Student Profiles
Our students come from many different backgrounds, and express their musical talents in a variety of different ways. A major in music can lead to many different career paths. A few profiles of alumni are offered below.
Jocelyn Arem '04, music/self-determined
Folklorist and musician Jocelyn Arem ’04 is director of the Caffè Lena History Project, a multimedia documentary arts initiative, in association with the Library of Congress, that rests on her twin passion for music and history, her creativity in weaving them together, and the support she received from Skidmore. Located in Saratoga, Caffè Lena is the country’s oldest surviving folk coffeehouse; Bob Dylan and many other music greats played there. Read more.
Nathan Barr '95, English, music
Nathan Barr '95 has scored all four seasons of HBO's Emmy-winning series True Blood. But when he left Skidmore in 1995, he wanted to be a filmmaker. He took an intensive filmmaking workshop at the New York Film Academy and upon completion, headed to the Hollywood hills. After less than a year with a movie production company, Barr decided to try his hand at composing. He sent his resume to world-famous composer Hans Zimmer—and landed the gig. Read more
Joshua Cipolla '09, music, classics
To say Joshua Cipolla loves music is akin to saying the grass is green—it’s a statement of fact. Music is simply a part of him. You can hear it in his voice when he describes his summers working as a pianist at the Wine Bar in downtown Saratoga Springs and when he tells you about his current job composing for Pioneer One, an Internet sci-fi/drama series that captivates an audience of one million viewers. Read more
Trevor Healy '01, music
As a young boy, Trevor Healy ’01 could often be found sitting in guitar cases listening to his parents play music. He always remembers being surrounded by instruments, and eventually he experimented creating his own rudimentary versions out of wood and clay. But it wasn’t until 1998, while Healy was attending Skidmore, that he found his true calling. All it took was a friend to show him a guitar he’d made while attending the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery in Phoenix, Ariz., and Healy was off. Read more