Archives: People


  • Sarah Wagner

    Sarah Wagner is a senior music education major from Lockport, IL. “My experience at Ball State has heightened my confidence both as a person and an educator. I am immensely grateful for the wonderful faculty here as they have supported me personally and academically. Because of the rigorous curriculum and abundance of field work available […]

    Read More
  • Sarah Wang

    Sarah Wang, second year Doctor of Arts student (piano performance) from Tianjin, China. “Ball State School of Music is a big lovely family with a mix of many different nationalities. The graduate students and piano area always get together to eat, share different cultures, and have a potluck party. We cook different countries’ food and […]

    Read More
  • Professor Yoko Shimazaki-Kilburn

    Yoko Shimazaki-Kilburn is a voice professor at Ball State. She is originally from Hamamatsu, Japan – home of the Yamaha Corporation as well as one of their largest piano factories. “My inspiration in becoming a singer was an accumulation of multiple moments. Some examples include the times I mimicked the singers from “Takarazuka” show of […]

    Read More
  • Luke Vasilarakos

    Luke Vasilarakos is a rising junior clarinet performance major from La Porte, Indiana. “I think that being at Ball State University has shaped me in countless ways. As a performer, I get to play such a wide variety of music from early classics to new works/premieres. Getting this type of exposure has helped me perform in certain […]

    Read More
  • Trombone Choir

    These humans are the three members of the Cardinal Trombone Choir: (from L-R) Grant Winternheimer, Dillon Reese, and Caroline Reel. In July of 2019, Assistant professor of trombone Chris Van Hof and the Ball State University School of Music hosted the International Trombone Festival 2019. The Festival bought approximately 1000 trombonists from around the world to campus with […]

    Read More
  •  The Deaf Cat Horn Quartet 

    These featured Humans of the #BallState School of Music is The Deaf Cat Horn Quartet comprised of Corinne Edom, Emily Schroeder, Justin Phillips, and Cory Kirby. “The quartet formed at the beginning of Fall 2018 as we wanted a group that we could play in during the year for fun. The four of us got together to see […]

    Read More
  • Dr. Christoph Thompson

    Christoph Thompson is the assistant professor of music technology – recording engineer, and co-director of the Ball State Music Media Production program. Dr. Thompson is also the division coordinator of the Music Production Boot Camp at this week’s Music for All Summer Symposium. “The camp is a great way for students who are interested in […]

    Read More
  • Dr. Peter Opie

    Peter Opie is the cello professor at Ball State. “I’m originally from a town in the United Kingdom called Sittingbourne that’s about 40 miles from central London. I started cello lessons at the age of 3 with a local teacher (the nearest music school would not accept students that young!). Then, at age 9, I […]

    Read More
  • Eryn Calfee

    Eryn Calfee is a vocal/instrumental music education major from Middlebury, Indiana. “Ball State has given me the tools to be constantly aware of myself as a learner, in turn helping me to make huge strides with each peer teaching, performance assessment, or private lesson I have. The faculty and colleagues I have the honor to […]

    Read More
  • Dr. Andrew Crow

    Dr. Andrew Crow is the director of choral activities (Ball State University Choirs). Dr. Crow was born in Fort Wayne, but his family moved away when he was young and grew up around the Midwest: Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky. “I had no notion of becoming a conductor until I was in my late twenties. Honestly, one […]

    Read More