Hello and welcome to the “Engaged Department” video podcast, where we sit down with students from the different departments across St. Olaf’s Campus and ask them questions about their department’s community engagement work or lack thereof. In today’s episode, we will talk with students from the fine arts departments (including Studio Art and Art History, Music, Theater, and Dance).
Here are the really cool Oles you will hear on this episode:
– Lily (Dance and Economics)
– Sydney (Biology and cellist in Ole Orchestra)
– Sam (Music Composition; Ole Orchestra, Ole Band)
– Lauren (Studio Art and Art History)
– Sylvia (Studio Art and Education)
Here were guiding questions I used (provided by Dr. Epstein):
- What is your current involvement in the fine arts department?
- How do you feel your department contributes meaningfully to the world?
- How do you think your department can attend to the world in a better, more intentional, more ethical way? What would need to change? What would have to go away? What new paths would need to be created?
- [for music majors/non-majors] Music is a micro-community within the greater community of St. Olaf, and one that is sometimes perceived as particularly exclusive and exclusionary. How can we break down the walls around Music within our campus?
[This video podcast is a brief synthesis of interviews (20-30 minutes per student) and does not include all the questions and answers covered in each meeting.]
Here is a comprehensive list of student answers to question #3:
– More cross-departmental collaboration opportunities
– Collaborate with local artists and performers
– Fine arts educational outreach in the Northfield Community
– Create more creative clubs/spaces for all artists: non-majors and majors
– Make the fine arts departments more accessible on campus!!!!
– Bring the art to the people: perform in non-traditional performance venues on campus
– When music ensembles are touring, there should be more engagement with the communities (other than performing)
Listen here and enjoy!