Major: Music Business
Class Year: 2017
Hometown: Lakeville, MN
“It was an amazing experience to see an artist I admire interacting so closely with the community.”
What has been your favorite experience at WSU?
There’s been many, but one of my favorites recently was when the Minneapolis-based hip-hop artist came to WSU for a presentation. He didn’t perform any music and had an open discussion with students about current political issues. It was an amazing experience to see an artist I admire interacting so closely with the community.
What has been your favorite musical performance on the WSU campus?
Some of my favorite performances are when Dave Marck plays on campus. His band is made up of some of the WSU Jazz Faculty members, and they always do interesting arrangements.
Really any faculty recital is worth checking out for me because every professor is incredible at what they do. Not necessarily through the music department, but a local band Karate Chop, Silence played on campus for a “I Love WSU” event, and that was awesome.
What has been your favorite musical performance in the greater Winona community?
Winona is home to a number of venues and hosts three music festivals, so there’s an insane amount of music coming from our small town. So I can’t single out just one. On any given weekend you could catch a great show at Ed’s or Broken World Records. My personal favorites are the Boats and Bluegrass festival and the Mid West Music Fest. I’ve met so many wonderful people and seen so many mind-blowing performances at these events, they’re definitely the highlight of my year.
What would you tell yourself on day one of your freshman year?
I’d tell myself to not get too comfortable and be prepared for anything. I transferred from UW-Eau Claire where I was studying Environmental Science to here to pursue music, and since transferring I’ve changed so much as a person and had a ton of crazy experiences. Some good, some bad, but both have taught me a lot. College is a hectic and eye-opening four (or more) years, so you just have to roll with what happens, keep a positive attitude, and make the most of it!
Any other thought or idea that you would like to include?
The Music Business major, in particular, is great here at WSU due to the connection to the local music scene. I interned with both the Mid West Music Fest, as well as Boats and Bluegrass, and I don’t think I would have been able to have as much hands-on experience anywhere else.
