By Alaina Heenan
Music composition major Austin Kobylarzcyk ‘24 participated in the 8-week student undergraduate research fellowship program (SURF) this past summer. The SURF program provides students with the opportunity to participate in faculty-student research collaborations with the goal of developing students into well-rounded individuals that are capable of independent, creative thinking (https://www.snc.edu/collaborative/programs.html). Students that participate in the SURF program present their projects to SURF members, faculty and staff, family members, and members of the De Pere / Green Bay communities that were involved in the research process at the end of 8 weeks. Austin said that the opportunity to participate in the program was insightful and gave him the chance to explore what it would be like to be a full-time composer. In fact, Austin was a political science major on the pre-law track before his experience in the SURF program, which made him realize he wanted to pursue a degree in music composition.
Austin’s interest in the SURF program stemmed from his desire to continue composition lessons over the summer. Austin presented his idea of adapting compositional techniques for new pieces to Dr. John Hennecken, Assistant Professor of Music, who said it was a great idea. The focus of Austin’s project was centered around the analysis of the works of previous well-known composers. The composers he analyzed include Charles Ives, Percy Grainger, Duke Ellington, and Arvo Pärt, all of which are some of Austin’s favorite composers. Following analysis, Austin adapted their compositional techniques for new pieces. Austin noted that the ability to compose his own piece was challenging because it required him to ask questions when approaching composition, as this wasn’t his typical style.
Austin spent most of his days doing score study and analyzing sheet music for no less than 40 hours a week, but “luckily as a musician, work is listening to music.” He noted that the SURF program taught him a lot about time management because he had the freedom to structure his workdays. Austin also mentioned that he learned the importance of always saving a second copy of his work. He lost most of his research two weeks before the end of the SURF program due to technical difficulties, but he was able to work diligently and recover most of his work in just a few days. In the end, Austin composed a piece called “Serenity/Shock” and it is near, if not totally, complete. He is looking to have the wind ensemble run through the piece a few more times because “having live musicians play it [the piece] is the best way to get feedback.” In fact, the wind ensemble is going to be playing Austin’s composition “Serenity/Shock” in concert in the Spring of 2022. In sum, Austin noted that anyone interested in the SURF program “should go for it and give it a shot. It could end up changing your whole career path.”
Congratulations, Austin on the success of your composition! We look forward to hearing it played in concert.
For more information about the SURF program, contact Professor Raquel Lopez, Professor Terry Jo Leiterman, or Professor Jamie Lynch.
