OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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A small town in Southern Oregon called Cave Junction.
Communication, connection, and emotional intelligence are really important to me. I went into music because it’s the tool I was given to be able to describe my life experiences. On top of music, I think that learning a second language (Spanish) can only aid me in this quest to better understand myself and those around me. In the end, it all comes down to empathy and authentic connections/relations between the people within my communities.
I have had a lot of fun participating in various OSU activities as a musician and also studying abroad in Spain. The music program at OSU is very tight-knit and the people in it are fun to work with and be around. I have met some amazing faculty members as well that I am very thankful for. I always feel supported and listened to in my endeavors both academically and personally. As well as this, I had a really good experience figuring out how to successfully study abroad; the OSU faculty was very responsive about figuring out both practical and figurative matters relating to travel studies.
I have not officially started my thesis, but I would most likely take joy in creating an album, or something very musically focused. I song write and compose, but I also play in a local band called ‘Bluessence’ and make live recordings and production. I’m not quite sure if I want to focus on the more lyrical side of things in my thesis, or the live band, performance and production side of the process. Or maybe just a little bit of everything for a complete view of the entire creative process!
I took a colloquium titled, Altered States of Consciousness, that I found to be very informative regarding the culture and history around alcohol and drug use. With a primary focus in America, but globally as well.
I also enjoyed the colloquium Visual Meaning in Pop Music, which was very relevant to my studies and musical career. We watched a lot of music videos and also had the opportunity to create something visual ourselves as our final project. Lastly, I have had the brilliant opportunity to consistently take part in songwriters workshops through my contemporary music major for the last two years of my college experience. It’s really helped me grow as a songwriter to receive honest feedback from my peers about my projects, and just to discuss songwriting in general.
I don’t plan to wait until I graduate to do what I want to do. I just traveled around Europe and studied Spanish abroad for a semester, and this summer I hope to travel globally once again, before the start of my senior year. I plan to have more fully recorded and produced music released onto platforms by graduation, and play many shows around Corvallis and throughout the PNW. Once I graduate, I plan to take my live music productions national, and then global, therefore combining my two biggest passions: travel and music making. But overall, promoting and fostering a healing and strong community is my everlasting intention.
I think that being fully seen and heard by my advisors and professors has been the biggest aid in setting me up for success during my time as an OSU CLA and HC student. Going to meetings or various HC events gives me the opportunity to grow and communicate professionally. It has helped me to learn how I wish to present myself and brand my ideas to the world. I think that one of the most important advantages the Honors College and CLA offers is the opportunity to thrive in professional and personal interactions by throwing you into social events and classroom settings that encourage discussion and connections.