Name: Sophie Lott
Grade: 3rd year Grad Student (I guess Grade 19??)
Hometown: Keizer, Oregon (a small suburb of Salem, OR aka the capitol)
Tell us about yourself: (let me know if this is too much)
I am the youngest of 2 brothers (Charlie, Adam) and 2 sisters (Melannie and Sarah). My sister, Sarah, currently lives in Yokosuka, Japan with her husband who serves in the navy, and they are anticipating their first kiddo come July this year! (yay!). My mom was an X-Ray technician for many years before retiring. My dad served in the navy during the Vietnam war and also has had various careers such as an airplane builder and a hairstylist at one point. Ironically enough, most of my family are “music enthusiasts” not so much musicians. More like…attempted musicians. My dad and brother attemtped violin at one point; my mom attempted singing and the cello; and my sister played clarinet for the longest time up until her undergraduate college years. We do LOVE music so I grew up with music of various sorts playing in the house (rap, R&B, blues, oldies, jazz, pop, you name it…). I picked up the keyboard when I was six, the violin at age ten, the guitar when I was 20, and became more involved in singing five years ago starting with a church choir in Eugene, OR.
I have a Bachelor’s Degree in General Music from the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon (one hour south of Salem). Before coming to Arizona, I worked two years as a checker at a Safeway in Downtown Eugene (lots of eccentric people down there).
I currently teach violin, guitar, and piano lessons at a small, private studio in North Scottsdale mainly with elementary-aged children with some teenagers and adults in the mix. I recently became a board-certified music therapist August 29, 2018! When I’m not at school or doing all things music, I am an avid napper and netflix/TV-show lover. I also enjoy being outside, running/jogging, and hanging out with my friends. I’m currently watching the sixth season of the Great British Baking Show and Alexa and Katie (super cute show about high school pals). I recently also started playing the Sims 4 and turned a group of my close friends into little sims and made them live in a house together and it’s been hilarious to see how things unfold.
Why ASU: I chose ASU, because I heard they had a great music therapy program and I’ve been pursuing music therapy since 2012 (so a long time). In Oregon, there aren’t a lot of schools or opportunities for music therapy so down to the valley of the suns I went! It came down to deciding between this school and a school in upstate New York where it snowed in April. I chose to be in the desert, for obvious reasons.
Tell us about ULC/ LCM (University Lutheran Church/ Lutheran Church Ministry)
I found this church online when I was looking for a Lutheran church with some form of young adult/college ministry, and it was the first thing that popped on my google search. I came to a service the following day and fell in love with the community instantly. I’ve enjoyed singing in the choir, helping from time-to-time as assisting minister, and periodically helping out at worship services on Wednesday on various instruments: piano, vocals, and violin (or whatever they want me to play).
Fun fact: I wasn’t always a Lutheran. My parents grew up with some faith (Dad – baptist; mom- Catholic) but they didn’t practice and had us children choose our own beliefs and faiths. When I did become a Christian at 16, my first church was a non-demonational church. During college, I went to a baptist church for two years. After leaving the baptist church, I lived in a co-op that was connected to a Lutheran Curch and I fell in love with the liturgy, the hymns, and everything else that came with it.
Special interests: Using music as therapy mainly for counseling people in their times of struggles, psychology, sleeping/napping, all the animals (particuarly cats and dogs), and Netflix/TV
Best part of the school year so far?
For part of my degree requirements, I have recently been in the Women’s Chorus at Arizona State and it has been a blast! Mainly, because (surprise) this is my first legitimate experience in a non-church choir. I was discouraged with my singing voice, thanks to a mean music teacher I had in elementary school, but whatever because I’m a singing music therapist now!
Last semester, I had the opportunity to sing a duet in a Gospel number and do a congo solo during an original composition made by our very own choir director.
So, being in Women’s Chorus has been the highlight of my school year so far.
Name: Jianna Wacloff
Grade: Freshman