For a music major, a senior recital is a right of passage. The Northwestern music department requires all music students to participate in a recital in order to graduate. Clare and Katie Struck are now the next to go through this difficult but rewarding process.Katie and Clare have been preparing this date for months in advance with the recital being Nov. 12.
During the recital, Katie will be singing many songs including “Mornings Innocent” and “In Autumn” by Gwyneth Walker and “Love Never Dies” by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Katie has been singing in choir for about 11 years and recalls singing along to princess movies when she was younger. Katie is inspired by the music she sings because it has the capacity to tell someone else’s story and share those intimate moments that the composers have shared through the music.
Katie plans to share her musical gifts outside of college by being a music or choir teacher after graduation. She also hopes to continue to sing at the First Reformed Church in town on the praise team.
Katie looks back on her time as a music major at NW fondly. She has been in the A cappella Choir and Heritage Singers and has had fun touring, creating and singing in college. She says that vocal lessons and sleep deprived study sessions in the music building are something that she looks back on fondly.
For Clare’s half of the recital, she will be performing “Concerto No. 1 in G Major” by Mozart, “Concertino” by Cecile Chaminade and “Rain Dance” by Mark Phillips. Clare will be performing on flute, her main instrument.
Clare has been playing flute since 5th grade, said that music is such a powerful thing that transcends beyond the notes on the page and she hopes that the performance resonates with the audience. Clare sees the music as a conversation or a story that she gets to share with the audience through her performance.
Clare plans to use her musical gifts outside of college by teaching either middle school or high school band after graduation. She is currently giving private flute lessons and performs at church services.
In college, Clare’s music career at NW has been busy and challenging, but very worthwhile. One of Clare’s favorite things about the music department is the outings the department does each year to go see an orchestra performance. She loves to see the fantastic ensembles perform live and realizes that this is a highlight of her time at NW. Clare also enjoys being in the Symphonic Band and being a TA for Dr. Holt.
