A crackerjack box and a ruler.
I am one in a family of seven musicians. I began studying violin at age five and piano soon thereafter. My parents, professional musicians and professors of music, guided my upbringing with practice sessions, orchestra rehearsals, and private lessons. My first several violin lessons, in the Suzuki method, were taught using a simple crackerjack box and a ruler. A real violin was to be earned with respect and patience. My musical endeavors allowed me to travel at a young age. I have performed in Carnegie Hall, New York City, and in London, Scotland and British Columbia. I began teaching and gigging in high school, learning how to negotiate and provide for the expectations of others.
While completing my degree, I was an active member in the K-State music department and a member of the K-State orchestra and the Manhattan Project String Quartet (MPSQ). Both groups, in music and in friendship, helped me to succeed in architecture. The lessons I learned in rhythm and pattern help me in both fields. The violist in MPSQ, Cody Toll, is a very talented musician and composer. He wrote the two selections included below, Summer Breeze and Robyn + Brian Waltz.
*Performed in Masterclasses with Charles Castleman, Margaret Miller, Jupiter String Quartet, and Modigliani String Quartet
Members of the MPSQ as pictured above from left to right:
Laura Beth Cochran, Cody Toll, Robyn Yates, and Ransom Allen.
While completing my degree, I was an active member in the K-State music department and a member of the K-State orchestra and the Manhattan Project String Quartet (MPSQ). Both groups, in music and in friendship, helped me to succeed in architecture. The lessons I learned in rhythm and pattern help me in both fields. The violist in MPSQ, Cody Toll, is a very talented musician and composer. He wrote the two selections included below, Summer Breeze and Robyn + Brian Waltz.
- Orchestra Scholarship, KSU Department of Music: Fall 2005-Fall 2010
- Vice President of KSU chapter of American String Teachers Association and four year member: Fall 2005-Spring 2009
- Principal violinist in Kansas State University Symphony: Fall 2005-Spring 2009
*Performed in Masterclasses with Charles Castleman, Margaret Miller, Jupiter String Quartet, and Modigliani String Quartet
Members of the MPSQ as pictured above from left to right:
Laura Beth Cochran, Cody Toll, Robyn Yates, and Ransom Allen.