Andrew Plaisier

Academics / Departments & Programs / Music / Meet Our Majors

Have you received any awards?

Yes! In the middle of April I was awarded 1st place at the White Lake Chamber Music Festival Solo Competition, I won the Calvin Concerto Competition my sophomore and senior years, and I have received music scholarships each year as well. Also, last summer I was invited to the Texas Music Festival in Houston, TX, and this coming summer I will be going to Montreal for L'Orchestre de Francophonie.

Describe your experience at Calvin in three words.

Practice. Concerts. Busy.

What led you to Calvin University and the study of music?

Well, like many students at Calvin, it was partly a legacy thing; my Grandma, both parents, and both older sisters all attended Calvin. I didn't do much looking around at any colleges in high school, but I knew that I wanted to study music as well as another major in college. That knocked out most bigger schools where double majors in not-very-similar fields are more uncommon, and smaller schools where the music programs are weaker. At Calvin, I knew I would be able to double major as well as have lots of growth musically, and it was an easy decision to follow my sisters' footsteps. I chose to study music simply because I liked it a lot in high school and things were going well in terms of opportunities for playing cello.

What do you enjoy most about being a music major?

I think the only thing that defines me as a music major at Calvin is the fact that I have to take lots of music classes. Even if I weren't a music major, I would probably be doing pretty close to the same amount of performing and attending concerts, as so many non-majors around here do. That said, I have really enjoyed the music classes. In particular, the capstone class "Form, Meaning, and Function" with Dr. Steele was a great class to get everyone thinking deeply and discussing different personal experiences and beliefs about different music, and why we do the things we do in music.

When do you plan to graduate and with what degree?

I graduate this month!!! There are lots of mixed feelings. I will have successfully completed a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Applied Music (Cello Performance) in 4 years. Next year, I'll be starting the Cello Performance Master's program at the University of Michigan in the studio of Anthony Elliott.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I don't actually have an specific career that I have set my sights on, but I have some general goals:

I want to be an ever-improving musician, both as a performer and educator. It would be great for this to be my full-time job, but it doesn't have to be.
I want to be someone who has diverse life experiences, whether from living in different places, or having different jobs, or simply meeting different people.
I want to be someone who is able to connect with and help other people.
I want to be a pilot.

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