This week’s campus celebrity is Casey Williams, a junior Music Education major. Her major instrument is the violin and minor instrument is the cello. Casey has always been incredibly active in the music department from the first day she began studying at IUP. Currently, she’s participating in marching band as a drum major, although in previous years she’s played piccolo, University Orchestra as a violinist, String Ensemble as a violinist, Concert Band as a floutist, and The String Project as a viola/violin teacher. In previous semesters she’s also participated in chorus.
Casey first got into music when she was seven upon hearing violinists play at her church. Subsequently, she began learning herself. Later, in elementary school, she began the flute and shortly after joined marching band for the first time. Throughout high school she would join several ensembles ranging from chorus to orchestra. But it was her time spent as drum major senior year that got her seriously thinking about what she wanted to do in the future.
When it comes to advising incoming freshman, Casey has a few key pieces of advice. First, she stressed the importance of setting a goal and then working hard and doing everything necessary to meet that goal. Going hand in hand with that belief, she said “if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you,” meaning if everything you do is easy, you will never grow. She related to this point back to herself with her experience with the marching band here at IUP.
When not in school or practicing, Casey enjoys the many performances put on by the IUP Lively Arts. Particularly those set in Fisher Hall on campus. She also enjoys spending time with her friends and family.
In the future, Casey hopes to be a high school music teacher, helping with both the school’s marching band and orchestra. She also hopes to teach privately out of her home. Someday, she would like to return back to school and pursue a graduate degree. Eventually, she hopes to look further into conducting, as Casey has found that to be something she thoroughly enjoys.