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A Visit to Career Services

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Today at career services I had a lesson in being concise. My i’s and t’s were dotted and crossed, but the resume and cover letter created for my portfolio were were just too long. Everything has to be quick and digestible so as much pertinent information is conveyed as possible. We have to be marketable, and all that info has to fit on one page. There are many music education majors who are looking for work, but only one me. Conveying why I am unique and a good fit for the course with as little information as possible is a top priority.

I learned a lot about the resources that already exist online. After being pointed to a few websites, I no longer have to worry about making dumb mistakes because wonderful templates, tips and tricks already exist for me. The university has given me wonderful resources and I am excited to use them as I get closer to the job hunt.

The Ohio Show Band

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This year I participated in The Ohio Show Band Ensemble through the Jazz Department. A classical pianist, I forayed into Jazz in the context of an Ensemble that played Soul, R&B, Gospel. Under the direction of Dr. Shawn Wallace, we prepared using industry standard practices and equipment like in-ear monitors, a click track, and AVIOMs. Tragically, our final moments together were cut short due to the Coronavirus pandemic and our final performance was cancelled.

Prior to this experience I didn’t have an appreciation for the detail and distinct style that goes into making pop albums. Each song had to be indistinguishable from the popular recordings, and this specificity and clarity required me to really sit down and practice. Prior to Show Band, I haven’t had the impetus to practice my fundamentals; but for the band to sound its best I really had to buckle down and practice the proper voicing of chords and understanding the idiosyncrasies of pop charts. Many of my classical counterparts forgo this experience and then suffer the consequences when having to teach Jazz ensembles later in their careers. Experience in these styles gives me a leg up on my classmates in stylistic flexibility, but more importantly it is giving me the skills and experience to properly teach coming generations of Jazz musicians.

I hope to continue performing in the Jazz program; it has been enriching creatively and bridged me to a network of other students in the School of Music who are interested in performing at a high level. In addition to this, a recording project at the end of the year has challenged me to record and post content at a higher level.

As my recordings are uploaded they will be hosted here.

Early Field Experiences

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Throughout my first 2 years in the Music Education program, I have been attending placements in the field in order to gain experience required for licensure. These experiences have given me valuable insights into the field, and preparing me for issues that I can’t encounter in the classroom setting. Teaching isn’t always about knowing everything, its often about interacting with administration and parents; and working with veteran teachers gave me contacts that I can use the rest of my career. All of my work is contained in journals chronicling the experience.

The classroom can only teach so much. Going into these schools shows the reality of being an educator while also giving me hands on experience with real kids in a real classroom. I’ve grown in my ability to lesson plan, deliver succinct instruction, and work as a professional in a Private, Catholic School setting. In addition to this, the connections made with the teachers at these schools has benefitted me by giving me additional opportunities outside of the classroom through interviews and gigs.

As I continue in my degree plan, I will use these journals as a reminder of my goals and values. In observations I had a lot of ideas on how to do things my way, but also strategies on how to address my deficits. By reviewing these journals as I get closer to student teaching, I have a touchpoint to my experiences earlier in my degree; giving me inspiration and guidance as I prepare to become a future educator. Preserving these early moments in my career in writing also provides a way for me to track my growth as a student and future educator.

The dated journals may be found here.

Global Awareness

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The popular Western narrative of Africa is one filled with despair and a yearning to be saved. When traveling to Kenya and Malawi, I saw proud and enterprising Africans with joyful lives that were generous with their time and resources. This never changed whether I was in the slums of Kibera or deep an densely forested escarpment. Working with OSU in conjunction with Karonga Prevention Services as a researcher has given me an incredible opportunity to look into the lives and deaths of the people of Africa; simultaneously challenging my preconceptions of the Africans and the US’ position as an imperial force.

I work as a research assistant processing verbally conducted autopsies of people who died in Malawi, and as a product of this I visited Malawi to scan and digitize processing hand written documents in order to have them assessed by the team at OSU. It is humbling to be a part of the process, and it makes me thankful for the quality of healthcare that we have in the USA. Even so, I see many people who die happily at old age surrounded by people who love them.

The people we saw in the markets and on the beach had less, but they were much happier than the people I see day to day at OSU. The Africans had family, structure, and commitment to the community bringing them joy; not an attachment to things. When Westerners apply their consumerist standards of living to African lifestyles they choose to “fix” their lifestyles as opposed to reexamining their own. The experience gave me a broader understanding of simple living and I will take these lessons and apply them for the rest of my life.

 

Original Inquiry

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Creating a band was always a goal that seemed just out of reach. Even so, this year I had the unique pleasure of creating a 10 piece ensemble alongside complete strangers. Esuora has had multiple successful performances in a variety of styles and venues, and we have helped raise hundreds of dollars for organizations benefiting parents cancer and victims of the Australian wildfires. Coming in haughtily as the only music major, I quickly realized how limited my resources were when it came to gigging and the creative process. The curriculum doesn’t address how to schedule shows, how to set up gear, and how keep spirits up when the show is in a week and no one knows the songs. Every single member came together and used their talents to create a fun and unforgettable experience.

Despite constantly being surrounded by musicians, the classically trained performers and educators rarely choose to perform outside of the context of chamber ensembles either due to a lack of interest or a lack of energy. A desire for control and perfection also incentives them to become risk adverse. Prior to taking part in the project, I would have turned off after learning I needed to be proficient on a mixer and audio routing. The outside perspectives of my peers in Esuora forced me to get out of my box, and their backgrounds in fields such as technology and business enterprise gave me a look into the side of performance that is handled by managers and stage technicians.

The most enriching aspect was the sense of trust and mutual respect that was developed over the course of the fall and spring semesters. So often group efforts in a University setting are plagued with people who flake out or don’t want to put in the work for a great final product. The friends I made consistently showed up ready to work, and always lifted the others up when times got hard. There was no finger pointing, blame passing, or general negativity; which showed me the power of the intention to create. I look forward to working with them next year and am grateful for the opportunity to have met these quality people in the first place.

 

Concert Requirements

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At The Ohio State University, students in the School of Music are required to attend eleven concerts a semester. Attendance of these world class performances lead students to develop an appreciation for centuries worth of repertoire, while giving them a better grasp on color and style. Practicing deep listening can be just as important as practicing, as one can only use a language as much as they have heard it. Having students attending over one hundred and twenty hours worth of musical performances by graduation ensures that they have breadth of knowledge when it comes to style and timbre.

Listening to music is one of my favorite activities, but in a world dominated by a bombardment of information it can be hard to find a minute to turn off to listen. Having the requirement of listening I think forces one to be mindful of their own emotions and interaction with a piece, while giving you the chance to receive someone else’s wonderful gift of music. Sharing sound with loved ones in the concert setting is both intimate, baring, and beautiful.

These concerts have given me a greater appreciation for our art, and made my own playing much more nuanced. My understanding and appreciation of classical music as a whole has, as has the respect for my for my instructors for my peers. Seeing them in their element was really nice, and it makes me want to work harder and let on their level.

As I mentioned earlier, each concert makes me more of a well rounded artist. The opportunity to hear world class musicians are always a pleasure, and I am glad I can support them in their art.

ACES Pillars Film Project

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In Advocates for Communities and Education, students are tasked with a film analysis their first semester, where they connect ideas of different documentaries to the pillars of the program. Positive social change, advocacy, community, and service were all prominent features of the film “The Hunting Ground;” a film that focused on the issue of sexual assault and abuse on college campuses. As written on their website, “In a tour de force of verité footage, expert insights, and first-person testimonies, the film follows undergraduate rape survivors pursuing both their education and justice, despite ongoing harassment and the devastating toll on them and their families.” The victims shown in the film needed their voices heard, and we were happy to be the mouthpiece for their struggles that the film was for us.

As a victim of sexual harassment and someone who has been directly affected by parochial sexual predators, sexual assault and misconduct are issues that rest close to my heart. Additionally, I come from a family of educators dedicated to creating safe spaces to learn; so I understand that people need to feel secure in order to grow intellectually. How can one focus on their studies (especially at the post-secondary level) if they are constantly worried about their own safety? In the case of women and people of color, their sexual coercion is just another way of suppressing their rights to social agency.

Obviously I was aware of the issue of sexual assault on campus, but it was sickening to see the lengths at which the institutions go to hide it. Seeing multiple administrator’s complacency and inaction all at once was a pleasant reminder that institutions protect themselves and not the people they serve. The drive to save an institutions brand from itself is counterintuitive and is a blatant lie; if a brand doesn’t represent the product what even is its purpose? Lastly, piecemeal statistics about campus assault are easy to ignore, but when the same information is presented back to back the entirety of the problem is finally revealed. This epiphany definitely dawned on me after watching the movie.

My work on this project re-energized a urge to do better for the next generation, as everyone deserves an equal chance to succeed. Even so, there are many others who have been affected by this film and I am sure that if we all work together we can create a better, safer future.

The slides to the presentation can be found here

Academic Enrichment

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Advocates for Communities and Education provides students with a multitude of opportunities to learn inside and outside of the classroom. Service Events get students to work with individuals who have a lifetime of civil service experience, and give them opportunities to work with the community at large. It is one thing to learn about volunteering from an outside source, but getting to know about issues from the source is much more illuminating. Meanwhile, Academic Events hosted by the program challenge students’ ways of thinking from facets as diverse as global issues to personal health.

In an age dominated by the internet, it is easy to fall into the situation where you only participate socially online. Behind the keyboard, people seem to become experts on a vast set of issues and all of their nuances. However, these people aren’t participating in making meaningful change. ACES makes students go out and become the change they want to see, while making sure they have the agency to do so beforehand. Other programs might only be a glimpse into complex issues, but ACES is filled with a network of people who seek and succeed in making a difference.

I have learned an incredible amount about my own biases and unfounded criticisms in my short time in the program already, and I am excited to grow even more over the next three semesters. My communities needs have manifested themselves clearer than ever before, and this was caused by the rigor of the ACES program. Immersion in service has been one of the most enriching parts of my education and I have no regrets on my choice of joining Advocates for Communities and Education. My commitment through service has grown and will continue to manifest itself throughout my career. 

Service Engagement

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My current service commitment is with Food Not Bombs. They are a service organization that gives free food with no questions to people in need, while spreading information on other resources in the city for the hungry and homeless. In addition to this, we also cook for union organizers and political actions across the city. There is an abundance of food that is wasted, and Food Not Bombs saves it and gives it to those in need. Hopefully we empower the hungry to take the paths needed to make impactful and much needed change.

I have lived in the neighborhood we served for all of my life, ride the contiguous bus line everyday and work in the neighborhood. It’s illuminating to see just how many people I know personally who came in need of aid. People from my work, school and extracurriculars all have come at some point and it was really weird to see them there. We never think about the people next to us as people who are going hungry.

The means that people are willing to go to in order to help others in incredible! The distances that people have driven and the means others go to store the food have been incredible to see. In an often dark world it gives me hope to see that there are people still looking to do good. As Fred Rogers said, “Look for the helpers.”

G.O.A.L.S.

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[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

  • Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc.
  • Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
  • Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
  • Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
  • Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]