Music Education Major Recognized with Regional Award and Scholarship

Auditioning in front of a set of judges is never easy, especially not when the piano breaks midway through your audition. But for Kristen Suruskie ’22, a music education major at Lebanon Valley College, this adversity could not hold her back. 

Despite the malfunction, Suruskie persevered and sang all three of her songs, landing a place as a semifinalist at the Allegheny chapter of the National Association for Teachers of Singing competition (NATS) this past fall. 

“A lesson I took from this experience is to stay calm and smile through the awkward moments,” she said. “I was excited to find out that I placed as the first semi-finalist in my category. I believe this experience helped me grow as a musician and person.”

Not only did Suruskie impress at NATS, but she was also selected to receive a $1,000 Reading Choral Society Scholarship for the 2019–20 academic school year. The Reading Choral Society Scholarship is nothing new for Suruskie—she also auditioned and won an award during her senior year of high school.

“I sang two contrasting classical pieces and had an interview as part of the audition,” she said. “I was nervous, but I answered their questions honestly and continued to be myself. I am so thankful to have been selected this year!”

At LVC, Suruskie is a member of concert choir, The Pride of The Valley marching band, symphonic band, and jazz band; these are just three of the more than 20 music ensembles, featuring both music and non-music majors, that LVC has to offer.

Suruskie is especially grateful to Dr. Rebecca Lister, her voice professor, who shared with her the opportunity to audition for NATS.

“I would like to thank Dr. Lister for pushing me to succeed and giving me opportunities to grow,” said Suruskie.

In the future, Suruskie hopes to begin her career as a general music education teacher in an elementary school, and may later pursue her doctorate and become a college professor.

 

By Darby Seymour, LVC Marketing & Communications Student Assistant