为什么山?
I first heard about Mount Union through my high school choir teachers. 先生. 斯科特·埃弗斯代克(Scott Eversdyke. Elizabeth Galloway-Purcell attended the University for their bachelor's degrees. 选择联合山, I wanted to choose a place where I would feel at home and know I will receive a quality education. The first time I stepped foot on campus, I knew Mount was the right choice for me. 音乐系的教授们, 现在是表演艺术系, show nothing but absolute care for each and every one of their students and are always welcoming in their classrooms. The one-on-one attention and the amazing opportunities is something that I believe you can not find at any other campus. 这就是为什么尤宁山是我的家.
Ben conducting the 2022 Alliance Symphony Orchestra Halloween Concert
The relationships that grow between the professors and students is one of a kind. When I go to class, I feel as if the professors care deeply about the students and their success. I would highly encourage any student who is looking at colleges and universities to keep smaller colleges in mind. While larger colleges may be nice and provide a fulfilling education, smaller universities have the one-on-one relationship that you simply cannot find anywhere else.
职业生涯
Since I was in middle school, I have always known I have wanted to teach music. The one event that really solidified my choice would be during a seventh-grade choir rehearsal. 我当时的老师，Mr. Eversdyke, allowed me to warm-up the men's section of the choir during a sectional rehearsal. 从那时起, I have always enjoyed playing the piano for choirs and teaching students about the joy of music.
Being a music education major, I have had several opportunities to practice my craft. 最近, I have conducted the premier of the piece "The Time of Fear" written by my colleague Joshua Clay during the Alliance Symphony Orchestra Halloween performance. I have also had the opportunity to conduct a piece during the Spring choir concert under the direction of Dr. 格兰特做饭. 关于我的专业, I have had many opportunities to get into the classroom at local middle and high schools including Alliance Middle School, 路易斯维尔高中, 马灵顿中学, 和格伦奥克高中. 在我迄今为止的所有经历中, conducting both the Men's Ensemble and the Alliance Symphony Orchestra have been my favorite, 尽管我非常感激我所有的经历.
My ultimate career goal as of now is to teach in a middle school/high school setting building up a music program. 我相信联合山让我为这次经历做好了准备.
个人
It is simply difficult to name one or a few specific staff that have had a major impact on my experiences thus far, however I will say that the professors in the music department have impacted me in such a positive way. I am super grateful for their mentorship and their ability to help their students succeed in ways that I cannot express.
The biggest obstacle that I have had to overcome to get to this point would be balancing my social life with my academic life. As a music education major, you are constantly performing or rehearsing. 虽然我很喜欢, I have found it rather difficult to balance these especially in the sophomore and junior years. One tip that I would encourage all student who are thinking about majoring in music education is to please become organized. 买一个计划表，提前安排好整个月的计划. There will be a lot of rehearsals and there will be a lot of time spent in the practice room. Having a planner that schedules your whole month in advance will help you tremendously.