What you are currently doing for work and how did you get there?
Currently I am a D.M.A. candidate focusing in wind band conducting at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where I will be serving as the band graduate assistant. I graduated with my B.M. in music education at UNH before teaching at Paul Elementary School for four years in Wakefield, N.H. I would then return to UNH to graduate with my M.A. in instrumental conducting in 2021.
How did your education in COLA prepare you for life after college?
My education in COLA gave me the tools I needed to be a specialist in my field. Learning about the different music cultures, conducting techniques and music theory to help analyze scores gave me tools and confidence I needed to present those teachings to my future students.
What person or course most influenced you while at UNH?
Dr. Andrew Boysen was the most influential person in my career. He pushed me to be a better conductor, composer, musician and overall person throughout my life at UNH and beyond. He also supported me in ways I couldn’t even imagine. As a freshman he took me on as a composition student and premiered one of my pieces, despite not being a composition major; he challenged me as a conductor in his Advanced Conducting courses; he trusted me in Wind Symphony by giving me solos and performing in the percussion section on select works; he inspired me to pursue my Master’s Degree and recommended me to apply at UNL for my doctoral work; and the list goes on and on. I would not be where I am today without him. I am eternally grateful for his support as a teacher, a mentor and a friend.
What do you know now that you wish you'd known while at UNH?
I wish I knew the inner workings of PowerSchool and how to actually use the program. I had to learn on the fly with grades closing in a week and it was not great. Once you get out into the teaching field ask someone how to use PowerSchool!
What advice do you have for students interested in your field?
Learn as much as you can and be curious. Four years may seem like a long time but it goes by fast in blink of an eye. Try new things, learn about new ideas and get out of your comfort zone. These years are precious so make the most of them.
