Along with career skills, Berry College emphasizes holistic education, allowing students to integrate enriching activities into their lives alongside their professional pursuits. Regardless of their career path, students and alumni embody this mission by offering their musical talents where they live, work and serve.
Ten percent of the Berry student population is involved in the music department. Alyssa Grey, assistant professor of instrumental music education and the director of wind studies, says, “In the different bands I direct, I have 50 students who are non-music majors. … This is a significant number. These students take music classes, lessons, practice and perform on top of everything else they are involved in.”
Trinity McClendon, a pre-veterinary major, has worked at Berry’s dairy farm and is now a vet tech for a local large and small animal clinic. She also plays the French horn with the Berry Winds and leads a section in the audition band.
“Juggling everything freshman year was a big learning curve,” says Trinity, “Now, music is not only a great community, but it is also an outlet, a way for me to de-stress. Although it is a time commitment, it helps me take a break from the rigors of my major. When classes become stressful, I find myself practicing more music to gain back that sense of balance.”
She already sees the log-term impact: “In my musical leadership role, I am challenged with educating others. As a veterinarian, I will have to train people, too, and this position has given me insight into how I can cater my teaching to others with varying backgrounds and skill levels.”
Trinity adds, “Wherever I end up after Berry, I hope to join a graduate or community band with other non-career musicians to continue my passion in music.”
Similarly, Sebastian Nivon Galvez, a sophomore exercise science major, was not ready to give up playing the clarinet when he got to college. As a member of the rowing team and a scholarship student with community service requirements, he figured out how to juggle his interests.
Sebastian notes, “For me, the full wind ensemble conflicted with community service hours, but being a part of Berry Winds was the right fit for me."
He emphasizes the joy of making music with others, saying, “It offers a powerful outlet for emotional expression, something less available to me in my major. Recently, we played a piece memorializing those exposed to nuclear fallout called ‘Eternal Memoir.’ Once the technical parts were mastered, we focused on emotional expression, and it was not just moving for the audience. It was moving for me as a performer, too.”
Sebastian agrees that involvement in music benefits professional development. “I know when I work at something, I will grow,” he explains. “Also, musicians do not get to pick who they work with in an ensemble. It’s taught me to work with all kinds of people and to keep emotions in check and not let them affect my performance.”
Berry alumni experiences echo the stories of Sebastian and Trinity. Koty Swanson ’14 works with the Center for Disease Control but still performs in Four Fellers, an Atlanta-area barbershop quartet. Similarly, the Rome Emperors' play-by-play announcer, Gavin Booker ’23, credits Berry singers for his pre-game confidence.
The impact of the Berry music department on the lives of non-music majors is a powerful illustration of a liberal arts mindset and commitment to fostering personal and professional growth throughout a student’s college journey.
