Music Mentors

she/her

Second Year

Musicology

Penn State University (BM Violin, BA Russian, and MA Musicology)

About me:

I like to write jokes! Stand-up comedy!

How have I benefited from mentorship?

Grad students and my advisors at Penn State really encouraged me and helped set me on my path in musicology.

he/him

Sixth Year

Musicology

Barcelona (BA); Oxford (master's)

About me:

While a bookworm I love hiking. What a bummer that New Jersey is so flat!

How have I benefited from mentorship?

Finding a good mentor can be a game-changer. There have been a handful of individuals that with their generous advice helped me make informed decisions about my future.

he/him

Fifth Year

Composition

The Juilliard School: MM in Music Composition; Indiana University: BM in Music Composition & BM in Piano Performance

About me:

love languages!

she/her

Second Year

Musicology

AB Harvard College, Molecular & Cellular Biology major, Music minor; MA Durham University, Music (focus on organ performance and musicology)

About me:

During my four years in between undergrad and PhD, I did a Master's in Music abroad and then worked as a computational biologist in biomedical research. In my free time I love to play the organ, cook, walk, write letters to penpals, and pet every dog (especially dachshunds).

First Year

Musicology

MA in Musicology, (Dalhousie University); MM in Piano Performance/Pedagogy with Emphasis in Injury-Preventive Keyboard Technique (Salem College) and BM in Piano Performance (Salem College)

About me:

Before jumping into music, I went to culinary school for one year on a naval base (Lakehurst, NJ); loved cooking, but decided I didn't want to work in a restaurant my whole life! Outside of music, I enjoy (obviously), cooking/baking, taking walks, and plenty of beach time!

How have I benefited from mentorship?

Only with friends/grad students I personally knew (not through a formal program)

he/him

Fifth Year

Composition

Acadia University - BMUS in Composition. Cambridge University - MPhil in Music Studies

About me:

In addition to written composition I make sound sculptures, installations, and instruments and do a bit of coding. I try to be outside hiking, biking, kayaking, etc. as much as possible. I also took time off to travel and work on applications before my undergrad and before my PhD.

he/him

First Year

Composition

UCBerkeley ('18) - Physics, music

About me:

"1) I've watched almost 1500 movies in my lifetime!
2) During my 2017 summer break, I circumnavigated the globe in 78 days. "

How have I benefited from mentorship?

In my undergrad, I was the president of the Undergraduate Composers Club and started a mentorship program to connect older composers with younger ones. In my master's degree, I was a TA for both theory and orchestration classes, and also taught in the 'Junior Bach' program - a mentorship program that connected Peabody composers with Baltimore public school middle schoolers.

she/her

First Year

Musicology

Yale - BA music & Northwestern - MM musicology

About me:

1 - I am a former foster parent of teenagers, 2 - I have my motorcycle license.

How have I benefited from mentorship?

One of my most important mentors was the associate dean at my first job at a school of music. Not only did my mentor guide me through the ins and outs of running a music school, he also fostered a driving desire for equity in my work and the belief that we can make a difference in our field.

she/her

Third Year

Musicology

Manhattan School of Music - Bachelor of Music, Master of Music, Professional Studies in Piano Performance // CUNY Queens College - Master of Arts in Musicology

About me:

Took 4 years off in between degrees. I love to feed my friends.

How have I benefited from mentorship?

Back when I had no idea what musicology was, I learnt a great deal from grad students whilst I was in between degrees. I wouldn't have known where to start without them.

she/her

Third Year

Musicology

Princeton University, Neuroscience with certificates in Vocal Consort Singing and Cognitive Science

About me:

I love choral singing and being in the outdoors (especially with my golden retriever, Obi) 🙂

How have I benefited from mentorship?

The post-doc I worked with on my senior thesis was an incredible mentor who taught me a lot about how to conduct research and navigate the grad school application process. I also valued my informal peer mentors from my extra-curriculars and department who offered advice on managing stress and finding balance as a Princeton undergrad.

she/her

Second Year

Composition

Seoul National University, Korean Traditional Musicology

About me:

I play the haegeum, korean fiddle!

she/they

Third Year

Composition

USC Thornton School of Music, BM in Music Composition

About me:

I love swimming in the ocean, painting and decorating my house all sorts of colorful crazy, and cuddling my three super sweetie cats!

she/her

Fourth Year

Musicology

University of Texas at Austin: B.A. in Music Theory and B.A in Linguistics

About me:

I adopted a dog (her name is Kida!) in August 2020 and I played clarinet marching band all throughout high school and undergrad. I also didn't discover my interest in music cognition until my third year of undergrad, and it's my primary research focus now in grad school!

How have I benefited from mentorship?

I can confidently say I never would've even considered graduate school if it weren't for graduate student and professor mentors during my time in undergrad. Their support in exploring my passions, interests, and how to pursue them post-undergrad were fundamental and I'm passionate about aiding others in their own explorations.

he/him

Fifth Year

Composition

UC Santa Cruz (BA in Music), Yale School of Music (MM in Guitar Performance)

About me:

I am a guitarist and composer interested in creative music of all types. I grew up on the West Coast, moved out East for grad school, and then spent 12 years gigging in New York before returning to academics to pursue my PhD. I play in several fun and weird bands and I enjoy writing music collaboratively.

How have I benefited from mentorship?

I owe a great deal to a community of friends, teachers, and colleagues with whom I have grown as musician and as a person. I think everyone is ultimately on the same team, working together to advance our art and our careers.

he/him

Fourth Year

Musicology

Undergrad: State University of São Paulo (UNESP), degree in Composition. Masters: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), degree in Music.

About me:

I love to bike - it is my favorite mode of transportation! I took 2.5 years between undergrad and Masters, during which time I worked as a gigging musician and private music teacher.

How have I benefited from mentorship?

During my Masters, the mentorship of a few PhD students in my program was paramount to help me navigate academic and non-academic opportunities. I also found mentors among my students! I had an American piano student in Rio who was fundamental in helping me apply to PhD in the US. In the 2.5 years in between undergrad and Masters, I also had a wonderful mentor in the Director of the small music school where I taught.

she/her

Second Year

Musicology

McGill (Music History/Russian), Cambridge (Masters in Music and Comparative Literature)

About me:

I lived in Belarus and Russia after my undergrad, I love sports (particularly tennis, hockey and soccer), learning languages, reading, and playing guitar.

How have I benefited from mentorship?

I was very lucky to have amazing graduate students as mentors during my undergrad, some of whom are still my friends to this day and continue to help me with my career.

she/her

Fourth Year

Musicology

University of King's College, Halifax Canada, BA in English and Music History, University of Toronto, Canada, MA in Musicology

About me:

I love to sail and I love gardening.

How have I benefited from mentorship?

Mentors have helped me understand the many options available to me and guided me through institutional practices.

he/him

Third Year

Composition

Boston Conservatory at Berklee - Bachelor of Music in Composition, Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University - Master of Music in Composition

About me:

I'm a massive hockey fan!

How have I benefited from mentorship?

Mentors are the reason why I'm currently composing, and have been the difference between studying music because I didn't know what else to do, and studying music because I genuinely believed in my future in this field.

she/her

Fourth Year

Musicology

Ithaca College-- Music Performance (double bass) and Sound Recording Technology

About me:

1. I adopted a dog during the first year of my PhD and it was the best choice I've ever made
2. At the start of the pandemic I started learning how to sew and since then I've been enjoying making clothes for myself (and my dog!)

How have I benefited from mentorship?

At every stage of my academic career--undergraduate, masters, and PhD--my decisions about where to go and what to study have been shaped by the excellent mentors in my life (both faculty and older peers).

he/him

Third Year

Composition

Yale University, Music (BA); Rice University, Composition (MM)

About me:

Some fun and possibly surprising facts about me: I love baking and working with sourdough, and I have been flipping vintage designer furniture for the past 2 years. Also very into food (and on the other side of that coin, exercise! I'm currently training for a few half marathons this fall).

How have I benefited from mentorship?

Unfortunately, I have had very little mentorship throughout my undergraduate and masters years. I had to figure out a lot on my own, and make a lot of mistakes to figure out what worked for me and what didn't. For this reason, I'm extra motivated to help undergrads figure out their futures, and to help guide them in any way that I am able.