HC: Year in school?
Caitlin: Junior/3rd year
HC: Hometown?
Caitlin: Columbus, NE
HC: Reason to come to UNL?
Caitlin: The fabulous music composition program, and receiving the Regents and Cynthia D. Carlson scholarships.
HC: What are you involved in here on campus?
Caitlin: UNL Vocal Jazz; Pitch, Please; University Singers; UNL Big Band
HC: How did you become interested in music?
Caitlin: When I was six, we had a piano in the house and my mom’s cousin, who is a virtuosic pianist, played for me, and I knew that I wanted to be able to do things like that, too.
HC: What different instruments can/do you play?
Caitlin: I’m mainly a jazz vocalist, but I’m also a decent saxophonist and pianist, can play the guitar and ukulele moderately well, and have learned all the woodwind instruments, some brass, some percussion, and strings to help me become a better composer.
HC: How did you become a part of the acapella group here at UNL? Did you have to try out? Was it pretty tough?
Caitlin: I’m actually one of the original members and the first music director, so I put the first group together and auditioned people.
HC: What kinds of classes does a Music Composition major take?
Caitlin: The same standard classes that the rest of the music majors take, plus minor level lessons in an instrument (voice for me) and full major level lessons in Composition, as well as a few extra Music Theory requirements. I’m also a Music Technology minor so I’ve taken classes in Digital/Audio Recording, filmscoring, etc.
HC: What are your future career goals/plans after college?
Caitlin: I’m hoping to go on to graduate school to further my training, or move back to the Philippines for a little while and sing jazz over there since I had some pretty heavy gigging at major night clubs while I was in Manila this summer.
HC: What would be your dream job/career?
Caitlin: To either be a freelance composer or teach composition at the university level, while still being able to perform (jazz especially) throughout.
HC: Are you pretty busy with all of your extra curricular involvements?
Caitlin: Definitely. On top of being in all the campus groups I listed, I’m also the lead singer/guitarist/pianist for my all-female folk trio: Purple Hays. Gigging and songwriting for that, as well as keeping up with commissions for arrangements and original works from various groups in and out of the university, definitely adds up to a lot of late nights and hard work. It’s all worth it though. I’m doing music all the time, and that’s enough to make me happy.
HC: How has music changed/influenced you in your life?
Caitlin: I actually came to UNL as a Music Composition major with a focus in Pre-Vet, while juggling the Cornhusker Marching Band and a ton of other stuff. It was crazy, but at the end of the day, I felt like everything else that wasn’t a music class was distracting me from what I felt was my “real” work and I knew that this is what I need to do for the rest of my life.
HC: What is it about music that you are passionate about?
Caitlin: For me, as a composer, creating something that wouldn’t have existed without me, and will hopefully live much longer than I do and move people even when I’m not here anymore.
HC: How would you describe yourself in three words?
Caitlin: Dedicated, Ambitious, Considerate.