The Jacobs School of Music student-run organization Classical Connections brought a music workshop to Brown County High School this past weekend. The group works to share music and the arts with the community.
“I would like to provide this as a link for the high school students in Nashville to be able to connect them with the Jacobs school professionals,” President Shelley Hanmo Qian said. “This serves as a bridge to connect them together.”
The workshop, which was created in collaboration with the IU Center for Rural Engagement, started Friday and ended Saturday evening. Throughout the two days, music school student volunteers worked with the high school musicians through sectionals, dress rehearsals and a panel discussion. It concluded with a final performance from the students.
The panel included people from various areas within the arts community at IU, including the Soma Quartet and Michael Cervantes, who works in the arts administration program at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Qian said the panel showed high school students the different possibilities for a career in music and the arts.
Classical Connections production manager Thomas Aquino said the workshop offered a chance for high school students to learn from Jacobs School of Music musicians.
“Sometimes just seeing someone do what you like to do can be really inspiring,” Aquino said. “The hope would be that is inspiring and encouraging for some of the kids who are playing music, and it gives them something to aspire to, something to work toward.”
Qian said the workshop also benefited the music school student volunteers.
“We hope that this experience will provide our Jacobs school musicians the chance to be in the real world to practice their skill sets, being teaching, collaboration, then touring,” Qian said. “A lot of them actually don’t get this kind of opportunity for training.”
Aquino said Classical Connections offers Jacobs School of Music students the chance to practice professionalism and performing in a real world setting.
“As a musician, you can’t be insular, you can’t be introverted, you gotta get out there, and you gotta share your talents and abilities with people,” Aquino said. “I think having the group is a great way for students at this school to gain experience serving people and sharing their talents.”
