Alumni Hall was silent with anticipation before the music began. All the floor spectators looking up at the organ could see clearly were the silver pipes; the ground level did not allow sight of the musician or instrument.
Then Katie Timm, a doctoral student in the Jacobs School of Music, came to the visible part of the balcony to greet the audience for her recital. Once Timm took her seat, the hall and surrounding rooms in the Indiana Memorial Union filled with the deep, powerful sounds of the organ.
Timm said the performance, which was about a year in the making, was a fulfilling experience for her as a musician and a person.
“We organists are fortunate to have a beautiful instrument in such a beautiful space,” Timm said. “I like that the IMU is one of the centers of IU campus life and to make music there — hopefully in some cases for people who haven’t heard the organ before — is exciting.”
The pieces Timm played varied in time period, from the 15th to 20th centuries, and complexity, allowing the audience a taste of what Timm has learned in her time in Jacobs.
“I picked pieces both to suit the instrument and my own musical tastes,” Timm said. “Some pieces on the program I have wanted to learn for a very long time, particularly the Bach and the first movement of the Widor Symphony. I loved all the pieces that I chose.”
Timm said her practice for this particular recital began this winter. Starting post-break, Timm said she alotted around three to five hours per day to practice.
She split her time between the Alumni Hall organ, the Jacobs school’s practice room and the church where she works, St. Paul Lutheran in Columbus, Ind. Timm said the frequent practice did not dull the anxiety that came with such a huge show.
“Overcoming nerves is always the hardest part,” Timm said. “No matter how much preparation I put in, the adrenaline always adds a new and often unexpected element. Knowing that I am playing for supportive friends and colleagues helps put things in perspective.”
Timm said she has focused her musical talents on the organ once she started her undergraduate degree about eight years ago.
She has also played piano since age five, occasionally dabbling in other instruments such as the French horn, baritone and hand bells on the side.
“IU has definitely introduced me to a much wider world of music, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to study here,” Timm said.
Music, Timm said, is far more than a major. The work she puts in is worth every moment when the recitals and performances approach, she said.
“Playing music means a lot to me,” Timm said. “It has given me a chance to develop a discipline and a craft. I love working hard at it, participating in it with others, and learning about it. Performing music is a huge undertaking, and I am often exhausted afterward, but it means a lot to share it with other people.”
Timm said she hopes people will take note of music flowing through the halls of the IMU and stop by to see the many organ performances Alumni Hall hosts throughout the year.
The next year will be full of changes for Timm as she pursues jobs within churches and universities after her final exams and dissertation work conclude. Timm is also excited to announce she will marry fiancé Matt Moss in July.
In terms of her time at IU, Timm looks back fondly on the opportunities the University gave her and the people she met along the way.
Giving advice for young musicians, Timm said to make sure personal time is just as important as professional practice.
“Work hard and focus, but take breaks,” Timm said. “Be kind to and interested in other people. Allow music to have a genuine impact on you.”
