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0:00 - [MUSIC PLAYING]

0:03 - Every time I pick up my viola, it's just really

0:05 - about not only trying to play my best

0:07 - but really to show the music to people the way I feel it.

0:11 - [VIOLA PLAYING]

0:13 - I see the joy on their faces.

0:15 - I know they're enjoying it, and that makes me happy.

0:19 - The biggest thing about UMass music program,

0:21 - there's really such a strong community

0:25 - between the students in the department and the professors,

0:28 - and they all want you to excel.

0:31 - There's a lot of great faculty.

0:33 - The string faculty is amazing.

0:36 - The teachers here really care for you,

0:37 - and they do want you to do well.

0:40 - What I do see with my colleagues is that they all

0:43 - care about their students for their personal success,

0:46 - each individual student, whether at school or in life.

0:52 - Coming to UMass, I did not expect

0:53 - that I would be playing classical music at all.

0:55 - It was something that I became very passionate about.

0:58 - Sal has been an amazing teacher and mentor to me.

1:04 - He truly built me up technically and musically

1:07 - from literally not being able to play an upright bass to being

1:11 - able to get accepted to a graduate program

1:13 - for double bass classical performance.

1:16 - It's pretty impressive.

1:18 - I've been pushed by everyone in good ways,

1:20 - and I've really been able to grow from that.

1:23 - And they've supported me and given me opportunities.

1:29 - You get to play a lot of different types of music.

1:33 - Chamber ensembles you can play in, studios every week,

1:37 - and you get to work closely with your teacher,

1:39 - with even your studio mates about improving your technique.

1:43 - The way that the students interact with each other

1:46 - is very positive.

1:48 - We're working together.

1:49 - It's not competitive, and I think

1:52 - that has been the best part about going here.

1:57 - So it has this intimate family feel

2:00 - that you might find in smaller schools

2:02 - but with the level performances and opportunities

2:05 - that you find in much bigger programs.

2:10 - Playing the "St. Matthew Passion,"

2:12 - that was probably one of my best musical experiences

2:16 - I've ever had.

2:17 - There was a lot of student collaboration.

2:19 - There was a lot of teachers involved in the ensemble,

2:22 - and we were all working together to tackle

2:25 - this behemoth of a piece and try to make

2:29 - it as beautiful as we could.

2:31 - We got to play with faculty.

2:32 - We got guest singers coming in and kind of put

2:36 - on a show with three rehearsals.

2:38 - It trains us for what we would have

2:40 - to do in the professional world, and that

2:42 - was a really great experience.

2:44 - There are so many musicians who come through here

2:48 - and they do both double concentration

2:51 - in education and performance.

2:54 - We've actually had the opportunity

2:56 - to organize a teacher-training workshop

2:59 - and to help be part of the organization

3:02 - team for Bach Fest.

3:03 - It's given me experience in arts administration,

3:05 - and it made me realize that there's so many different paths

3:08 - that I can take.

3:10 - If you're a young aspiring musician who

3:12 - is passionate about improving your skills

3:16 - and growing as a musician and curious about life

3:20 - and willing to work hard, then UMass Amherst

3:23 - would be a perfect place for you.