We鈥檙e pleased to announce freshman Willem Rohwer as our 2024 Sher Distinguished Musician Scholarship recipient!听
Rohwer comes to the College of Music from Edwards, Colorado, to pursue an undergraduate degree in double bass performance studying with Associate Professor of Double Bass Susan Cahill. 鈥淪he鈥檚 absolutely wonderful,鈥� Rohwer says. 鈥淚 had the opportunity to take a couple lessons with her over the summer and her approach to teaching is through a fresh lens.鈥�
At 精品SM在线影片, Rohwer hopes to explore different musical ensembles, genres and styles to find his own niche. 鈥淒eveloping my own musical opinions and character are really something that I want to find here,鈥� he says.
Rohwer first learned about the scholarship through an email inviting him to an additional audition. He had just a few weeks to prepare and utilized an unusual tactic: 鈥淚 had figured out that one of the most helpful things for me was to play in different locations throughout my house and throughout my town instead of just in my room,鈥� he says.听
鈥淵ou can hear different things. I practiced in my living room and then I practiced in a closet and then I practiced outside.鈥�
The traveling practice paid off and Rohwer was offered the four-year, full-ride scholarship funded by John and Anna Sie.
鈥淵ou couldn鈥檛 wipe the smile off my face for a week, I was really happy to hear that I would be able to go here and that I was so wanted.鈥�
Rohwer is also part of the Music Buffs Living Learning Community鈥攁 program that brings together music loving students to collaborate and create. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so exciting to be a part of this community because everyone I meet is eager to do exactly what I want to do, which is jam out with people my age who have different ideas about music,鈥� he says.
Additionally, Rohwer wants to develop another passion of his: Space.
鈥淚鈥檝e always been fascinated with astrophysics and space,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 think music and astrophysics relate because they both have to do with exploring鈥攚ith music there鈥檚 such an infinite space ahead of you where you can explore how everything sounds.鈥澨�
He adds, 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e playing music, it brings you to a space that鈥檚 so separate from time, stress or any of the other happenings of daily life. The same feeling that I get in that musical space is what I experience when I think about exploring deep space because it鈥檚 so far out and separate from everything else 鈥� and always brand new.鈥澨�
Rohwer joins these current Sher Distinguished Musician Scholarship recipients:听
2023: Nate Bonin (horn) and Danny Kaminski (jazz bass);听
2022: Jude Dow-Hygelund (piano) and Cian Kreuger (jazz sax); and听
2021: Anna Kallinikos (trumpet) and Raven Dow-Hygelund (classical guitar).
Our gratitude to the 2024 Sher Distinguished Musician Scholarship selection committee comprising faculty members Gary Lewis, Matthew Roeder and Elizabeth Swanson. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited that we鈥檝e added another very talented musician as part of our incoming class of first-year Music Buffs!鈥� says Roeder.
