Adaptive Stretching

Major: Doctorate of Musical Arts in Saxophone performance (2026)

How do you see art connected to nature?
I see art as intrinsically tied to nature. There is no being without this world that we were born into, and without its resources, its beauty, its grace, there is no way that we as individuals could create anything, much less anything that moves other people or creates inspiration. I personally believe that the most effective art is created in a way that reflects the inner machinations of the human experience onto the canvas that is this planet and the creatures and plants that inhabit it. 

What inspired you to create your piece?
This piece, Gently, was inspired by my dear friend and saxophone duo partner, Natalia Warthen. I found myself in the summer of 2022 getting overwhelmed with the anger, frustration, and aggression that is displayed in many parts of today's society. From the programs we watch, the news we read, the political divides we choose to participate in, there is so much anger and pain in the world. Natalia has always inspired me to go through my days gently, to reflect on the way that the natural world is; it doesn't participate in human affairs of aggression, but instead acts as a soft reminder that we all exist on the same plane. There is a poem I wrote to be a partner to the piece that I feel embodies this notion:

For when the world is rough
and the nights unforgiving
remember we move
but gently through the spheres.

Whenever music is not in my life, I feel a lot of stress and mounting pressure. Music, as an art, is a way for me to vent my emotions. It acts as a way that I can translate any feelings of unrest, uncertainty, despair, happiness, melancholy, relentless joy, and love into a language we may not all speak, but we all understand. There is nothing that puts my mental wellbeing into a better place than making and creating music.

Major: Kinesiology (2023)

How do you see art connected to nature?
I believe that art is the mind's imagination at play. Our minds are inspired by what we see in our day-to-day. Nature, being a constant fixture for many of us, is naturally bound to art in all of its forms. One need not look further than the earliest cave painting, or the mythos underlying the constellations, to understand that their interconnectedness is an ancient concept. The wonderful thing is that each artist's perception of nature is unique, and with many mediums available and yet still growing, this intersection has been allowed to expand and flourish over time.

What inspired you to create your piece?
The small moments are what add meaning to my life. When interpreting this piece, I turned to those reflections: the balmy summer air during an evening walk, the sound of a gentle breeze, or a blue sky adding brightness to my day. I thought further about how those moments impacted me, which ranged from joy to bittersweet nostalgia.

How does engaging in your passion improve your wellbeing?
Music has been a positive outlet toward wellbeing since I was young. Depending on the style, music captures feelings that we sometimes cannot, or even several feelings at once. Whether I'm playing or listening, it helps me to make sense of what I'm going through in that particular moment.