The Blue Jay Take-Away: Showcasing Music from Homewood

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Name: Richard Kumapley

Year: Class of 2013

Hometown: Accra, Ghana

Major: Public Health

Minors: French Cultural Studies, Global Environmental Change and Sustainability

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Music at Hopkins? What’s there to say? Surprisingly more than you think. I know we, Homewood students have Peabody, where we can go as far as a minor without application and some of my good friends even double degree, taking a full course load here at Homewood and at Peabody. I’ve been fortunate to be exposed to the music community here at Homewood through WJHU, Hopkins’ student-run radio station and I’m proud to say that there are a lot of talented musicians here: The Calms, The Swami-Jane Equation and The Silent Whys to name a few. What I really wasn’t happy about was the lack of exposure and I wanted to do my bit to help change that. My idea was to show off Hopkins students performing their own songs with the beautiful Homewood campus as the backdrop, kind of like our own version of Vincent Moon’s take-away shows. I wanted to find the most interesting places and stick a band in that space and have them do what they did best while the camera just tries to capture it all.

Homewood is beautiful regardless of the time or season.

Getting the equipment for this project was the easy part, the DMC is fully stocked with video and audio equipment and all I needed to do is to sign them out. The hard part was the execution. I needed someone to help me bring these ideas to life. Joshua Gleason A&S’11, a talented filmmaker gladly jumped on this project and really helped to make it his own. We had a lot of fun filming these intimate performances and the more we filmed the better we got. Looking back to me each performance was memorable. Whether it was The Calms crammed in the Mattin Center practice room, Houseboat with his interesting beat-making process in the WJHU station or a golf cart driving by Nik Barbera in the Gilman Tunnel but if I had to pick one, I’d say Alex Duncan in the President’s Garden was the most outstanding.

So what’s next for the Blue Jay Take-Away? Well, Ian Han A&S’14 has stepped in for Josh who is currently studying Film Directing at the California Institute of the Arts. We plan to record about four performances this semester in some interesting places. We’re currently working on getting access to film in the Gilman Atrium, the Merrick Barn and the Newsletter House and we’ve already lined up performances by Pat Hampton, Sindhu Carmen and Mike McFadden.

So find us Vimeo for more videos and let us know what you think!

For more about WJHU check out wjhuradio.com

That

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Name: Greco Song

Year: Class of 2013

Hometown: Fullerton, CA

Major: Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

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Hi. My name is Greco and I’m a Hopkins junior studying Chemical and Molecular Engineering. I am part of the Student Admissions Advisory Board (SAAB), where I help prospective students with their college decisions (follow me on twitter! www.twitter.com/JHU_Greco) and also help admitted Hopkins pre-freshman with their transition to college life during the summer. I’m also currently the president of one of the a cappella groups on campus, the Vocal Chords.

Over the summer, I have been arranging an a cappella rendition of a song called “This” for the Vocal Chords. It’s a country song written and performed by Darius Rucker. I had never been a fan of country music (disliked it quite much, to be honest), but when the group decided to do this song for this year’s fall and spring concerts, I was almost forced to be the one arranging it.

Arranging a song is a pretty big task – you have to sit down, listen to the track about a gazillion times, and then try to remember and write down what notes were in the background. Sometimes, some parts in the background are simply not singable (especially country songs with crazy stringy sounds…) so I would have to find alternate ways to make it more feasible for us to sing. Country music is really really not my thing at all. But somehow, the song first got stuck in my head (which happens a lot when arranging songs), then it became a meaningful companion (which doesn’t usually happen..).

The song is about a guy getting dumped by his girlfriend and everything, but in the end he’s thankful that all these things lead him to “this” which basically is his happy life with his daughter and his family. The lyrics in this song is just so positive, but not too positive to make me throw up out of cheesiness. No, I haven’t really been in a serious relationship or anything, but I do understand the message and listening to the song literally thousand times really made me commit to it. Honestly though, I don’t know if it’s really because I sympathize with the singer or if it’s simply because I’m brainwashed with the song. When I sing it out loud, it comes out of my mouth through the muscle memory, and sometimes I don’t even have to think about what part of the song I’m singing at the moment. Maybe I’m just not in that stage right now where I think life is just full of wonderful things like unicorns? Maybe right now, Darius’s “this” is my “that.”

To be honest, Hopkins was not my first choice. When I was applying for colleges three years ago, I had some other school in mind. But that school rejected me and I was basically left with Hopkins. The Vocal Chords wasn’t my first choice a cappella group either. But I got rejected to the group I wanted to get in, and I had no choice but to join the Vocal Chords. I also have other plenty personal decisions that I had no choice but to make in the past, and sometimes I had to go to somewhere with no people and just cry my heart out. I just felt like I had no control over my own life. I think feeling of losing control is the worst thing a person can ever feel – if you don’t have a control over your OWN life, what else can you be in control of? I was tired of being an underdog, and many times I wanted to let myself fail (and a few times I did let myself fail).

In two months I turn 21. It’s a pretty big number. And I’m really proud of myself for physically and emotionally surviving this long. Yes, it sucks to be an underdog, but over time, I learned to fight. Over time, I learned how to appreciate hard work – even when I failed at something, I learned to be simply thankful of the every effort I’d put into it. That’s the art of being an underdog. I just simply don’t allow myself to quit and keep fighting even without having to see the end of the hardship because I learned to believe in myself. It really doesn’t matter if I believe in God or not – as long as I believe in myself, I can be in control.

I’ve met a ton of people here at Hopkins, but ended up sticking only with a few friends. But these friends are the ones I opened up to completely and I’m really thankful for them. I learned so many things from them including how to be a good friend, and I really cannot imagine my life without them.

It’s like learning how to ride a two-wheel bike. I think I had too much pride before I came to Hopkins, trying to learn it all by myself. I rode it for two seconds then I would fall to the ground. Again for another few seconds, and fall again. I didn’t allow anyone to hold my bike and help me, and I ended up with some scars here and there, and beat myself up for it. But I learned to let people come in and be part of my life and just observe – observe how they interact with others, how they keep their friendships, how they approach personal problems, and how they fight.

I still can’t ride a two-wheel bike. Right now I have my friends as my training wheels and I’m just pedaling my way through college life. I go up and down the hills and first try to explore what’s been around me – things that I could not before when I was only focusing on trying to ride that darn two-wheel bike. I’m slowly getting the beauty of life. I understand the dealio and am almost clearly seeing my own reason to live my life as best as I can. Part of it is the people I love – my family, friends, people I respect and look up to. The other part of it is myself – it’s really slow, but I know I’m starting to appreciate myself more and more – I’m learning “to accept the things I cannot change; 
the courage to change the things I can;
and the wisdom to know the difference.” And I believe that when I finally explore my surrounding with my bike enough with the training wheels and finally understand the whole beauty of it all (no matter however long this may take), I’ll have just enough motivation to ride the bike without the training wheels. Maybe then I will be able to sing along to “This” and really feel like it’s coming out from my heart.

Merriment and Mayhem

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Name: Kristina Kelvy
Year: Class of 2013/Sophomore
Hometown: Hamilton, NJ
Area of Study: History, Theatre Arts and Studies (minor), Pre-Med

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Playing at M&T Stadium

It’s a warm March Saturday in Baltimore.  The afternoon sun is chasing away the remnants of winter and glistening off the metal lacrosse sticks on Homewood Field.  Originating from about midfield on the Hopkins’ side, there is a loud, boisterous group among the crowd of parents, students, and alumni.  They’re wearing matching blue polos and khakis, making their presence well known to the visiting side.  This is the Johns Hopkins University Pep Band.

Creating “merriment and mayhem” since 1921, the Pep Band attends every football game during the fall semester and men’s lacrosse game in the spring.  The band occupies the same section of the Homewood Field stands each time, proudly wearing our Hopkins blue while nestled among equally passionate parents, alumni, and, of course, the student section-The Nest.  Ever watch a Hopkins lacrosse game on TV and wonder where that endless stream of music and cheering was coming from? Well, that’s us.  Some call it obnoxious, we call it heart.

Playing at Navy, 2010

Coming from a state-champion marching band in New Jersey, music was a huge part of my life and something I did not want to lose among my Hopkins coursework.  I sought out the Pep Band.  The members were light-hearted and fun, the time commitment was easy, and I could keep music in my Hopkins experience.

It’s my favorite activity on campus.

The band typically rehearses once a week, building a repertoire of popular tunes and Hopkins standards.  Sports fans can hear the traditional “Johnny Be Good” followed by Green Day, the Who, or even the Mighty Mighty Bosstones.  The fun and energy we share in rehearsals come through our songs and the crowd is equally animated along with us.

Home game, 2009

Energizing the crowd at home is easy; what is very impressive is our effect at away games.  Complete with our usual entourage of parents and alumni, the band is determined to leave a lasting impression at other schools, maintaining our level of noise and support for our team on the field.

The band is, quite simply, one of the best ways to de-stress and have fun.  Rehearsals are fantastic rejuvenating study breaks, with jokes in between the practicing.  And there is not better way to de-stress from classes than yelling “WE WANT MORE” at the top of your lungs following a Hopkins goal.

Home game, 2010

We’re the Johns Hopkins University Pep Band.  We play our instruments loud and we yell even louder.  We love football and lacrosse, knowing all the rules and playoff scenarios when discussing with them with alumni.  We love our team even more, knowing their names and numbers, voicing our support for a game well played.  We’re there when it rains, when it’s cold, and when the Baltimore afternoon is perfect.  We’re there when the team first steps on the field and there until they step off, behind them win or lose.  The best part about band, though, is the people beside you in the stands; they’re fellow musicians and friends, even outside the band.

The fact is that once you’ve joined the Pep Band, you’re in it for life.  Because it’s way too much fun to stop.

Playoffs, 2006

Home game against UNC

I’m Mental and I’m Proud!

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Name: Linda Song

Year: Class of 2012

Hometown: Savoy, IL

Program of Study: Public Health Studies

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“Hopkins really isn’t lacking in the a cappella area.”

This was one of the many thoughts that scurried through my brain as I poked at my computer one recent weekend. No, this thought didn’t come to me out of the blue. It was quite related to what I was working on at the moment: scheduling that infamous last week of practice before a concert, ‘Hell Week’, for the a cappella groups on campus.

I mean, we have the Octopodes, the Allnighters, the Sirens, the Vocal Chords, Ketzev, Kranti, Adoremus, and even a choral group called ECCO. Then we have the a cappella group that I’ve been a part of for the past three year at Hopkins: The Mental Notes.

As Greco Song (his post is somewhere down below) pointed out, a cappella isn’t a tiny little presence in your life on campus…it practically can be your life on campus if you let it.  There are the 7 hours of practice a week, the extra hours if you are an officer for the group, the extra hours for on-campus and off-campus gigs, the extra hours of group activities time, the weekend of Fall Break devoted to Fall Tour, and then Spring Tour and…the list goes on and on. But all this is to say that a cappella can definitely be your life. Now, I don’t live, breath, and devour a cappella—but I’m pretty darn close—and I *love* being a part of an a cappella group.

I remember back to my first Orientation A Cappella and Dance Show (fondly called “O-Show”)—actually it was during an Accepted Students Day that I first heard the Mental Notes. One sampling of two of their parodies and I was caught. I knew what group was my one and only. So roll around to Orientation Week and the roiling mob crowding into the Glass Pavilion for post-O-Show sign-ups of a cappella and dance group auditions. I squeezed myself into that mess and penned my name quickly, albeit messily, down.

One audition, one call-back and two years later Mental Notes has kind of taken over my life—in a good way. For the past two years, I no longer have to brave the scary crowd of member-eager performing arts groups—I *am* part of this scary crowd (potential freshmen—don’t be scared. We love you, really).

This year we took in four gorgeous newbies. My fellow junior alto and I are proud alto mommies and we’ve delighted in teacher our alto baby the ways of the Notes. There are lots of facets to being part of the Mental Notes from our bottom line of having fun doing what we do to our shared love of singing and giving the best performances that we can possibly muster. We even have a little mascot known as the Jester Note!

But seriously, being part of an a cappella group—or any tight knit student group on campus—is an amazing experience. Some of my best times at Hopkins (and out of Hopkins) have been with the Mental Notes. From the LOVE statue in Philadelphia to spontaneously bursting into song on the T in Boston, the Mental Notes have taken me all over the place. The members of the Mental Notes have also become some of my closest friends. It’s like having a second family here at school. I’ve even spent an Easter with members of the Mental Notes—definitely one of the liveliest Easters I’ve ever taken part in.

So when you guys come to Hopkins, please please please give a cappella a try—or just give some campus clubs a try! You never know what your experience might be.

Peabody Bound

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Name: Margaret Chow

Year: Class of 2014

Hometown: Long Valley, NJ

Program of Study: Mechanical Engineering

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Me with my clarinet.

Music has always been a large portion of my life. Between constant music lessons, band auditions, marching band, extracurricular bands such as the orchestra pit for school musicals, and my own school’s wind ensemble, my Bb clarinet is basically my safety blanket. Ever since I was a child, I loved to sing with my mom, and play around on the piano and the guitar. As I grew older, the decisions of what I wanted to specialize in became a luminous cloud that caused chaos and conflict in my mind. While music is a large part of my life, I had to admit to my lesson teacher, and band teacher—and myself—that I did not want to pursue music as a career.

While I knew that I did not want to choose music as a career, I could not just stop playing my clarinet, stop taking lessons, and forget all about the musical period of my life. Thankfully, the Peabody Institute of Music gave me the opportunity to continue pursuing my hobby. When I received the email that explained that I was qualified to take weekly lessons at Peabody, I was ecstatic.

At first, I was very nervous about taking lessons at Peabody. For one, I had no idea how to get to Peabody, or where to go once I got there. Also, Peabody has a very high reputation, and I was afraid my teacher would tear me apart and tell me I was doing everything completely wrong. Between the combination of these two things, I thought I might have a heart attack. I spent a lot of time asking around to figure out how to use the JHMI shuttle and what I had to do to cross register at Peabody (which took several trips to the intimidating, yet efficient, basement of Garland). I also practiced for hours to ensure that I would not embarrass myself in front of my instructor.

Kutay and I waiting at the bus stop

When the day finally came for my lesson, I decided to take my friend Kutay with me so that I would not get lost and stranded somewhere. I printed out a map and a schedule of the shuttle, and arrived at the bus stop 10 minutes early, just in case. At the bus stop, I spotted a girl with a violin case and decided I would ask her to help me, even though I had my friend with me, and had over prepared to begin with. Once on the JHMI shuttle, I began to relax a little, but was still very nervous about having to play for a new lesson teacher. As we approached Peabody, the violinist showed me where we got off, and how to get inside and get to the right building. After searching around for a good 10 minutes, Kutay and I finally found my lesson room and waited outside for my teacher. Sitting outside only made me more nervous, and I kept running through my head everything I would play. Kutay tried to keep me company and distract me, but it was not much use. Finally, after what seemed like an hour, an extremely friendly woman, Janice Webber, opened the door and welcomed me inside. While I was still very nervous, she told me that I had nothing to worry about and that our objective was to keep up my playing habits, improving upon my own personal level, and most importantly, enjoy making music. All of my fears diminished and I realized that music should never be scary, and that I could play much better if I was relaxed, and had the want to play something beautiful and musical.

My corkboard with the shuttle map and schedule, just in case I forget

As my lessons have continued over the past few weeks, I have become much more comfortable with the JHMI shuttle, and no longer worry about which stop I have to get off at, and I know exactly where I have to go. I also practice nearly every day in order to maintain my lesson performance and improve upon the pieces I am currently learning. Contrary to my first lesson, I now look forward to my lessons as a time for me to relax, clear my mind of the stress of classes, and make new music and learn brand new things with each and every lesson. I am so grateful to Peabody for giving me this opportunity to maintain this joy in my life, and am so glad that I decided to keep up with my love for music. If there is any advice I could give to a Hopkins student, it would be to pursue a hobby that differs from the major you are specializing in, and never give up the things that you love doing.

Sing Our Hearts Out

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Name: Greco Song

Year: Class of 2013

Hometown: Fullerton, CA

Intended Program of Study: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChemBE)

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Hey, everyone. My name is Greco and I’m currently a sophomore majoring in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. I am the guest blogger for today! You can read more about me here. You should also follow me on twitter! I only have 21 followers in my Hopkins Twitter account and it’s not helping me getting motivated to tweet more often… Also, check out my freshman blog here.

Beginning of the school year is always exciting. The most exciting part for me is meeting new people! This could be new floormates, professors, or even random people you meet in the elevator—this applies to everyone. As a member of Vocal Chords, I get to sit and watch 100+ people sing and select new members aka newbies! Honestly, the part where I sit and watch people sing is actually quite painful and exhausting. For us, we had to devote all Friday evening and all-day Saturday and Sunday. I have never drank so much coffee in my entire life.

The audition is divided into two parts. First a general audition for all the applicants. This year, we had over 100 auditionees signed up. We give a 15-minute slot to each auditionee, and he or she has to prepare a solo. We test many musical skills. First we start with a warm up, busting out simple notes and a cappella syllables to make sure the auditionee is warmed-up. We always warm-up with the auditionee—this means we do the same warm-up routine 100+ times. At the end of the day, the warm-up actually hurts our throats… Next, we make them sing some basic scales, just to test the auditionee’s low and high range and determine their voice part (soprano, tenor, base, etc). Then it’s the ear training. Now, this is supposed to be the hardest part of our audition. We play very unusual sets of notes on the piano, and the auditionee has to sing it back to us as close as they can.

Next is finally the solo. Personally, I weigh a lot of my opinion on the auditionee’s solo. Basically, it’s like American Idol. Sometimes I would write some mean stuff on my notes like bad song choice, pitchy, or just a plain simple word ‘NO.’ I know, it’s pretty mean, and I felt really bad, but you really have to be definite or else you lose your opinion after watching 100+ people.

After the solo, sometimes we make the auditionee sing with us. We give them an arrangement and let them sight-read and sing with us. This is to get a glance of their ability to blend with the group. Singing your heart out is important for singing a solo, but when one is singing the background, it is imperitive that they soften their voice and try their best to blend with the rest. We emphasize this a lot, and this is what separates our group from all the other a cappella groups on campus.

After all that, we take a photo of the auditionee. This is to match their face and our notes because sometimes it’s really hard to remember the person just by looking at the notes.

At the end of each audition day, we stay all night deliberating. One time, we stayed up till 3 in the morning which is quite ridiculous. Sometimes, the debate gets very heated and sometimes ugly, but to me this is just shows how much we care about our group.

Second part is the call back. from the pool of 100+ auditionees, we select just a handful for call back. Basically, everything is the same, but we do some more extensive group singing. This year, this happened on Sunday. After the call back, we deliberate until 8pm. Now this is very very important because we have to notify the auditionees right at 9pm—this is a rule that the a cappella groups should follow. Sometimes we have our second choices in our pockets just in case some of our first choices are accepted in multiple groups and decide to be in groups other than ours. This actually happened this year, which is totally cool. If they don’t want us, we don’t want them either. So yea. But some of our first choices chose us over other groups. So I guess it evens out.

Anyways, this year, we selected 6 newbies. They’re very talented and I’m very excited for this new journey we’re about to take with them. We’ve done a few rehearsals so far and they’re adjusting really fast. Every one of them is so special to us, and we hope they feel the same toward the group.

We’re also competing in ICCA this year, which is the college-level a cappella competition. This means more practices, maybe coming back to Hopkins a week before the spring semester starts, but this just means more time to get to know each other and inspire our college lives. I love that word—inspiration.

Regardless of how busy I am, I always devote 7 hours per week to my group’s rehearsal. It’s such an invaluable source of inspiration and stress-relief, definitely making my college life much more bearable. Being around people with similar interests and goals really. Yes, Hopkins is hard and sometimes it makes me pull a couple of all-nighters per week. But I’m really happy to be here and get the best education in the country without losing myself.

Boogie Down in Baltimore

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Name: Julia Garrison

Year: Class of 2012
Hometown: Nashville, TN

Major: Sociology, Public Health (Social Sciences concentration)

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While I have thoroughly enjoyed my academic experiences at
Hopkins, the one thing I look forward to most in the week is dance. Not only is
it a great way to keep in shape, but its also fun and it can work to help you
unwind after a tough week. Here on campus, there are tons off dance groups to
choose from. It was really hard for me to decide, but I ended up settling on
Ole Latin dance and Eclectics.

Through
Ole, I have not only learned tango, salsa, and meringue, but we also get to
perform our pieces around 15 times a year. We perform at the cultural block
party, opening and closing ceremonies of La Organization Latina Estudantil,
showcases of other groups, as well as a variety of campus events. The thing I
have found most rewarding about Ole dance is that we also perform at community
events. For example, as a celebration of Latino Heritage month, we went down to
a local elementary school in the Latino area of Baltimore and got to perform
for the entire school and their families. We also got to perform as a part of a
public health project in an attempt to draw more people to the community center
for vaccines and other health information. Dance has always been something
that’s made me happy, but it’s been great being able to share it with the
community as well.

Eclectics
is a fusion dance group that teaches everything from hip hop to jazz, modern,
tap, lyrical, and everything in between. This group has been a great outlet
because it provides the opportunity to push your comfort zone and try a style
you’ve never tried before. In this group, you can also choreograph. I just
finished choreographing a 4 minute hip hop piece for this semester and have
already begun a musical theater one for next semester. As a group, we also get
to perform several times a year and we even have our very own showcase that
happens every spring. Last year, we had the privilege of getting to teach dance
at a local elementary school and then we invited them to perform at our
showcase. We then collected donations to help their arts program at their
school.
Not
only are there tons of other dance groups on campus, but there is also a lot of
dance in the greater Baltimore area! Recently, the Monsters of Hip Hop came and
taught classes at a nearby studio. There was also an event with classes taught
by Magic Mike, who appeared on America’s Best Dance Crew as a member of the
Boogie Bots.
Coupled
with my love for dance is my love for music. One of my favorite classes that I
have ever taken at Hopkins was taught during Intersession as a part of our
sociology department. It was called “Pop Music, Pop Culture, and Politics in
the United States” and it was about how music was used as a form of social
protest and mirrored social movement. We covered everything from punk rock, to
Woodstock, hip hop to straight edge, and everything in between. It’s classes
like these that make me remember why I chose to come to Hopkins. They really do
a great job of providing a way to combine interests with academics and look at
things in a new way. Like in this class, I’ve found all my other classes to be
just as engaging. One thing that’s also unique about Hopkins classes is that
while they are interesting, they also all seem to have a practical purpose. I
leave classes here feeling like I can apply what I learned to real life or a
possible career, which is really reassuring. Between fulfilling my artistic curiosity
and providing me with a set plan and practical application for my life
post-college, Hopkins has really been everything I expected it to be. It
challenges me in new ways and forces me to grow and learn in ways that I hadn’t
anticipated before.

The Vocal Chords Experience

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Name: Kim Skerritt

Year: Class of 2010

Hometown: Herndon, VA

Major: Political Science, minor in Museums and Society

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A cappella has been infused in every aspect of my college life.  I’ve always been a singer. I planned on trying out for a variety of music groups in college, but I didn’t expect that the one I joined would affect my entire undergraduate experience.

I still remember the day I tried out for the Vocal Chords. They were so friendly and smiley, it made the entire auditioning process not as overwhelming as it could have been. After the 15 minutes of singing, I had to wait 9 hours to find out whether I got called back. It was so stressful, and to make things worse my friend (of four days at the time) played a joke and called me to say I didn’t make callbacks. In reality, I did. The next day, I had been asked to join the group. After saying yes, spent the next hour calling family and friends with the good news. I was so exhausted by the end of the night I passed out and missed the call from the Vocal Chords to meet for the first time.

Because I joined so close to the beginning of freshman year, I automatically became really good friends with them. As a person from a very strong family unit at home, VC (Vocal Chords) became my family at Hopkins. 7 hours of practice a week turns into so much more time spent together. We do everything together: live, eat, watch movies, go see other a cappella concerts, etc (I have actually lived with two different member of VC for the past 3 years).

One of the best things about being in a small but diverse group is that you end up becoming friends with people you may never encounter in the first place. The Vocal Chords is made up of all different majors from all different years. As a freshman I was the only one in my group of hall mates to have upperclassmen friends. And now as a senior, I know many more freshmen than I would have.

I find practice like brain break. After spending all day at class or work, I look forward to doing something I love with people I love. It’s true that every semester we work towards a final concert, but really it’s just a fun way to show-off what we like to do.

There are these moments I have during practice. I called them “epiphanies.”  It’s when I have this feeling of inner joy and awe because I am standing with my friends making this beautiful music with just our bodies. That is one of the most wonderful things about singing. It is something you cannot buy, and it is something that everyone can relate to.

As a senior, I know my time with the Chords is coming to an end, only one more wonderful semester together. I know I will be sad, but at the same time I have had such an amazing experience singing in this group that I can’t wait to give more students the opportunity I had. When I remember my time at Hopkins I will always think of my Vocal Chords first.

End of the Year Shows

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Name: Blake Edwards

Year: Class of 2010

Hometown: Detroit, MI

Major: Public Health

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To most, the semester culminates with exams. All the hard work, the hours in class, the late night study sessions, and the caffeine. They are all worth it because the semester’s end has finally come. Wait.

What if there is something else going on here at Hopkins? What if there is a group of students that does all of the aforementioned things that I have deemed necessary to succeed, but there is something else in which their real passion is expressed; not the passion for calculus or constitutional law — it is IMPOSSIBLE for all Hopkins students to hide that. :-p

Well, for these people, the semester culminates with a display of their artistic ability; the talent that they share with the Hopkins community. My name is Blake Edwards and I am in a performing arts group.

My opinion may be a little biased, but the semester would be incomplete without the variety of shows that take place at the semester’s end. For those who participate in these shows, the culmination of their semester is evident in the final product.  Hours and hours of rehearsal finally pay off. As a member of the “Buttered Niblets,” Hopkins’ only improv/sketch comedy troupe, I am well aware of the work that goes into what an audience sees as the finished product.

What then is there to say about the student who is not performing? That’s perfect too! These shows that take place right before the final exam period provide our campus with a way to unwind before the utmost serious is required; there’s nothing better than going to a capella performance, comedy show, dance showcase, or theatrical production when you really need to let loose.

These end of the year shows are a prime example of the close relationship that our student body possesses. In the case of the performers/audience, it is one that is almost symbiotic — everyone wins. At the end of the night, everyone is happy, until they hit the library. Seriously, it’s all good.

Making Music at Hopkins

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Name: Katie Fitzgibbon

Year: Class of 2009

Hometown: Rockville, MD

Major: Neuroscience major & Music minor

Favorite Hopkins —: Favorite Hopkins class to date is Neuroscience Lab, because you finally get hands on experience that ties together everything you learned about the nervous system. And of course, you get to cut up brains!

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Hello! I’m Katie, and I’m a sophomore majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Music. I actually began my time here at Hopkins as a double degree student shuttling between Homewood and Peabody attempting to get a major in both Biology and Bassoon Performance. It’s actually been quite a journey getting to where I am today, so let’s go back to the beginning…

In high school, my main interests were music and the sciences. Since both my parents are doctors, I have grown up in a household where medicine and procedures are discussed over dinner. They never forced the idea of medical school on me, but I’ve always known it was the only career I ever wanted. But in the last two years of high school, I started to get more involved in the music scene and my bassoon teacher began encouraging me to take my playing to the next level, so when I applied to colleges I looked mainly for double degree programs. So I ended up at Hopkins and was thoroughly thrilled with my plan to pursue both my passions with equal intensity.

So freshman year rolls around and I begin by choosing my classes. The only problem was, with the ensembles required every year at Peabody I was unable to fit in intro chemistry or any math classes. This was a major setback in my road to med school, and as I soon began to realize, that was the only goal that mattered to me. So by the end of the first semester, I had decided to take my music career down a notch and focus on the Neuroscience major I so coveted. But this did leave a bit of a dilemma…what does a Hopkins student interested in music do?

It turns out, the answer is a lot! Within a few weeks, I found myself immersed in a multitude of musical opportunities on campus. There is the well-hidden Music minor to pursue, which takes only a few music theory and music history classes to fulfill. The professors are amazing (especially the suspension-loving Dr. Osowski) and the Mattin Center is a great resource to become familiar with. There are plenty of practice rooms for individuals and groups, and the hallways are adorned with student artwork. In addition, I ended up playing in the music “Into the Woods” performed by the Barnstormers, one of the campus theater groups. This year, I am playing with the Hopkins Symphony Orchestra, one of many ensembles on campus. It is a wonderful opportunity to take a breath from studying and have fun playing amazing repertoire with other dedicated musicians on campus.

But don’t think that you are restricted to the Homewood campus! As an Arts and Sciences or Engineering student, there is the opportunity to take minor lessons at Peabody with a professor of graduate student. Everyone I know who is involved in this (myself included) greatly benefit from being able to receive guidance from conservatory level musicians. Hopkins students can also audition for the large ensembles at Peabody (these include the Wind Ensemble, Concert Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra). While admittance is usually need-based, this is also an excellent opportunity. I performed with the Wind Ensemble my freshman year and loved every second of it!

But enough with the music. One of the main reasons I decided to stick to my Hopkins major was because I discovered Neuroscience. I know everyone says this, but my major is the best of them all! I get to learn how we see, hear, feel, move, and think. I get to cut up, image, and record from brains and neurons. I am also doing research this semester (an amazing opportunity that everyone reading this should take advantage of!) at the Mind/Brain Institute on campus, looking at the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra. I love the classes I am taking now and can’t wait to take more upper level Neuroscience classes such as Functional Human Neuroanatomy, Brain Injury and Recovery of Function, and Behavioral Endocrinology.

And even with all my academic and musical commitments, there is still plenty of time for other interests. Last semester I pledged Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fraternity. This was one of the best things I’ve done here, as I’ve had the chance to do amazing and fulfilling community service work around Baltimore. I’ve helped out in restaurant-style soup kitchens, taught immigrants how to speak English, and helped with events on campus such as the blood drives and Spring Fair. There are also great group events such as ice-skating, skiing, and singing karaoke to help form great friendships and have tons of fun.

I guess my best piece of advice is this: Don’t get too hung up on the plans you had coming into school. Just take the time to explore the campus and find something you are truly passionate about, and then pursue it with all your energy. Don’t be afraid to try new things, and just have fun!