Sophomore Oliva Caves, Music Production

When did you start to get involved with music production?

I got involved with (music production) about a year ago, almost exactly. Religion was a factor because it was a need within the church. And I think I thought and I had a calling, for a very religious word, but I sort of just felt, ‘Hey, I have time to give, so let me give this time to something that’s meaningful.’ And it really paid off. It’s helped with friends, it’s helped with my spirituality, it’s helped with all that stuff.

How has being involved with music in a religious setting beneficial to 

your spirituality?

I think it really helps me understand the part of the Bible that Jesus talks about serving with and how serving is important to the community. And he talks about how, when we serve, we’re benefiting not just him, but we’re sort of leading other people to the kingdom of God. So I think unless you are serving, it’s hard to kind of see how one connects to the other. I think it’s true when we start taking that extra couple of hours out of your day and putting it towards church, it can really be beneficial to what’s going on and how other people are learning about Jesus.

Why is being involved with music in religious contexts important?

I think it’s not just important to the church and how our service runs and how long they go and if it goes wrong; I think it’s really important to the students too because I know that there are certain worship things from retreats or services from when I was younger that will always stick in my head because they were very important to me and my spiritual growth but also my connection to other people.

What have you learned from your experiences in music production?

I think I’ve learned a lot about how to work with a sound board. I’ve learned a lot about music in general. I just play piano, so I know stuff about chords and keys, but I think it’s interesting to learn about it from someone who has a different instrument or sings, from their perspective. I’ve learned a lot about the anatomy of a song. 

Senior Owen Eckart, Violinist

What has performing music with others taught you about teamwork and collaboration?

I think teamwork and being able to work together with people isn’t about understanding a set of rules. It’s just about experience and playing with them got me that experience. The more you work with people, the better you’ll become at working with people. I think that was the main benefit of (teamwork).

Do you think playing music can help people avoid burnout and stick with their instrument?

I think the main reason is a lot of people get bored when they play in just orchestra. It’s not that orchestra is boring, it’s just the same thing. I think it’s important, if people want to keep playing their instrument and stay motivated, to find these organizations where they can switch it up, because playing with the religious organization is completely different than playing with school.

Sophomore Kira Zolner, Violinist

How is being involved in music in a religious setting beneficial to your spirituality?

It’s nice because I’m surrounded by people that have the same beliefs as me and I hear a lot of testimonies and it’s nice to hear a lot of other pastors talk

Does performing music in religious groups help you feel more confident in your abilities?

Yes, because even though sometimes I am the youngest one there, I still get to challenge myself because sometimes the music is super easy and sometimes the music is difficult. But yeah, usually people are really flexible and they know that I’m not the most experienced player. So they definitely give grace when we make mistakes.