Profiles of Selected Butler Music Students
Kassie Eberle - B.A. (Applied Emphasis), trumpet
For trumpet major Kassie Eberle, it was the variety of ensembles
and close-knit atmosphere that brought her to Butler. "The campus
was really welcoming and the faculty knew me by name," she says.
"I'm a trumpet player, but I also like to sing. The music education
program prepares you for more than just your specific area."
At Butler, Kassie has been involved in choir, jazz band,
orchestra and wind ensemble. She also plays in a quintet chamber
ensemble. "One of the best things about the program here is that
you can play in several ensembles without feeling completely
overwhelmed," she says.
Kassie particularly enjoys the private instruction she receives.
"The instructors are so easy to get along with," she says. "They
are very experienced, so they always have a lot of insight to
share."
When she had to miss class for a week because of a family
emergency, Kassie appreciated the concern of her classmates and
instructors. "When you're not in class, the teachers are concerned
about you," she says. "When I was out for a week, Dr. Dimmick took
care of everything. It's like a family - everyone cares about you
and is here to help you out."
Kassie's future is likely to include careers on the stage and in
the classroom. "I want to be an elementary school teacher, yet
still perform," she says. "Most importantly, I want to share music
with other people."
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Matt Harris - B.M. in Percussion Performance
A drummer since the age of nine, music has been an integral part
of sophomore Matt Harris' life. Band was a regular course through
middle school and high school, and as a high school freshman, Matt
already knew that he was headed for a career in music.
"It just hit me," Matt says. "I was listening to one of my
favorite songs, and I knew I had to do this for the rest of my
life, so that's when I decided I wanted to be a percussionist and
that's when I really started getting serious about it and
practicing." Matt says he listened to a lot of music, took lessons
from a private instructor and watched videos to help his musical
talent flourish.
After attending another university and being dissatisfied with
his experience, Matt headed to Butler and has enjoyed every minute.
"It was like a breath of fresh air to come here and have people be
nice to you," Matt says. "I love the campus, the size of the school
is great, my class sizes are awesome and the percussion studio is
growing."
Matt says the faculty at Butler has played a large part in his
positive experience. Jon Crabiel, percussion instructor, has been
particularly influential in Matt's education. "He isn't just about
the notes and what you're playing," Matt says. "He wants you to
feel it and for it to be a part of you while you're playing."
Matt has also enjoyed some of the unique opportunities Butler
has afforded him. When Bobby McFerrin performed at Clowes Hall,
Matt played with McFerrin in special master classes that were
offered prior to the performance. The evening of the concert, Matt
took the stage along with McFerrin and played percussion for part
of the show. Matt says he's also been able to experiment with a
variety of percussion instruments at Butler, which has been
exciting since he wasn't accustomed to playing anything other than
drums.
"There are a lot of opportunities here," Matt says. "You're
going to learn a lot and still have fun."
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Lindsey Kannen - B.M. in Music Education, choral and piano
Lindsey Kannen connected with the Butler faculty on her first
visit to the campus. "I remember knowing that I wanted to come to
Butler because one of the professors at my audition said, 'We're
looking for potential, not perfection.'" For Lindsey, that
encouraging teaching style was not only important for her growth as
a performer, but it is also a model for her development as a future
educator.
Lindsey, a choral music education major from Akron, Ohio, says
the exposure to a range of classroom environments has reinforced
her decision to become an educator. "We see such a variety of
classroom settings here at Butler; and we actually teach while
we're in those classrooms, which is something people don't always
get to do at other schools."
Those teaching experiences include working with a variety of
institutions and the opportunity to instruct an even larger range
of students. Lindsey has taught at the Butler Community Arts
School, where she gave beginning piano lessons to students from
ages four to 30. She has also had the opportunity to teach young
children through Kindermusik, an early childhood music and movement
program for children from birth to the age of seven. This program
instructs parents along with their children on ways music can
enhance cognitive, emotional, social and language skills, as well
as physical development.
Lindsey's internship in Indianapolis also gave her the chance to
work with exceptional people and innovative teaching methods.
Interning at the Indiana School for the Blind allowed Lindsey to
observe and work with students who are visually impaired. "One of
the teachers I worked with put textured shapes on the keys so the
students could feel a difference in the notes. Ideas like that made
such a difference in the way they felt about music."
Lindsey says she feels good about what she is doing when she
hears that music class is the favorite time of day for so many of
her students. "Music was always my favorite class, and I love that
so many of the students I work with feel the same."
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Scott Martin - B.M. in Music Education, choral and voice
Scott Martin always knew he wanted to teach, but never knew what
subject until he was cast as the lead in a high school musical.
With the direction and influence of his high school choir director,
it soon became crystal clear for the Zionsville, Indiana native
that music would be his pursuit.
Scott's love of music led him to audition for the Music
Leadership Institute, a program that provides an opportunity for a
select group of high school students to tour and perform
internationally in locations such as Brazil, Hong Kong, Taiwan and
Jamaica. It was during his international experience that Scott was
introduced to Dr. Tim Brimmer, founder and director of the Music
Leadership Institute and associate professor of music education and
technology at Butler.
It was Dr. Brimmer that helped Scott discover Butler and the
medley of musical opportunities it could provide him.
"My freshman year, I was part of the musical Pippin and
served as the director," Scott says. "It was a really neat to see
that unfold and see how the students involved worked together to
put on a show." Scott, now a junior, is also a member of Jordan
Jazz and Butler Chorale.
Scott says he also enjoys the close-knit community that Butler
provides and the personal attention and instruction from the
professors. "Butler is very personal because of the smaller campus
and the smaller class size," Scott says. "I am in a conducting
class with six people, and all the classes I've been in are pretty
small. That won't be the case everywhere you go."
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Molly Wood - B.M. in Piano Performance
When many high school students were beginning to plan their
careers, piano performance major Molly Wood was realizing her
passion for music. "I realized that music was my life," she
explains. "I knew that I wanted to do something in college that I
could enjoy for the rest of my life. My plans had to include
music."
Molly's campus visits sold her on studying music at Butler. "I
came for piano camp and met many of the faculty and other students.
Meeting the faculty really brought me here - I could tell that they
would focus on me as an individual. The students would always talk
with me and introduce me to people, even though I was only a high
school senior."
At Butler, Molly particularly enjoys the atmosphere of her piano
studio. "My studio is like a family," she says. "We get along and
work together, we always include the freshmen and help each other
out. It's not a competitive environment."
As part of the Butler Community Arts School, Molly teaches
beginning piano to three community children. She devotes three
hours a day to practice and accompanies the university choir three
times a week. It's a busy schedule, but one that she enjoys.
Molly is spending her last two years at Butler trying to
determine her next steps. "I'll definitely go to graduate school,"
she says. "I might study performance or composition, maybe even
look into film composition. I'm exploring my options, but I know
the people here can help me figure it out."
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Zach Stachowski - B.M in Violin Performance
Violin performance major Zach Stachowski sees some truth to the
common belief that violinists love the spotlight.
"I have to be honest, I guess I fall into that stereotype," he
admits. Yet when he describes his favorite Butler experiences the
emphasis is on sharing the spotlight. He appreciates the
opportunity to collaborate with other departments within the
college; from sharing the stage with choral students to donning
tights for a featured role with the Butler Ballet.
"There is a lot of cooperation between faculty members and
collaboration between departments," Zach adds. "Everyone gets along
here, which really lets people concentrate on their art."
He has been concentrating on his art since he was three years
old and can trace his commitment to music to one teenage moment at
Interlochen Arts Camp.
"I was playing a piece by Schubert and it just struck me, and I
just stopped. I can pinpoint that as the moment when I knew I
wanted to make music part of my life forever," he recalls. There is
no question that music is part of his life now. He practices four
hours every day and performs regularly, both as a part of the
Butler Symphony Orchestra and independently with various local
groups, including a solo performance with the Indianapolis Chamber
Orchestra. Zach cites Butler's Indianapolis location as a boon to
student performers who find many opportunities to play in
professional settings.
Though clearly focused on music, he chose Butler over a
conservatory education precisely because of the opportunity for a
more balanced liberal arts education. He also preferred the sense
of community he found at JCFA.
"The environment is not a harsh, competitive one, like so many
of the conservatories," he explains. He gives a lot of credit to
the faculty for creating a supportive environment. "The faculty are
really great here; they care about the students so much," he
adds.
"You develop great relationships with the professors that are
ongoing because you keep having them in class over and over again.
It helps to build momentum and provide continuity."
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