By Kathryn Fenstermacher, Julia Camara and Kristi Schweitzer | Echo
Graduates of the fine and performing arts disciplines often cringe when asked about their post-graduation plans. The "starving artist" stereotype is all too true for graduates entering the narrowing market. But Taylor students, with their passion for service and their sense of calling, might have an edge in these exclusive fields. Three seniors share their plans for fulfilling the Great Commission in creative ways.
James Carroll
This past Sunday, magical music emanated from the Recital Hall as music composition major James Carroll gave his senior recital, a performance that stunned the audience. "I wanted to make it more of an experience than a recital," he said.
Last year's Music Department Presser Scholar, James participated in numerous student directed plays and recitals over the past few years. His recital was a glorious way to open the next musical chapter of his life.
Carroll spent the fall 2012 semester in Nashville through an off-campus study program. In Nashville, Carroll studied at the Contemporary Music Center and learned about live concert and studio production work. Through this experience, he got to tour with the students at the music center, tracking, recording and mixing their music.
Carroll plans to attend graduate school in the fall of 2014. He wants a grad school that has connections to film and other arts. For Carroll, music is beautiful by itself, but it can be more powerful when joined with other art forms. "There is an aesthetic nature that (music) brings to a film where you're totally immersed," he said.
As the spring semester comes to a close, Carroll wishes he could enjoy just one more Taylor semester. The biggest thing Carroll learned this year is self-motivation, with a personal commitment to excellence. "It applies especially in creative fields," he said. "If you have no drive . . . to work toward that passion that you have, you can't expect someone to throw something in your lap or to guide you along the way."
Jacquelyn Curtis
Senior art education major Jacquelyn Curtis isn't going the traditional teaching route. After teaching at Taylor's Fine Art Camp this summer, she will begin a job with the Blackford County Arts Center (BCAC), teaching art classes for local adults.
"This is a whole new experience and a whole new kind of leaning," Curtis said. "I'd love to . . . challenge myself and grow in my own art and start being my own educator."
Last year, while working for a local gas station, Curtis toyed with the idea of forming a community school for the arts. Little did she know that the BCAC grand opening was just around the corner. After returning from student teaching in Nairobi, Kenya, Curtis was thrilled to hear about the new arts center.
She immediately contacted their director and was hired to teach weekly workshops at the Portland Center, a sister branch of the organization, until the BCAC has enough funding to include her among their staff.
A native of Grand Rapids, Mich., Curtis is excited about becoming a part of the community that captured her heart over the past four years. "During school it's so much more difficult to be part of the surrounding community," Curtis said. "I (know) even just being part of the community and teaching workshops for adults (will) be awesome."
Braden Spear
As senior theater major Braden Spear gets ready to wrap up his college career, he takes time to reflect on past experiences. Spear said the Taylor Theatre has been the biggest highlight of his college experience."It's a very closely knit group," he said, "a very accepting group."
Spear has been involved in many lead roles with the theater which have helped him develop his acting expertise. "In the last four years, it's been great to have had the breadth of work that I've done," he said. "I've played just a really wide variety of character types and different roles."
Spear knew from the beginning of his college career that he wanted to devote his life to acting, and as graduation approaches, he still wants that. "My heart has always been in performing and . . . I would love to make it as a professional actor," he said.
Spear plans to continue pursuing his dream after graduation with his fiancée, Audrey Henderson ('11), with whom he shared lead roles in Taylor's 2010 production of "A Streetcar Named Desire." They will marry at the end of June and move to New York City to start auditioning for plays and tv roles.
"I'm not going to give up that dream," Spear said. "(I will) just keep pressing on and see what God has in store for me."
