Ellen Wang
Age: 27
Class: Senior
Major: Classical Piano Performance
Instrument: Piano
Hometown: Shenyang, China
“I am very outspoken, open-minded, and analytical…and that is not very common for Chinese girls. Piano is how I was able to express myself. For me, I have feelings and ideas that are too specific for words. I like playing music that is intense, huge, and dramatic. When you play that kind of music you can shake people’s worlds—you can change lives with one song.”
Bobby Phillips
Age: 20
Class: Junior
Major: Vocal Music Education
Instrument: Vocals
Hometown: Westchester, New York
“I like that singing is a part of you—it is so personal. Your voice is the only one in the world that is like it. As for teaching, it is one of those jobs that when you leave you feel like you have really done something—even just teaching an elementary school child what a beat is, or how to read middle C. I enjoy the little victories.”
Brad Teaford
Age: 18
Class: First Year
Major: Music Industry
Hometown: Grove City, Ohio
“Music is a way that I can express myself in ways that I couldn’t otherwise. A lot of people think metal [music] is all anger and aggression, but there is a passion in it that I love. It makes you feel like you need to go out and do something… to not just waste your life away.”
Marty Quinn
Age: 20
Class: Junior
Major: Jazz Studies
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
“Jazz is all about communication. If you are not playing with energy and with people, there is no point in doing it. It gets the most human and honest reactions and emotions out of people, because jazz musicians are giving you what they know. They are there to give you their energy, passion, and honesty.”
