The space just adds its own element to its part of LA. The whole University has that but I have seen that this corner adds something special. The corner creates professionals. It is one of the best music schools and the title of Conservatory is prestigious alone. The talent level is so high that the students inspire each other. The history holds meaning to all of us because it keeps developing true musicians. They keep truly great music alive and they prepare our generation to do the same for the next. The space is more than just a place to learn; it shapes our future.