Rachael Hoekwater

Have you received any awards?

Yes; In my years at Calvin I have received the VanderBeek/Palma Piano Scholarship, the Zylstra, Gerald and Adriana Scholarship, the Theodore J Peters Scholarship, and the Coram Deo Award.

Describe your experience at Calvin in three words.

Challenge, growth, community.

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

Ever since I was little, I can remember sitting on the couch, listening to my dad improvise on the old red piano my parents received from our neighbor’s garage nearly 20 years ago. I remember being awestruck at my dad’s ability to make music out of what seemed like random notes. Wanting to be just like my dad, I began to plink out melodies on the piano, and eventually enrolled in piano lessons in 2nd grade. From there, my love for music grew as I began to play the viola in orchestra, sing in choir, and lead worship at my church. Music provided me with many mentors that helped me grow in ways far beyond my musicality. My piano teachers and directors walked me through high school drama, middle school crushes, solo and ensembles, disagreements with my parents, musical accomplishments, decisions about my future, and much more. These mentors instilled a desire in me to be there for kids during the important, developmental years, and meanwhile, share my love for music. I chose Calvin because I wanted to attend a school that challenged me to think critically about how my career path connected with my God’s call on my life as a musician, daughter, friend, worshipper, and teacher. 

What do you enjoy most about being a music major? 

There are so many things I love about being a music major, it is hard to narrow them down! I have been incredibly blessed by the faculty that instructs with remarkable passion and excitement. Their dedication to their students’ education and music education in general is contagious and inspiring, especially as a student aspiring to also teach music someday. I also greatly enjoy the supportive community of the music department- a community in which we celebrate the God-given gifts in each other, the accomplishments of our peers, and also encourage each other in difficult times through heart to heart conversations in practice rooms late at night (which might be my most favorite part). I love being a music major because every day, I am surrounded by faculty and peers who are passionate about music and serving Christ through it.

When do you plan to graduate and with what degree?

I plan on graduating in 2018 with a degree in Vocal Music Education.

What do you want to be when you grow up? 

If it is God’s will, I hope to teach for a few years in an unfamiliar culture to the one that I have grown up in, and then return to the United States to teach in a community where I could raise a family. I have also considered going onto graduate school to attain a degree in piano performance so I could accompany or teach at the collegiate level. However, wherever God leads me, I want to grow up to be someone who deeply cares about the people He has placed around me, and someone who lives out the life Jesus describes in John 10:10: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”