My Musical Autobiography

Music was not a terribly important part of my family’s culture while I grew up. My mom listened to music from her childhood, such as Elton John and Cat Stevens. I still listen to their music today and enjoy it. I remember being introduced to musicals when I first bought the cast recording of Wicked in middle school. For better or for worse, I have never looked back. I especially like how musicals, such as Rent and Les Miserables, have taken material from classical works and made them more relevant to modern popular culture by either modernizing them or exposing them to new generations of audience members. I find it intriguing that music and lyrics can intertwine with theatre to progress the plots of musicals and develop characters.

Coming to Converse as a music therapy major introduced me to a lot of new music and ideas-- especially musical improvisation. Before my freshman year, I had only been exposed to instrumental improvisation a little in high school jazz band. In some of my classes here, however, we were simply asked to play. This was a new concept for me. We could play any instrument we chose, and we could play or sing in any style, meter, or mode that we wanted to. At first these choices seemed a little overwhelming, but I soon looked at improvisational experiences as opportunities for expression and exploration instead of academic tasks.

In January of 2010, I volunteered in Watoto Wa Baraka Orphanage in Pundamilia, Kenya as part of a directed independent study project. While I was there, I was able to share music with the children. By simply bringing out my guitar and sitting outside, I attracted the attention of several of the children who lived at the orphanage. Many of them strummed the guitar and, unprompted by me, began to sing songs they knew in English. Most of the songs were adapted children’s melodies, such as “Frere Jacques,” that had religious lyrics. This did not surprise me because many of the people of Kenya are very religious. I also attended two church services while I was in Kenya, and music was an integral part of both services. My favorite was a Catholic church service in the village. The congregation sang without music or hymnals. They were only accompanied by a djembe and sometimes an electric keyboard and sang in unison or two-part harmony. I enjoyed the music a lot, even though I did not understand the lyrics, and it was very clear that music was an important part of the congregation’s religious experience. I felt lucky to share that experience with everyone who was there.