Hello! My name is Catherine Woods, and I am a sophomore studying violin performance. My very first time on IU’s campus was on the day of my Jacobs audition. I had tried to come multiple times previously, whether for a summer music camp or simply for a campus visit, and each time something came up. This was rather stressful for me, and since I hadn’t seen the school yet I kept going back and forth on whether or not I should even audition. All my older siblings attended small liberal arts schools, which was appealing to me also. As a Catholic homeschooler, I was afraid of not finding others with a similar background at a giant state university. I was afraid I wouldn’t enjoy a college environment. More than anything, I was afraid that I wasn’t talented enough to “make it” in Jacobs and even if I miraculously got in, I would crash and burn just trying to “keep up.” In high school I already had a thriving private studio, so I strongly considered not going to college and staying in my hometown to develop what I had. However, I kept feeling pulled by the possibility of being surrounded by countless other young musicians, collaborating with people I would know the rest of my life, and taking time to intensely focus on improving my abilities.
My Dad is a professional musician, so he is very familiar with the audition process. He finally told me that if I didn’t know what I wanted I should just apply to schools and see what happened. Even though I’d been dreaming of IU for years, I internally decided I wouldn’t even bother applying because I feared rejection. My Dad has no such qualms, so he lovingly but strongly told me to stop underestimating myself and apply.
The college audition process was the hardest thing I’d ever done in my life up until that point, but I took it very seriously. My private teacher was incredibly supportive and gave me priceless advice leading up to my auditions. I still didn’t know what exactly I wanted, but the process of intensely preparing for auditions showed me what I was truly capable of. I still remember waking up promptly at 5am to do my whole preplanned audition day routine before my 9am audition. Typically, I walk out of auditions thinking about everything I could have done better. This time, I walked out completely elated that I had pushed myself to do the thing I had dreaded for years and that I had finally succeeded.
Even though it was my first day on campus, I felt amazingly at peace with everything I experienced. I got to meet Dr. Brenner, who I now study with. A friend who already studied at Jacobs took me out to lunch and showed me the campus. It was the most fun audition day of my life.
Since it was a March audition, I received my acceptance one week later. Since deciding to follow through on my dreams, I have realized that every objection I had to coming to IU was something I had invented out of fear. I have met people I can deeply connect with who share my values, I have found thriving communities that would possibly not exist at a smaller campus, and I collaborate with my best friends in and outside of school. My favorite collaboration thus far has been spear-heading a chamber music initiative where we perform benefit concerts to directly help pregnant and parenting women in Bloomington. This project has gone so well that it received a shoutout at a conference I recently attended in Washington, D.C.! IU Jacobs is the only place I know of where all the factors come together to make projects like this possible.
Congratulations on your admittance and I look forward to seeing you on campus. My one piece of advice is that amid your musical pursuits, you also take the time to look beyond your own instrument and form real connections with people both in Jacobs and through wider campus activities.
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