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Three Lincoln Trail College Performing Arts students will pursue educations in music when they graduate from LTC this year. Braden Hook will attend Eastern Illinois University to study Music Education. Ryan Mikeworth will pursue Music Technology at the University of Illinois College of Fine and Applied Arts. Jordon Rutan plans to study Music Therapy at Saint Mary of the Woods College.
LTC Music Instructor Rebecca Carmack says all three sophomores had to audition to get into their respective programs. She says the auditions involved performing multiple pieces in front of a panel of instructors and administrators where the students showcased their musical skills. They also had to complete an interview. “Preparing for the audition is rigorous and is essentially like taking another class. The students had juries, musical rehearsals, and ensembles to be rehearsing for as well as the rest of their class schedules and managed to find time to complete successful auditions. Our students had to compete against other students from around the nation and I’m very proud that they were admitted.”
Carmack describes Hook as a versatile musician who plays baritone as beautifully as he sings. She says he’s also become a good pianist during his time at LTC while also dabbling in the guitar. Hook performs in a variety of ensembles at the College and has also performed on-stage in the College’s theatrical productions. “I would describe Braden as someone who was born to be a music educator. It runs in his veins. I have observed him teaching lessons in music theory to peers and he has also had the opportunity to go back to Martinsville High School, his alma mater, to help with their band. He will make a wonderful music educator and I am proud that he has LTC on his resume.”
Mikeworth has been a part of LTC’s Performing Arts family for many years. He has been heavily involved in theater at LTC. He’s also been a part of the College’s ensembles and has been a piano and vocal student. “Ryan proved his diverse skill set when he decided to take music composition lessons to explore that side of music and he has done very well,” says Carmack. “Ryan has always been one of our ‘techy’ guys among the department, so I think that combining his love for music with technology is the perfect fit for him.”
Rutan, who attended high school in Alaska, was initially a Nursing student at LTC. Carmack says when he first came to LTC, he talked with her during New Student Orientation about how much he enjoyed choir in high school. She encouraged him to join the Statesmen Singers. From there, Rutan started taking voice and piano lessons and eventually got involved in other ensembles as well as theater productions. “Jordon is an absolute pleasure to instruct and is a diligent worker. Although he began his time at LTC as a nursing major, he eventually found the music therapy career area and I think it is the perfect fit for him. It combines his love for music with his desire to help people.”
Carmack says she carries a sense of pride that LTC helped develop the talent and skill of these three musicians. She says seeing them off to college almost feels like a parent sending a kid off to college. “But more than that I am so pleased to see the work ethic that has formed in these men, the time and care that has gone into what they do, and the poise that they are able to carry. I have found that the arts consistently and effectively develop these qualities in students. These are the life-long skills that will help them succeed no matter what they set out to achieve.”
Carmack says LTC has very talented performing arts instructors who care deeply about the students and she believes that shows in the type of student they can help form. She says students find not only music instructors, but they find guidance counselors, audition coaches, cheerleaders, and eventually lifelong friends and colleagues in LTC’s Performing Arts Department.
