At Andrews University, a way to support student composers—especially those pursuing composition as their main concentration—is to give them a chance to show their work publicly at an annual concert. The Andrews Composers Concert is filled with works composed by students and faculty that have never premiered before. This is an important moment for student composers like Jaelah Simons (sophomore, music composition), who is one of the students presenting this Sunday afternoon, March 9, 2025, at the Howard Performing Arts Center.
Simons decided to pursue a composition major because she loves creating her own music. During her studies, she said she wanted to “study more about different techniques” and develop her “personal composition style.”
She shared that she has had a positive experience as a composition major at Andrews, saying, “We have awesome professors and a fun group of composition students.” She emphasized that she has learned much “just by studying here at Andrews.” She shared: “I hope be able to share what I learn and incorporate the new techniques into my future compositions.”
Simons will be presenting “Timeless,” a piece for two pianos. “I wanted to portray the timeless feeling of something continuing on and on and never resolving.” She mentioned that the most challenging part for the performers would be the coordination to “create a feeling of continuity,” especially as the pianists switch parts “almost every measure.” If the piece were food, she would identify it as honey; her piece is meant to “sound continuous and flow from one section to the next.”
Eleanor Joyce (senior, music education), one of the pianists for Simons’ piece, mentioned that compared to working on pieces by dead composers, working on pieces by living composers “feels more alive but, ironically,” it is “hard to figure out what [the composers] want,” arguing there is more tradition surrounding dead composers that is easier to access. Still, she admires “how proactive student composers are,” particularly “those who revise and revise until they get their desired product.”
Simons is interested in applying music to therapy in the future. “Teaching people to write their own music can be a great way to help them learn to express and process through emotions they are feeling,” she said. She also hopes to keep writing more music, particularly choral music. “My goal is to write music that helps to inspire others and point them to Jesus.”
Simons agrees that this upcoming opportunity is a great way to support composers. “The whole reason composers create music is to be able to share it with others,” she said. Joyce also supports the idea. “People should come to experience new sounds and especially new instruments.”
If you would like to hear Jaelah’s composition and the other student composers’ new pieces, you are invited to attend the Andrews Composers Concert this Sunday at 4 p.m. Entry is free, so you can bring as many people as you want. As Joyce said, the audience “may discover they like something they never knew existed before.”
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.