Over my years spent at the University of Texas, I have refined my philosophy on the role of music as a vehicle of artistic expression and as a commentary on social and emotional issues. My music attempts to blend the subtlety and colors of French impressionist/symbolist composers with the foundational repetitive structures of the American post-minimalist tradition. I enjoy writing for any medium and have a variety of musical interests—spanning orchestral music, film music, music for movement, and chamber music. In addition to my composition studies, I am a dedicated oboist and a performing member in the UT Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra. I have found a way to follow my passion in French language through French courses at UT, and I was able to spend a summer in France as a result of the Forty Acres Scholarship.

Majors:

Music Composition

Other Academic Interests:

Performance Certificate in Oboe Minor in French

What drew you to the Forty Acres Scholars Program (FASP)?

Even today, I regularly think about how lucky I am to attend school with full funding for tuition, living expenses, and access to incredible enrichment opportunities. This was understandably one of the biggest draws to the program. However, the Forty Acres Scholars Program has also fostered a sense of family and community in what seemed a massive and foreboding student body. The staff and students care for each other, are invested in each other’s lives, and focus on ensuring the successes of each other. The programming is inclusive and attempts to convey information that is helpful and specific to a variety of fields of study – while still being universal enough to benefit every student.

Favorite FASP Memory

The Forty Acres Scholars Program has been instrumental in fostering one of my most enriching collaborations. About a year and a half ago, a fellow scholar in my cohort – Lizzy Tan, approached me with the possibility of writing music for a dance installation. We sat down after a Forty Acres event to sketch the skeleton of ideas that would eventually become HOLLOW: a forty-five minute music, movement, and media installation focusing on experiences and responses to death. At the presentation of the project, several Forty Acres Scholars Program students and staff attended performances, and Lizzy and I were touched by their support.