Some students go to college to become teachers. Others take classes to prepare them to go into the business field someday. Noah Davelaar, on the other hand, is going to college to learn to play the organ.
Davelaar is a sophomore at Taylor, where he is studying both history and music. He is primarily learning to play the organ at Taylor, the first student to do so in over 30 years, Harshenin said.
Music was a part of Davelaar’s life from the beginning. His family was into music, as both his parents met in orchestra back in college, and his mother teaches music education.
“Where some families are big into sports, my family's big into music,” Davelaar said.
Because of that, he started learning the piano at age six, then the cello at age ten and the organ at age 14.
Since there is no designated organ teacher on campus that Davaleer can practice with, he drives down to Indianapolis for lessons with his instructor, Jacob Taylor, assistant organist and choir director at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Davaleer had been taking lessons with him even before coming to Taylor.
Leon Harshenin, professor of music and coordinator of piano studies at Taylor, is Davelaar’s advisor. In his 28 years working at Taylor, he has not remembered the last time there was a student who played the organ. There have been a couple of students during his time who had an interest in the organ, but none who played it as their primary instrument.
When Harshenin met Davelaar for the first time as a prospective student, Taylor did not have an organ instructor on staff. The one thing Davelaar wanted to make sure of was that he had access to organ facilities.
“There's one practice room where there's an organ,” Haeshenin said. “And I showed him the Recital Hall organ and the one over in the chapel. And so I think that was a factor in his deciding to come to Taylor. We had organ practice facilities and other organs he could play on.”
Because Davelaar is the only student who plays the organ, the organ practice room in the Smith-Hermanson Music Center has a makeshift sign that says “Noah’s Office.”
One of the big changes Davelaar faced, playing organ at Taylor versus back home, has been the fact that he has to play in front of his peers and professors in performance classes. Prior to Taylor, he would only play for himself and for his church.
Davelaar was a part of orchestra last year, playing the cello, but transitioned into being a part of Chorale this year. He has had prior experience with Chorale, playing the organ during their spring concert and cello during their fall tour for the group. Those were both memorable experiences for Davelaar, and they helped make Davelaar want to be a part of Chorale.
Reed Spencer,director of choirs at Taylor and co-chair of the Music Theater and Dance Department, is in charge of the Chorale ensemble at Taylor.
Spencer spoke highly of Davelaar and the impact he has made on the Chorale Program.
“Noah is a community builder,” Spencer said. “He is intentional about getting to know every person in the ensemble individually, and does that strategically through a little list of questions that he asks everyone in Chorale.”
The option to play the organ and to continue to learn about history were some reasons why Davelaar chose to come to Taylor.
Primarily, he wanted to be a part of the community.
“I just love the atmosphere here,” Davelaar said. “The multi-year dorms play a big part in that – from seniors all the way down to freshmen, and how (students) pour into each other.”
The organ has been instrumental for Davelaar since he learned it almost five years ago. Being able to share his ability with others at Taylor has helped him find the connection he was looking for.
Whether accompanying the Chorale or practicing in 'Noah’s Office', he has found a unique way to be a part of Taylor’s community.
