The semester is off to a disastrous start in the music department.

Registration ended on Wednesday January 15. Derrick Logozzo snuck in at least two students today. That is totally unethical. Other students who wandered on campus were not allowed to register for classes on the first day like Logozzo's chair warmers were. Logozzo has gone totally rogue.

Several of us dropped recital class. Those transferring need 4 credits exactly as that is what Freshman and Sophomores at real schools would take. Traditionally anyone taking a lesson (MUAP) had to take recital. As the music students are routinely put in excess hours that lead to financial aid being exhausted and out of state tuition upon transfer to a 4 year Texas university, it is absolutely vital no one be put in a single hour that won't transfer. Not to mention that students are kept in what is supposed to be a 2 year program for 3-4 years routinely as well and many will still lack core hours they should have to transfer as they are drowning in music crap. Melissa Logan, professor for the recital class and choral /voice advisor, stated in her paperwork that recital was recommended (i.e. optional.) So, some of us that could dropped recital today and I will encourage everyone else who can't transfer it to do the same. It is totally unfair to make the instrumental students pay for a class when Logan's choir students aren't required to do the same. I have a baccalaureate degree and do not need any more recital and a daughter that is in out of state tuition when she transfers. We dropped so we can put those dollars toward the out of state tuition our family is facing due to Logozzo outright lying to all the students and advising them into his music chairs to their great detriment. I am fed up with the dirty advising that is harming students, their paying parents and the beleaguered taxpayers.

One of the students in the program has another major but was really looking forward to doing a particular ensemble and taking lessons with the instructor for that instrument. That student also got dumped into recital and then Logozzo kept pushing him to add yet another ensemble he didn't want to do and can't transfer plus add in percussion lessons. Logozzo tells the students that they should be taking all this nonsense and that they need it. If it isn't on the degree plan, then they shouldn't be taking but a few hours of something special being mindful not to risk financial aid or out of state tuition. The student felt very uncomfortable telling Logozzo no thank you. These students feel they should trust their advisors and feel obligated to do what they say. Logozzo and Logan are predators of the worst kind. They are using these students to fill their music chairs with no regard to what is in the best interest of these students. These dirty music advisors should have been removed long ago as the students cannot trust them and aren't comfortable telling them no.

Attendance is abysmal in the Music Department as students that are overloaded with ensembles, music lessons and more crap that won't transfer end up burned out. Though many are passed and retained in the program when no other school would do so, some do so poorly that they actually fail Music Theory and that has catastrophic consequences. Failing a required music class like theory adds another long year to that student's time at Richland. I blame Derrick Logozzo and Melissa Logan for this. They refuse top follow the degree plans and do not send students to Career Services, the real advisors and the Transfer Center so they can be put on a reasonable schedule. They also neglect to see that students understand the tremendous amount of work a music degree really is. The 1 instrument or voice lesson should translate into a minimum 4 hours a day of practice. Piano proficiency should also translate into at least 1 hour or more a day of practice. Theory and Ear Training require hours a week of hard work. The music schools are competitive entry so good grades in core classes are also a must. It is time for some real effective leaders to be brought in to clean up this horrific mess and set this program on the right course. The chair filling routine has pretty much destroyed this program.