About Me

     My name is Laura Bolen and I am currently a Music Education major at the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio.  I graduated from Jonathan Alder High School in Plain City, OH, in 2004.  I play the oboe and am currently studying under Robyn Dixon Costa.  I am a member of OCMEA, MENC, and Sigma Alpha Iota.  I am also the current Secretary of the University of Dayton chapter of OCMEA

Biography

     Being involved in music is the most important thing in my life, aside from my family.  My musical career began when I started playing the piano in third grade.  I took lessons from a family friend and fell in love with music.  Two years later, I began playing the oboe.  I have been playing it for a total of 9 years, and it plays an important part of my life.  Once I had been playing it for a year, I began taking private lessons.  It was then that I met the man that made me love the oboe and music.  From that point on, I knew that playing the oboe was right for me.  I took lessons from him until he had to move away, and from that point on I had to work with only my band director at my school.  When I entered high school, I started to become more serious about wanting to pursue music as a career.  I talked to my high school band director, and he got me the name of another private teacher.  I took from her for a couple months and was eventually beyond her instruction.

    From there it took me a couple of months to find another private instructor.  I applied and was accepted into the Jefferson Academy at The Ohio State University.  It was through there that I met the private instructor who helped mold me into the musician I am today.  She was also the person who got me interested in the University of Dayton's music program.  Through her instruction I was able to be accepted in, and start my schooling here.  There really was no other place for me to go, because the University of Dayton was the place where I could get the best education and feel the most comfortable.

    Throughout high school I participated in a number of different musical activities.  Aside from playing the oboe in concert band all four years, I played percussion for three years in marching band and the baritone for one year in marching band.  I performed at the Ohio Music Educators Association (OMEA) my senior year on my oboe.

    While my achievements thus far are not quite as numerous as some, my love for music and everything that it involves is.  Music is my life, and it has helped me become the person I am today.

Future Plans

     Once I graduate, I hope to work with children in the Jr. High age group.  Ideally, I would like to work at a smaller school in a smaller town like the one where I grew up.  I want to give students the musical opportunities that I didn't have growing up.  Teaching students who might not have the opportunity to make and learn about  music is what I have always wanted to do.  It is my life goal to teach these students.

This site was last updated 12/13/06