Campus Music Groups See Growth

Indiana Wesleyan University’s campus music groups, such as Chorale and Jazz Ensemble, have seen significant growth in the amount of students who joined this year.

Professor Todd Williams, the director of the Jazz Ensemble, commented on this exciting change. He said that the Jazz Ensemble has doubled due to the increase in students who play trumpet and trombone.

“I remember for a season we had one trombone for a couple of years, and it was discouraging for that individual, and it just takes away from the whole sound of the group when you have fewer people,” Williams said. “ But nonetheless, we’ve had an influx of young brass players and other wind players.”

Master Davy Chinn, the director of Chorale, saw an extreme change in numbers after recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We ended the year last year with 26, which was an all time low,” said Chinn, “And I really thought last year would be the beginning of the growth, growing back, but it really wasn’t, but this year, we saw a massive increase in auditions. So year over year to date, our enrollment in our three choirs is up 17% from last fall.”

This massive change in numbers is partly due to different recruiting strategies, which both professors agreed they could continue to improve upon.

“I would love to somehow get the word out to the rest of the students on campus,” Williams said, “I think sometimes we’re a little bit isolated being in a separate building and being on the other side of campus, that a lot of students who may want to continue their progress in music may not even know that there’s an opportunity.”

Chinn said his approach this year included contacting potential students directly.

“I don’t know if that helps or not, or if it scares people away, but we were very aggressive,” Chinn said, “I’ve worked very closely with admissions to make sure that anybody who even sniffs of choir or band or orchestra gets connected to somebody in our division so we can try to convince them to be involved.”

Several Chorale students commented on the growth they had seen within their program. Jadyn Mucher explained her initial draw to Chorale.

“I think the high level of hard work it took to be successful in the group – I think that was my biggest encouragement and biggest drive in wanting to join,” Mucher said.

Wyatt Wakeman said, “It was more than just a choir. It wasn’t just people making music together. It was a family of believers, and we really are a family that comes together to praise God and make beautiful music.”

Elijah Sherman, another student in Chorale, said, “On my visit day, I got to sit in and listen to Chorale rehearsal and, hearing the quality of music that the Chorale two years ago made as an ensemble was amazing, and it made me want to join.”

Williams and Chinn both explained that even students with different backgrounds or even little musical experience can still be involved.

“We look forward to having more acoustic bass players, people with different backgrounds, even other instruments that are not traditionally jazz instruments,” Williams said, “I would love to have a jazz oboist or a jazz bassoonist, and there’s no reason why you can’t do that. It’s just the mindset.”

Chinn has the same sentiment. 

“I want there to be choirs where people can be involved, even if they have no choral experience,” said Chinn, “One of our three choirs right now, campus choir, is open to anybody on campus, faculty and staff included. They can be people that have been singing for 40 years, ten years, five years, or have never sung before in a choir.”

As their efforts to continue this growth pattern continue, students within these programs are working hard to create music that may inspire the next generation to become involved in the future of IWU’s Division of Music & Theatre.