About
Name: Dana Brown
Age: 20
Major: Music Education & Classical Voice double major
Hometown: Fort Collins, Colorado
Hobbies/interests: Drinking really really good coffee, drawing, writing, baking, sewing, woodworking, metalworking, bug collecting, and skiing!
School
Why did you choose your major?
I’ve loved singing for a long time. I love the connection it forces you to make not only with the music and the text itself, but with the listener as well. I just love to tell the stories. As far as the education aspect, I’ve had a lot of wonderful music teachers throughout my school experience. They’ve had such a positive influence on my life. Being a part of choirs and musicals and such at my high school was what made me want to come to school. That being said, I’ve also had a couple really awful teachers in the field as well. It’s really sad when one class can be your favorite thing in the world, and then one teacher takes over and makes what was once your favorite part of the day into a living hell. That I think was even more incentive for me to do this than the good teachers were. I knew I could do so much better than those people. I knew I could give people the same gift I had been given which made my time in high school so much better, and so much more successful, than it would have been otherwise.
What are your plans after graduation?
I’m not entirely sure just yet. I know I’d like to teach, but I haven’t really decided which age group or where. Ideally in the future, I would like to open my own studio where I could teach private voice lessons, as well as maybe some acting and playwriting classes. I was fortunate enough to teach at a similar establishment back home in Fort Collins, and I would love to start up another one similar to that. But first I’m thinking public school.
Why did you choose RU/CCPA?
This comes back to the amazing teachers I’ve had again! My jazz choir director in high school, Mr. Paul Falk, is still to this day the most incredible teacher I’ve ever had. He had a way of making everything he was teaching so interesting that all of his students really wanted to learn everything about it. He went to school here, so here I am. I’ve also always liked the idea of living in a big city, and Chicago is certainly a big city, so that made it all the more appealing!
What is your favorite thing about Roosevelt/CCPA?
There are a lot of things I like about Roosevelt. In general, it really seems like everyone is more or less comfortable to be themselves here. Granted, I’m not inside everyone’s head, but the environment here seems to be very conducive to being oneself. I don’t really know if how I worded that makes sense, really. It’s more than just an accepting environment in the sense that people here seem to embrace more than “accept” in my experience.
Are you involved a lot on campus?
I’m not really too involved in much on campus outside of CCPA. My classes keep me pretty occupied, but I do enjoy being a part of Conservatory Chorus and the Junior/Senior Opera! I’m also involved with costuming for the opera, which I got to do last year as well.
What has been your favorite RU/CCPA event?
There have been a ton of CCPA concerts I’ve really enjoyed going to here at Roosevelt, but there was one in particular I went to my freshman year that was particularly great. It was a faculty recital, and though I can’t remember who was actually playing, it was all folk and bluegrass music. I like banjos a lot, so that was easily my favorite event here.
Social Causes
What social cause matters most to you?
I would really like to see education become more accessible to everyone. Especially given the frequent school closures here as of late. Education is kind of an important thing.
Are you a feminist?
Yes.
What causes are important to you for the upcoming Presidential election?
There are so many that are important to me. As I mentioned, education is a big one. Every factor of the upcoming election will have an impact on everyone, so every cause is important to me.
Style
How would you describe your personal style?
Kind of a mix between lazy college student and middle aged dad who is always prepared to take his kids on a camping trip. But on the preppier side of both of those.
What are your favorite stores and brands?
Madewell and J Crew for sure!
What’s your favorite item in your closet?
A sweater that I stole from my dad. He never wore it anyway. And now that I think of it, I did ask permission to take it, so I guess I didn’t really steal it.
Tell us one thing that makes you awesome!
There are so many incredibly talented individuals on this campus. I suppose what could make me awesome is that I don’t ever do things half-heartedly. If I’m going to sing, I’m going to actually sing. If I’m going to draw, I’m going to take my time and produce the best product I can. If I’m going to make a sword, I’m going to make the best sword you’ve ever seen. (I did that. I made a sword a couple weeks ago.) I like to do a number of different things, but I like to do them, not just try them.
Do you have a favorite quote?
Yes. “Sometimes I get emotional over fonts” – Kanye West. I relate to this on many levels.
If you had to give your vagina a smell, what would it smell like and why?
Mine would smell like lavender. Just because I like lavender.