While most college students choose one primary subject to study throughout the course of their higher education, instrumental music education major Cristian Mata is combining his passions to pursue a career doing what he loves – teaching music.
The University of Idaho senior first began playing the tuba in high school and has been in love with music ever since.
“(The tuba) applies to me and sounds really cool,” Mata said.
Mata said the instrument was even one of the reasons why he chose to attend UI and that his high school band teacher and UI alum, Karla Wood, drove him to Moscow for his audition with the university”s music program.
Alex Brizee | Rawr
University of Idaho senior and instrumental music education major, Cristian Mata, practices tuba at the Lionel Hampton School of Music.
“My teacher took a personal day off and drove me all the way up here,” Mata said. “She was even the accompanist for me.”
Although Mata was torn between the music programs at UI and Boise State University, he said he ultimately chose to settle in Moscow because the town, and university”s sense of community.
“I felt like I was much more welcomed and well-received over here than at BSU,” Mata said. “BSU felt like it was a process, whereas here felt like an experience.”
In addition to the welcoming community, Mata said he has found that the faculty has been helpful, especially professors like his mentor Dan Bukvich.
The professor of percussion and theory and director of the UI Jazz Choir said he first met Mata during the student”s freshman year.
“He took his freshman intro class from me – Music Theory, Ear Training and Arranging, and has been in Jazz Choir,” Bukvich said.
Bukvich has enjoyed working with Mata over the past four years and said that the student is both fun and hard working.
Since first deciding to attend UI, Mata has kept himself busy by becoming involved helping others find a passion for music.
Along with his studies and twice-a-month music performances, Mata teaches private music lessons and is also involved in Pep Band, Phi Mu Alpha, Marching Band and Dancers Drummers Dreamers.
Although Mata keeps a chaotic schedule, the UI senior said everything he does brings him one step closer to being able to teach music after high school.
“I want to be a music teacher. There has been consideration of me doing higher education and getting a master”s to potentially become a professor for music education,” Mata said. “That really applies to me if I don”t end up making it into a good program for teaching high school.”
Alex Brizee can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @alex_brizee