Dora Roorda

Hometown:  Pella, IA
Major:  Bachelor of Music in Education (Instrumental)
Hobbies:  Reading, playing tabletop RPGs, writing, hanging out with friends
Career Goals:  To become a high school band director, and to have a positive impact on both my students and my community
Favorite Trumpet Player/s:  Lee Morgan, Ingrid Jensen, Clifford Brown
Favorite Trumpet Recording/s:  Echoes of Harlem  (Cootie Williams), Ceora (Lee Morgan)
Favorite Food:  Pistachio ice cream
Favorite Book:  Tehanu  (Ursula K. Le Guin)
Strangest Fact About Me:  I know all the lyrics to All Star by Smash Mouth
Coolest/Oddest Musical Experience:  Playing a big band arrangement of The Wellerman for our band director as a prank
If you could create music with another musician (local, famous, dead/alive), who would it be and why?  I would love to create music with Ella Fitzgerald. She’s one of the best vocalists of all time, and it would be wonderful to play with someone with that much innate talent, style, and musicality
What is the one thing that instantly makes your day better?  
I love a cup of tea! None of life’s problems seem so big with a cozy mug of Earl Grey
What is your favorite random fact (NOT something about you)?  
The smallest known black hole is only three times the mass of the sun, and it’s only 1,500 light-years away
Why do you think it's important to teach the younger generation music?  
I think music is a central part of the human experience. Music-making is valuable for its own sake, and every young person deserves an opportunity to create music with others. It's a creative outlet that allows the younger generation to create, connect, and be a part of something bigger than themselves
What is the most unexpected thing you have learned while studying music?  
I didn’t expect studying music to shape my perspective on life as much as it has. To grow as a musician requires focus and attention to detail. It forces you to not let things fall through the cracks. As I work on developing a more thoughtful and precise approach to music-making, I’ve noticed the way I approach the other things I do is shifting as well. There is no aspect of a piece of music too small to treat with care, and the same is true of every part of life

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