Huskie Spotlight

Meet some of our great students and faculty.

Huskie Spotlight: Rosemary McClure, jazz performance

Rosemary McClure is a junior jazz performance major from St. Charles. She appreciates the collaborative spirit that abounds in the Music Building. "A lot of my classes for jazz studies have been fairly small, so it’s been easy to connect with the people in those...

Huskie Spotlight: Daniel Chukwunyem, Master of Music

Daniel Chukwunyem enjoys being at NIU and appreciates the diversity of the campus. "I love the community. It is quite wonderful to see different folks from different walks of life coexisting. Also, I particularly love how experienced and welcoming the faculty are."...

Huskie Spotlight: Teddy Malamis, Music Education

Teddy Malamis, a senior music education major from Naperville, is the subject of a Huskie Spotlight. Malamis says, "I have loved music since a young age and was truly changed for the better by my music educators in elementary, middle and high school. I wish to have...

Huskie Spotlight: Alma Perrote, Music Education and Steelpan Performance

Alma Perotte, who is majoring in music education and steelpan performance in the School of Music is the subject of a Huskie Spotlight. Alma says she knew as a child growing up in Belize City, Belize that she wanted music to be an essential part of her life. When I was...

Huskie Spotlight: Katelyn Ackland, Music Education, Clarinet Performance

Katelyn Ackland, a senior majoring in music education and clarinet performance in the NIU School of Music is the subject of a Huskie Spotlight. Katelyn has earned multiple scholarships at NIU, and is appreciative of the support of her professors and fellow students....

Huskie Spotlight: Jayla Herring, Recording Arts and Media Technologies

Jayla Herring, a fall 2025 graduate of the School of Music with a degree in recording arts and media technologies is the subject of a Huskie Spotlight. Jayla says this major was a perfect fit, and the pursuit of an additional certificate increased the chances of...

Huskie Spotlight Lilliana Benitez, Music Education, Euphonium

Lilliana Benitez, a music education major with an instrumental emphasis in euphonium from McHenry, Illinois is the subject of an NIU Huskie Spotlight. A proud member of the Huskie Marching Band, she appreciates the mentorship of Dr. Tom Bough both on the field and in...

Joe Beribak, ’25, Composition

Music Huskie SpotlightHuskie Spotlight: Joe Beribak, '25, CompositionWhat did you want to be when you were growing up? When I was a boy, I wanted to be a Catholic priest. When I grew a little older, I loved amusement parks and wanted to design roller-coasters. This...

Annika Roberts, ’23, Cello Performance and Psychology

Music Huskie SpotlightHuskie Spotlight: Annika Roberts, '23, Cello Performance and PsychologyWhat did you want to be when you were growing up? I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a musician because I come from a musical family. Pursing a degree in cello...

Paisley Stevens, ’24, Music Education

Music Huskie SpotlightHuskie Spotlight: Paisley Stevens, '24, Music EducationWhat did you want to be when you were growing up? When I was growing up, I wanted to be a professional ballet dancer. I pursued ballet throughout high school and did get to chance with some...

Andrea LaFranzo, ’24, Orchestra Conducting

Music Huskie SpotlightHuskie Spotlight: Andrea LaFranzo, '24, Orchestral ConductingWhat did you want to be when you were growing up? There was no doubt at the age of 13, after my first experience playing in a symphony orchestra, that I wanted to be a cellist and a...

Ethan Patterson, ’24, Recording Arts

Music Huskie SpotlightHuskie Spotlight: Ethan Patterson, '24, Recording ArtsWhat did you want to be when you were growing up? Growing up, I wanted to be a zookeeper... I always had a lot of pets and a passion for animals. In high school, I was passionate about the...