I am grateful for the time I spent at Ohio Wesleyan University. My professors and peers are among the most inspiring people I know, and I am still reaping the benefits of the thinking and performing skills I developed as a Battling Bishop.
The music department boasts wonderful faculty and excellent facilities. While students may not get many performing opportunities at other schools, I was playing in many groups at Ohio Wesleyan from the beginning of my studies. Even as a freshman trumpet player I was able to participate in the chamber orchestra, wind ensemble, jazz ensemble, large brass choir, and trumpet ensemble. Additionally, I had exposure to Central Ohio’s rich network of performing arts institutions, such as the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Columbus Jazz Orchestra, ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, Central Ohio Symphony Orchestra, Newark-Granville Symphony Orchestra, etc. Gray Chapel is a musical treasure and the campus is well-manicured and beautiful.
The academics at Ohio Wesleyan University are truly incredible. The school is devoted to the student experience, meaning that professors - and not graduate assistants - are the ones teaching the classes. The faculty in all departments are extremely devoted to excellence in education as well as curating a challenging but supportive atmosphere. While professors at other institutions struggle to balance their research/fieldwork with their classroom teaching, the professors at Ohio Wesleyan are fully committed to undergraduate education. It was not uncommon for my music courses to have 10 or fewer students, which made for a lot of personal interaction, meaningful discussion, field trips, and lab scenarios that would not be possible with larger class sizes. How many schools can boast such a wonderful student: teacher ratio?
The liberal arts paradigm has proven to be incredibly important. In this time of technological innovation, increasing world-wide connectivity and information sharing, new careers and ways of thinking are emerging as old ones fade away. With the social, political, and economic landscape constantly changing, it has become clear that it is more important to learn how to think, rather than knowing what to think. This is the crux of the liberal arts model: a broad exposure to many subjects and the ability to think critically about them. The Ohio Wesleyan curriculum exposed me to a wide variety of disciplines and helped me to discern between reliable and spurious information.
My work in the music department prepared me for my life after OWU, which included graduate studies, third prize in the 2015 National Trumpet Competition, and my work as trumpet instrumentalist in the U.S. Navy Fleet Bands. I have the confidence to play a leadership and supporting roles in a variety of ensembles because of my work with Dr. Griffin. I have a love and curiosity about music theory because of my work with professor emeritus, Mr. Griffith. I have a sound base of music history knowledge and scholarship because of my work with Dr. Roden. I also learned about musical versatility from Dr. Gamso, new frontiers of music education from Dr. Edwards, and high musical standards from Dr. Hiester. I am grateful for my time and experiences at OWU.