Computer science and French double major Jackson Eshbaugh ’27 is a composer who plays sliding trombone. “I feel very lucky,” Eshbaugh says about having a supportive music community at Lafayette.

Photographs (York, Eshbaugh, Lin) By Adam Atkinson; Illustration By Antonio Pinna (Zamcheck, Room) Jaquan Alston; (Hercik) Genamarie Mccant

The music makers

Lafayette students are among 21st-century composers, creating sounds that evolve with time.

Through gifts from Ario Pardee, Lafayette became a school of arts, science, and engineering in 1866. In a variety of ways, students on campus continue to explore one of the traditional pillars of liberal arts: music.

There are modern twists, of course. Last year’s launch of the sound engineering minor, which was funded by the Arts and Technology Grant, for example, helps students learn how to bridge classical music with digital innovation. And through Akiva Zamcheck, assistant professor of music, electronic workshops and humanities courses explore the intersections of music, media, and politics.

College Hill is alive with the sound of music. Here is a sampling of how experimental compositions are being crafted and practiced today.

Edgar Lin ’26 discovered composition as a sophomore; private lessons offered on campus have helped him develop and perform new classical and contemporary works.
Owen York ’26, a CaPA scholar and music major, fuses classical composition with electronic and digital music. The resulting sound? Innovative, rhythmically rich tunes.
Songwriting flourished for singer and lyricist Lillian Hercik ’27 (or “Lily Moss”) in an English poetry course, as she embraced words often avoided.
Individual practice rooms with pianos in Williams Center for the Arts can be reserved for students to hone their art.
Violinist Audrey Kurtz ’28, the music director for Cadence vocal group, has played arrangements made by peers.
Akiva Zamcheck, an experimental musician and assistant professor of music, collaborates with students as co-creators.
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