Danielle Solomon

Music Education, ‘23

Although donning 343 Green was not her original plan, after touring campus in the spring of her senior year of high school, Danielle Solomon quickly fell in love with Castleton, the people, and the small school atmosphere.

“My experiences have mostly held up to my expectations from day one,” she said. “The small school atmosphere has been wonderful as well as the campus itself has still been great. The students and staff are all amazing as well. COVID, of course, really put a damper on my time here, but as a school, we did the best we could.”

Danielle is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Music Education. Solomon has connected with several professors within the Music department. Dr. Heidi Welch, assistant professor and director of music education, has been the most influential on her. Danielle notes how Dr. Welch “has shown what kind of teacher I would like to be, resources that I need to be a great teacher as well overall just how to care about students and still get work done.”

As for her musicianship, she shared how Professor Joshua Thompson helped push her to gain confidence and overcome performance anxiety, a common subject that many aspiring musicians struggle with.

Although the Music Education major is known to be one of the most rigorous on campus, Danielle has still managed to find time for extracurricular activities and even taken on leadership roles across campus. As a Community Advisor, Solomon helps ensure students remain safe and happy in the residence halls. In her role as Treasurer for Castleton’s collegiate chapters of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and National Association for Music Education (NAfME), she helps plan fundraisers, plan budgets, and other related tasks. Outside of these leadership roles, she is a member of the Track and Field team as well as a tour guide for potential students through the Admissions Office.

Solomon notes how a degree in music education enables her to continue her musical journey while also pursuing her goal of teaching. Although she initially planned to teach elementary school music after graduation, Solomon has recently warmed to the idea of teaching in a high school setting as well. As she enters into her final semesters at Castleton, Solomon reflected on her time here, noting that she will mostly remember the people and experiences she had.

“I will never forget performing half-time shows, or traveling to track meets,” she said. “I will always remember being on stage in Casella and will never forget my friends and the faculty/staff who have changed my life.”