To celebrate the success of our students graduating at Fall Convocation this weekend, we’ve asked two recent grads to discuss their time at the Faculty of Music, and specifically what it was like finishing their degree in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown.
Esther-Ruth Teel recently completed a Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance
What was it like finishing your degree during the COVID-19 lockdown? Did this offer unexpected challenges or uncertainties, and how did you overcome them?
Finishing a degree is always intense, and it was difficult to concentrate on studies when it felt like the world was collapsing around me. My residence was closed, so in 48 hours I went from planning to stay in Toronto for most of the summer to flying back to the west coast. I spent my last two weeks of classes quarantining in a corner of my parents' unfinished basement, cordoned off with paint drop cloths to create an impromptu room. Obviously, this wasn't the most ideal study environment, physically or emotionally. I coped by doing art projects, Skyping with friends, and connecting with my studies in different ways. For example, the hardships Arvo Pärt experienced under an oppressive regime were somehow more relatable now that I was tasting my own kind of hardship. Instead of marking the end of classes with a recital and celebrations with friends, I had a homemade cocktail, and a nap.
What are your research/ performance/ professional/ community interests? How have your pursuit of these interests changed since graduating U of T?
I am an organist. I aspire to be a church musician because of all the possibilities that affords for collaboration and for performing music in a meaningful context. I also play Celtic harp, sing, and conduct, and I use all these as tools to facilitate connection - connection between people, to the earth, to one’s self, and to spirituality. I am passionate about exploring these essentially therapeutic properties of music, but in my previous experience these have required being in person, which is not possible in today's world. Instead, currently I am focusing on developing my skills as an organist, and finding projects which can promote connection and tap into the healing power of music from a distance. For instance, I am working on a video collaboration with a dancer and a poet, intended as an homage to the losses experienced as part of COVID 19.
Do you have any advice for people just starting at the Faculty of Music?
Try something out of your comfort zone and area of expertise every term! Because of U of T's diverse offerings, I discovered passions far outside of my plans. I stumbled on a love of Hindustani music, played accordion in a klezmer band, and jammed with youth in detention. Also, remember to be kind to yourself. U of T is a big school with a big reputation, and therefore big amounts of pressure. Maintain a life outside of school, seek help when you need it, and remember your health is more important than a 4.0 average!
What’s your fondest memory of your time at U of T Music?
It's hard to choose a fondest moment, since so many of them were inconspicuous - an aha moment in post-tonal theory, a quiet morning seminar with the sun streaming in, the instant when a fugue coalesced under my fingers and toes. However, one particularly exciting moment was my third-year recital. After a full year of hard work, it was deeply satisfying to perform music I loved for an audience of friends and supporters. I felt caught up in the music as I shared it with my listeners. It was very exciting to have so much of what I'd learned at U of T - musically and personally - embodied in that single afternoon.
Amanda Hsieh recently completed a PhD in Musicology
What was it like finishing your degree during the COVID-19 lockdown? Did this offer unexpected challenges or uncertainties, and how did you overcome them?
A lot of waiting! It took quite a bit of time to arrange the final oral defence. But everybody worked very hard for that to happen and I’m very grateful. Everything turned out alright and I had the most wonderful examiner (though I forgot to take a Zoom “group photo”). Job applications and interviews also kept me busy, and at one point, it did become quite stressful. But I had a good support network, and thankfully, enough good news (including the Jerome Roche Prize) to keep me going. I’ve been incredibly lucky.
What are your research/ performance/ professional/ community interests? How have your pursuit of these interests changed since graduating U of T?
I’m interested in interrogating non-/representations of normativity in opera. I’ve been asking in my doctoral research what it meant to be a man in WWI-era Austria and Germany. Going forward, as Research Assistant Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, I want to examine narratives of empire and the global flow of power by looking at operatic exchanges between Germany and Japan, ca. 1880–1930.
Do you have any advice for people just starting at the Faculty of Music?
Branch out! Don’t be afraid to ask for help, even though sometimes people might say no because things are simply too hectic. Join an accountability group organised by the SGS [School of Graduate Studies]. Figure out the health insurance plans (really!) and exercise at Hart House. Keep old connections and make new friends.
What’s your fondest memory of your time at U of T Music?
Ah, there are so many. I really appreciate the kindness and support that Andrea [Nussey Atherley], Lisa [Jack], and our absolutely indispensable Nalayini [Balasubramaniam] have given me. All the corridor encounters. All the faculty mentors’ encouragement. Ellen’s [Lockhart] MUS126 and the students from those classes. My dear friends tolerating my inability to consume alcohol. Jim Kippen’s retirement extravaganza.
You can watch the Fall Convocation virtual ceremony via video at 12:00 pm, EST, on Saturday, November 21, including a special performance of O Canada by members of the UTSO and Wind Ensemble.
Congratulations to everyone graduating this year - it is an incredible feat in the best of times, and it is something special to succeed and thrive against the challenging backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This article was written by Colin McMahon, DMA Composition and Marketing and Publicity Assistant for the Faculty of Music.
Photo of Amanda Hsieh by Brendon Su
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