Hello! My name is Chase and I am a '25 from South Carolina. I'm currently considering studying more film scoring and video game composition to learn about writing music for movies and games! But when I'm not hanging out with friends or doing classwork, you can find me composing music. I'm involved in the Dartmouth College Wind Ensemble (DCWE), Dartmouth Chamber Orchestra (DCO), and the fraternity Zeta Psi.
As someone who did not know the ins and outs of marine policy, I loved learning about aspects of the blue economy. This class encourages us to be aware of the human aspect of marine problems regarding coastal erosion, pollution, and climate change. Professor Webster is the coolest!
I could not recommend this class enough to anyone who goes to this school! Professor Beaudoin has truly influenced me as both a musician and a student. We learn the music from the 1800's to present day including famous composers like Tchaikovsky, but also music by Beyonce and even the music of Dartmouth's professors. This is much more than a music history class. It is a class about music, our lives, and exploring the concept of sonder through musical lens.
If you're scared of coding or have a love for music, this is the class for you. This computer science class is cross-listed with music to teach students how to code using a language called processing to learn the basic principles of design through coding. We created several projects throughout the term, but Professor Casey really taught me that there is more to music than I think. For my final, I created an interactive keyboard which created a visual effect for each key that created music which made it a musical instrument! Genuinely such an amazing and fun class that I think people should consider.
Although this class is only offered during the F.I.R.E. study abroad program, it was such an amazing class. I absolutely adored having Professor Canepa teach us about Italy from its politics, music, food, and much much more. This class taught me hands on what Italian culture is through visits to famous landmarks, food tastings, or tours of Italian regions. If you don't want to study abroad, I suggest taking a class with Professor Canepa because she truly is one of my favorite professors I have had yet.
FallHanover, New Hampshire
I was on an off term, but decided to live on campus to join a fraternity and work in town. I took the time to write music for one of my friend's short films and learned a lot about the film music industry.
Dr. Moseley has been one of my most favorite professors by far. I have loved taking this class to divulge into my musical passion through creating music and learning about ways to create music. If you are interested in taking a music class, I highly recommend Dr. Moseley if you find a class with him that interests you!
I took this class with composer Miguel Kertsman who was incredibly knowledgeable in every type of compositional technique that I wanted. I studied electronic music composition with him to understand music digital signal processing better.
Although I'm not a fan of reading literature for the classroom, this class completely changed the way I perceive literature. I adored this class with Prof. Hollister as it engaged with the dissections of film, novels, and short stories regarding how humanity views the end of the world.
I took an off-term this Fall, but I decided to sit in on a class on how to arrange music for strings and woodwinds! After many hours of long work, I had a piece performed and recorded by professional musicians that I worked on in the class!
This has to be arguably one of my favorite classes I have taken at Dartmouth with one of the most qualified and talented professors! Throughout the term, I mixed eight different songs of all different genres and learned the ins and outs of sound engineering. This means figuring out the best ways to create and produce music in the industry. Now, I feel confident publishing my own music and have started helping others publish theirs too by working on their projects!
Jodie Mack's "History of Visual Music" truly changed my Dartmouth career. In their class, students learn about the ways artists has dealt with the intersection of sound and sight through film, sculpture, and live performance. Throughout the term, students present two films or performances of their own creative works. Now, Professor Mack is one of my advisors for my thesis which is a long-form piece of visual music!
SummerGreer, SC
During this Summer, I spent time at home with my parents while teaching at a high school marching band. I took a lot of time to write music to prepare my composition portfolio for grad school applications and took time to visit friends before we graduate!
Throughout this year, I am working on a film entitled "Queer Idyll." You can read more about the senior fellowship and my project on the blog, or at the link on above. My favorite part of my research and project this term has been visiting farms owned or cared for by queer individuals. I have witness so many amazing stories, beautiful locations, and friendly people!
As a senior, one of the most exciting things for me is my thesis project. In this blog, I describe how to approach making a senior honors thesis. As Dartmouth focuses on their undergraduate research, many students complete a thesis, so let's dive in!
Dartmouth requires its undergraduate students to participate in a 'culminating experience' to demonstrate their mastery of knowledge for their particular major. This requirement can exist as a formal class that students can take, an independent research project, or a senior honors thesis.
Recently, I bloggedabout the Dartmouth Senior Fellowshipwhich grants students the ability to work on a larger culmination project with funding. This fellowship allows me to work on my project, "Queer Idyll," to make a musical film by visiting and working with gay farmers across America. If I were not doing this, I would be taking the Music Department's Music 99: Proseminarcourse to fulfill the requirement. Additionally, the music department offers credits to complete a thesis, so I would have done this too. Every department has different opportunities and ways to fulfill this requirement.
Enjoy pictures from my travels for my thesis!
The biggest question you get asked when you propose or work on a thesis is "How did you choose that topic?" Find a topic that genuinely interests you and that you are extremely passionate about. If you plan to write a thesis or do independent research, my advice primarily focuses on finding professors or advisors you enjoy working with. Whether you simply adore their work or admire their instructional techniques, there are many ways for you to decide who you want to ask to advise your project. Specifically, look at the department's website to get the most information on how to acquire the major and complete a senior honors thesis as each department has different requirements on how to get a project approved.
Every thesis looks different. It is that simple yet nuanced! For me, my project involves camping on farms and meeting strangers. For others, it involves deep dives of historical accounts to discover linking bridges between topics or could involve spending lots of time in a lab. When you create any research project or thesis, make sure that you enjoy the work that you will be doing.
At the end of the year, seniors will present their final projects to an examining committee, which is typically open to the public. Typically, this time generates lots of excitement among students as their friends and family can finally understand the work they have been working on during their final year. I cannot wait to show the Dartmouth, Hanover, and farming communities my film at the end of this year.
It's been (almost) a full year since I was in your (figurative) shoes! Let's take a trip down memory lane and dissect my Dartmouth application process. Part one of a long journey!
Near the start of every fall term, the Jones Media Center hosts the library's annual 48-hour film contest! This event encourages all levels of student filmmakers to create a short film using a specific prompt and prop given by the library staff.
Now that I am more than a half into my Dartmouth experience, I have grown and learned about the world in ways that I would never have anticipated. How do I feel about it? Where do I hope to go next?
This past week, I got to participate in a Memory Café hosted by the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth with my club, Dartmouth Forte! What's a Memory Café? Read to find out!
