Grammy-nominated string quartet brings the arts home for some students

PUBLIQuartet, is a Grammy-nominated string quartet. Alongside being amazing artists and musicians, they really care about teaching. And so it created this really wonderful opportunity to work alongside Moss (Arts Center), to bring them into the workshops for students and living-learning programs, to make arts more accessible to them. We know the arts as an important part of being at a land grant and being in a world renowned institution. I think it is all our job as professionals to think about getting that important thing to students and a place in space where they can digest and participate and engage in it. The arts can be something that is really intimidating to students. And so I think being mindful to take down some of the barriers around what they think art is and kinda turn it over on its head and make it something else. So we do that a lot with what we try to teach students at Tech. And I think the arts are no different. I've always had a passion for music. I played music for about eight years before coming to college. It's always been something that I've really enjoyed doing, something that I do to decompress. Being here today, kind of like opened my eyes to something a little bit different than I'm used to them. I'm used to more like structured orchestra class and I think this kinda made it more personable. I've never done music improv before, at least not in a group. I wanted to sort of try out something I like in a way that I've never tried it before. And it was cool to be with people who have done it before and also clearly they really appreciate it. I felt super lucky with the small setting and I felt very welcomed. And part of it that someone who doesn't "do art." I've really enjoyed this program. I think it kind of fosters what we do here in the res college. and the LLCs at Virginia Tech. It's kinda like more focused on interdisciplinary learning. And I think that's something that's really important through this program because they not only is about music, but it's also like learning a little bit more about social change and issues that are affecting us daily. The best in what we can offer for students at Virginia Tech is at the heart of partnership. And I'm so thankful that the Moss (Arts Center) sees our work as important and we see theirs as important. And because of that, we create really meaningful opportunities for students together. And I think that that is one really special thing about Virginia Tech is the ability to collaborate in really meaningful ways across departments to serve students.