Music Department

Aaron Wilk ’16 majored in biology, chemistry, and music with an emphasis in piano performance. He is currently an MD/PhD student at Stanford University where he studies how the immune system can protect from and contribute to viral diseases, including Covid-19. He continues to study piano at Stanford, staying active in solo performance and chamber music. “In high school, I was worried about finding ways to balance my two academic passions: science and music. Westmont provided me with the flexibility and resources to pursue both passions well. The interdisciplinary approach of the Westmont liberal arts education, combined with the vibrant community of the Music Department, presents a one-of-a-kind opportunity to holistically develop your musical craft.”  

Sarah Pfister ’12: Sarah majored in violin and viola performance and earned a master’s degree in viola performance with an emphasis in violin Suzuki pedagogy at the University of Hartford Hartt School of Music. She taught violin and viola at the Greenwich Suzuki Academy in Connecticut and is now a violinist with the ruse Opera Orchestra in Ruse, Bulgaria. “Growing up I enjoyed taking private music lessons and found fulfillment in teaching. At Westmont I felt called to bring together my love for music and teaching to pursue a career in Suzuki education. My professors encouraged me and provided the tools I needed to pursue my passions. My well-rounded Christian liberal arts education has helped me both professionally and personally.”

Megan Silberstein Billings ’14: She majored in music and is working on a Master of Music in opera performance at Oklahoma City University. She is a professional opera and musical theatre singer and teaches voice and piano at Southern Hills Baptist Church Fine Arts Academy.“My Westmont professors prepared me academically for graduate school and even more for the challenges of the real music world. They equipped me mentally, emotionally and spiritually for the battle facing modern musicians. They demonstrated the true foundation of their confidence—Jesus Christ—and lived out the difficult conviction to make music for God. Westmont pushes students to excel in music for the right reasons: Christ and His kingdom.”

Luke Mizuki ‘15 and Emily Rutherford Mizuki ‘15 met as first-year Music Majors in Westmont’s Music Department, fell in love on choir tour in Russia and Lithuania, and got married two years after graduating from Westmont. They both went on to earn a Master of Arts in Teaching from the Longy School of Music in Los Angeles and currently teach general music, band, and choir at public and private schools in Orange County. “At Westmont, we were encouraged to explore all the facets of music: composing and conducting, collaborating and accompanying, and of course teaching - before Music Education was even available as a major! Having such a well-rounded education in both the liberal arts and music has proven invaluable for us as musicians and educators.”

Isaac Kay ’16 graduated from Westmont with a degree in music, focusing on violin performance, studying at the Heidelberg Opera House, touring Italy with the orchestra, and performing as a concerto soloist. He did graduate work at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and is completing a Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Colorado Boulder. A member of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, he has performed with the Omaha Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, Boulder Philharmonic and New World Symphony and has received fellowships at the Aspen Music Festival and School, among others. His violin students at Westmont won the concerto competition and attended music festivals. Isaac has created and hosts a new docuseries, Travel Notes, that seeks unity and connection through music.

Sibo Msibi ‘23 was an active member in the College Choir and Chamber Singers group, and performed in various operas, despite not having had any background in professional singing training before coming to Westmont. He says that his professors, which included, Michael Shasberger, Steve Butler and Sara Rockabrand, filled "the void of not having family close" and helped motivate him to continue to progress in his singing abilities. With the encouragement of his voice instructor, Nichole Dechaine, Sibo applied to the Vocal Institute at the Music Academy of the West, and became the first Westmont student to join the elite 20 Fellows group, made up of renowned artists, coaches and conductors. His takeaway from his time at Westmont is this: “I enjoy singing much more because it has more meaning to me now, and it always brings me joy and comfort to think I can touch a lot of souls through my singing every time I’m on stage.” 

Carissa Corrigan ‘23 double majored in Music Education and History and is featured on Westmont’s 2023 Outstanding Graduates list. A fun fact about Carissa is that she studied music in an abroad program in Vienna, Austria in 2022. She documented her travel experiences in very clever and witty blog posts, one of which was dedicated to synopsizing her very own opera. While pursuing her Single Subject Teaching Credential in Music through Westmont's Teaching Credential Program, Carissa was a student music teacher at Adams Elementary School. She “worked hard to incorporate material that would be relevant and interesting to [her] students while still providing them with the nutrients to build musical literacy,” and of course, share the joy of music. Carissa is now the Music Teacher at Harding University Partnership School here in Santa Barbara and is the Coordinator for the Camerata Ensemble and Philharmonia Orchestra through Santa Barbara Symphony's Youth Ensembles Program.

Elizabeth Callahan ‘23 was a member of the orchestra at Westmont, where she played violin, and was also a student teacher of music at San Marcos High School and La Colina Junior High. She described her student teaching experience as being full of dynamic learning opportunities, much like how dynamics in music can transform a piece into something greater. Elizabeth says that she’s had to “work hard to adapt to the unique dynamics that come with teaching and assisting classes” and “will continue to learn and grow in [her] knowledge of classroom management, lesson planning and overall music instruction.” Elizabeth is the new music teacher for Rancho Rosal Elementary School and La Mariposa Elementary School in Camarillo, CA. She also teaches private violin lessons in Ventura County while simultaneously pursuing a Master's in Music Education from Boston University online.