I’d like for you to meet Lorelei Dyer-Dietz.
Redheaded, wide-eyed, and self-aware, the McGill Outdoor Club (MOC) Publicity Executive exuded an air of genuine happiness and optimism when I sat down with her.
“I rarely get angry, nothing really bugs me. I was always raised to never let anything get me down. My parents taught me everything happens for a reason.”
Her charming personality flourished after starting her first year at McGill, recalling something her grandmother had said to her: she would get along with almost anyone she’d meet. Having struggled with a low self-confidence, Lorelei took this comment into her stride, and upon attending an MOC referendum (not intending at all to nominate herself for anything), she hurriedly stood up for Publicity Executive and yelled “I like Facebook!”
That’s what won her the position.
“It was between me and another guy, and I won and I was just like, ‘so that happened.'”
Her carefree and follow-your-instincts attitude trickles into every aspect of her life—it is this consistency that refreshes and rejuvenates everyone she crosses paths with. Having been exposed to an impressive fleet of musical genres all her life—from Celtic folksongs to Pink Floyd and everything in between it was to nobody’s surprise that she chose to pursue a Major in music. When asked about what she wants to do with her major, I expected the run-off-the-mill answer of playing in an orchestra or symphony, but I was to be pleasantly surprised.
“The first time I watched The Lord of the Rings, the thing that struck me most was the soundtracks. And I said to myself, “I want to work in producing soundtracks.”
The marriage between music and picture has always stayed with her, and when asked if producing a Lord of the Rings soundtrack would be a dream come true of hers, she answered with an emphatic “Yes.”
“I’m minoring in psychology. I want to be able to make sense of the feelings and emotions music can produce in people especially in the world of film.”
Perhaps in her desire to understand the interplay between the artistic representations of the human experience lies a more introspective purpose to understand and find herself.
Between the bustle of school and the MOC office, she spends weekends at the MOC-owned house in Prévost, taking the time to be alone: good music in her ears and a fresh, crisp breeze on her skin.
“Classical music was often inspired by nature,” she explained. “There are no distractions when you’re outdoors. There is nothing that could take away from the experience you get listening to a piece.”
She not only loves being in nature, but she believes in doing things the natural way—that is, following her heart.
“I’ve always hated and tried to get away from the whole linear life plot: undergrad, masters, job, getting married, starting a family, and then working until retirement. I’ve really hated that, it really freaks me out.”
At the cusp of adulthood and youthfulness, many university students can relate to this inherent fear: one half terrified you won’t be able to support yourself or find a steady job so you can lead a comfortable, financially stable life and the other half is terrified that having spent your life making sure you don’t have worry, you hadn’t really ever lived. But Lorelei’s answer to something that’s consumed so many people for so many years is simple.
“My philosophy is that it’ll all happen eventually, I know what I want out of life for the next little bit, and I think it’ll sort itself out.”
I asked her if she doesn’t want to work the nine to five grind, what does she want to do?
“You can learn so much from people and places, so I just want to travel and see things and make music. I sound like such a hippy, but…yeah, I guess I am.”
Images obtained from: https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10606239…