彩民宝典

Your love of music isn鈥檛 necessarily contingent upon your dedication to making it your full-time gig. Just ask first year mechanical engineering student Audrey Viland.

鈥淢usic has been a part of my life since elementary school. I thought for a while I might be a music major, and even though I made a different choice, I still love it.鈥� she says. 听

鈥淚t鈥檚 what I do for a creative outlet,鈥� says Nick Katsiotis, also a musician who鈥檚 not taking the professional music route. 鈥淭his way, I can study chemistry and still do something that I have always loved.鈥�

For both Katsiotis and Viland鈥攁nd any non-music major on the 彩民宝典 campus鈥攖here is a musical option that fits their schedules and fills a void. The听Campus Band听补苍诲听Campus Orchestra听are open to musicians of all majors鈥攁nd no audition is required.

All Assistant Director of Bands听Matthew Dockendorf听补苍诲 orchestra conductors Rafael Rodriguez and Christopher Tan ask is that you know how to play your instrument and read music. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really great if you haven鈥檛 played in a while, but you have a love of playing music and want to be pushed technically,鈥� says Dockendorf. 鈥淣inety percent of the groups鈥� members are non-majors.鈥�

Viland, an oboist from Colorado Springs, says music has always been in her blood. Both of her parents play alto saxophone. 鈥淭hey grew up in the 70s, so we always had all the best music playing in the house.鈥�

Katsiotis, too, comes from a musical background: his family in St. Paul, Minnesota, owns听Ekroth Music听store. 鈥淓veryone in the family plays. My grandparents are musicians, my cousin is a jazz artist. That鈥檚 how I got involved in the first place,鈥� he says. 听

And though neither of them decided to major in music at CU-Boulder, both make the time for a hobby that became a passion. 鈥淚 switch my mindset all the time,鈥� says Katsiotis. 鈥淚鈥檓 a captain on the swim team, I study chemistry, I play trumpet in the Campus Band. I love it.鈥�

Viland says it鈥檚 not only the opportunity to play music, but the chance to meet new friends that attracted her to the band. 鈥淚 gravitate toward musicians. I was in honor bands in Colorado and played through high school, and I realized that musicians were the people I loved to spent time with.

鈥淢ost of the friends I鈥檝e made here鈥攚hether it鈥檚 through band or not鈥攈ave music in their backgrounds. That鈥檚 the common thread.鈥�

Senior Katsiotis cautions other non-music majors not to be scared off by the prospect of long practice hours and playing second fiddle to more experienced musicians. 鈥淵ou learn from the music majors who are in the band and orchestra,鈥� he says. 鈥淓veryone who鈥檚 in these groups cares and wants to be there, especially the directors. I鈥檝e learned so much about different composers and how to play with emotion from Dr. Dockendorf.鈥�

He鈥檚 also joined the music fraternity,听Kappa Kappa Psi. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a chance to get to know the other musicians on campus, and I couldn鈥檛 have done that if it weren鈥檛 for the band.鈥�

鈥淚f something鈥檚 really important to you, you should find a way to hold onto it,鈥� says Viland.听鈥淚鈥檒l probably always look for a band to join, because I can still have music in my life鈥攅ven if it鈥檚 not my career.鈥�

The Campus Band and Campus Orchestra count for one credit per semester. A limited number of instruments are available to rent. The groups play three concerts per year, with one in Macky Auditorium. Their next performance is Monday, Dec. 7, 7:30 p.m., Grusin Hall.

Learn more听about the Campus Band;听learn more听about the Campus Orchestra.