不要停止音乐

Having studied vocal performance—primarily operatic—since she was 14, 梅根·迪特里希 knew that when she went to college, she would major in music. 她不知道 at 九州娱乐官网 she would expand her repertoire to include styles as disparate as folk and cabaret, let alone that she would end up minoring in anthropology.

 

“The anthropology department and music department are actually pretty closely linked,” 她说. “We are one of a very few colleges that has an ethnomusicology minor, which is approaching music from an anthropological view—studying music from different cultures, how it evolves, how it’s placed in the culture and the society. And it’s always interested me.”

She’ll dive more fully into that realm in January when she travels with music and anthropology faculty who lead the Cuba Experience, a 10-day trip to Havana during which students live with local families and fully immerse in the musical culture of 城市和乡村. Students attend musical performances and religious ceremonies throughout the city, contrasting the intimate Santería ritual drum and dance performances in private homes with church-sponsored carnivals and high-production commercial performances at such notable venues as La Cuerva y El Zorro, EGREM, and the Tropicana. 自由 explore the city in the afternoons, the students’ home bases are just a block from the iconic oceanfront pedestrian walkway, the malecón, and Havana’s tourist and cultural centers, museums, and music clubs. 

It’s another opportunity to expand her musical horizons that 梅根 has enjoyed. 

“In the last couple of years, I’ve really branched out into musical theater, some cabaret, folk, a variety of things. I’m open to everything,” 她说. 在监护下 of Ken Schweitzer, associate professor of music, she’s studied music production, electronic music, composition, and recording methods.   

The faculty, 她说, “are all just so helpful and they’re really passionate about 他们做什么. And if you show initiative and you come to them with an idea—‘I have this project that I really want to do, do you think you can make that happen?——他们 will move heaven and earth to make sure you get the time and the resources you need. They just really want to see students thrive.”

As a member of the 音乐ians’ Union, she and other students volunteer their talents 整个社区. Among other things, they help out with Chestertown’s jazz festival and they’re frequent visitors to Heron Point, the local retirement community.

“这太有趣了. A lot of the residents there have dementia and Alzheimer’s, but seeing how music can just light up their faces, and they’ll remember the lyrics 一起唱. 真是难以置信.”

梅根 will perform a recital for her Senior Capstone Experience. 一个小时的演出， she will develop the themes, categories, and repertoire, as well as arrange and perform it. It will total between 20 and 25 pieces and include art songs and arias, musical 剧院和歌舞表演.

And along with a broadened repertoire and an anthropology minor, she’s become a scuba 潜水员. It happened when she was registering for an advanced class and 高级潜水器出现了. “他们有水肺?她记得当时在想. “我一直 wanted to scuba dive, I’ve always loved the ocean and the water,” 梅根 says. So, she took the beginner class, got her initial certification, and has moved on to the advanced open water class.