Some Inspiring Moments with UT Arlington's Department of Music

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I started private piano lessons a the age of nine. I auditioned for piano and producing as a freshman and was accepted at Booker T. Washington for the Performing and Visual Arts High School in Dallas. I then studied music at Richland College for two years.


All of this might sound like I was on my way to having a career in music someday, but the fear of failure emerged and held on like a death grip, eventually causing me to make alternative life decisions. Even with the What if's and should have's, I don't regret it.

 You have to go all in, or don't, and I chose the latter.

But my point is that,  I met some brilliantly talented UT Arlington music students that have their eyes set on the prize. It was fun and inspiring to see such dedicated freshmen on my recent story endeavor.

I first met piano majors Julia Large and Wade Girton, who caught my ear when I heard them playing Beethoven's 5th Symphony as a duet on piano. Most people have heard this catchy piece before, with its raw and distinctive G triplet bass notes in the beginning. They worked hard to be able to perform in an honor's recital as freshman, and did a flawless performance at their recital. Unfortunately, regarding the video below, I lost the footage of them playing at the concert, but managed to catch them rehearsing a few times. The experience was great, and I loved finding out what composers/pieces they were studying. Turns out, I know, or had known quite a few that they knew or were working on.

Although piano is my thing, the most entertaining experience was the percussion ensemble performance. The beauty of the xylophone timbers harmonizing with bells in a fury of melodic rhythms was like a trance into a far galaxy. I was lost in a trance with all of the pings and dings, and could close my eyes to see a winter wonderland below a starry black and purple skyline into space.

The world/ethnic rhythms, most of them noted on the program as having African origin, was ear candy and dance worthy. Dr. Michael Varnes, a passionate and very entertaining conductor and director, praised the students for their hard work in preparation for the recital, (some of the percussion parts were obviously very difficult) and thanked them for such dedication, even though for many students this ensemble is an elective.

In the video below, I have highlighted some of the moments I spent with these students, and captured some of the music they performed. The UT Arlington music calendar of events that mark student and faculty performances with instruments and music styles of all types, most of them all free. I highly recommend checking a performance out this semester


If you started learning music at a young age, would you attend college for it and pursue it as a career?


With the type of music that is popular today, do you think jazz and classical music are good options to choose to study in order to find a reliable career?

Thank you, and I hope you enjoy. (I do realize there is some shake camera a few editing mistakes, but this was my first time. I learned a lot of ways to improve the next video though.)