The flowing melody of UMD

Photo from Flickr.

In a world consumed by math, technology, and science, it can be easy to forget about the places and people in the world whose passion consists of creation and music. The arts hold a special place in many people's hearts, especially at UMD.

The University of Minnesota Duluth is home to thousands of talented and passionate individuals, but one group of students, are those who choose to study music.

The UMD Department of Music was formed in 1939, and the Weber Music Hall was constructed in 2002. The department currently teaches students from 15 different states and four different continents.

If you walk through Weber Music Hall, you’ll be met with the harmonic sounds of students belting out notes and instruments of all kinds. Music of all forms can be heard bouncing off the walls.

When I think of music, I think of my childhood music teacher who was kind and filled with love for music. I may not know much about music today, but as I journeyed through Weber Hall the sounds and voices resonated that same warmth I felt when I was young.

Music comes in many different shapes and sizes, whether it’s a tuba or an opera solo, with every avenue you can go down in music, they all require an immense amount of discipline. Dr. Mark Whitlock, Professor of Music and Director of Bands, understands and insists upon the importance of discipline.

“It is a very demanding discipline, there’s no question about it,” he said.

To hone a craft is no easy task. Music students at UMD are held to a very high standard when it comes to their work inside and outside the classroom.

“Most people have come from situations where they have not had any music theory or music ear training or those kinds of situations, so they have to start from ground zero,” he said.

To many people, this may sound like an intimidating task. Though it may be intimidating, the faculty as well as the students at UMD have created an extremely supportive atmosphere where students can learn and grow without fear of judgment. Rachel Inselman, a Professor of Voice at UMD, understands how intimidating it can be to throw yourself into music.

“We have a really welcoming faculty. We have a lot of good students. We have everything, and we all kind of cheer our students on at whatever level they're at. We are really good about giving them one on one attention and help in both classes and extra rehearsal lesson time,” she said.

There are many people in the world who hold talent when it comes to music but are too afraid to get out of their comfort zone and do something with it.

“But man, if they have a love for music and they need that as part of their day whether they’re non-majors or wanna be a major that they have to follow their heart and give it a try,” she said.

The amount of work that goes into a music degree at UMD is not for the faint of heart. It may be shocking to some how classes and credits work in the music department. Whereas many majors have classes for only a few hours a week that give them three to five credits, things work a little differently in the music department.

“If you take choir you could be meeting five or six hours a week and you get one credit. I think other majors might think, ‘Oh that's so easy to be a music major,’ but it's time consuming, but the students love it,” she said.

If you think you couldn’t find a spot in the music department because you’re not a music major, you’d be incorrect.

“I think what is wonderful about anything in the arts actually, but especially within our ensembles, I mean our ensembles are made up half and half of majors and nonmajors,” she said.

She spoke highly of the talented students who were not music majors and who may have played an instrument or sang in choir in high school.

“It's a social gathering and it is so essential at that age and period in one's life to be able to have not just a lecture class like you're one in a hundred but you are part of a whole creating something together, it's a very bonding experience, good for mental health,” she said.

Music brings people together. It holds a firm and consistent love. The music department at UMD has a place for everyone, and the dedicated staff and students who roam the halls do UMD a favor by bringing song and spirit to our school.