Artist Spotlight

Andrew LaCombe

(Oren Jakobson)

Junior Emily Owens equally enjoys painting and playing flute, but she certainly sees a difference between the two areas when it comes to practicing them.
“To me, it’s more of a meditative practice to paint, and practicing my flute is more of a very intense study,” Owens noted. “I definitely enjoy practicing my flute, but I can let my mind wander more when I paint, so it’s a little more relaxing.”
Owens is pursuing a bachelor of music degree in flute performance with a minor in studio art. After starting flute in fifth grade in her hometown of Springfield, Va., she spent most of her time in high school focused on painting. Lawrence drew her in because of the opportunity to study both music and art.
In her junior recital Wednesday, Feb. 9 at 6 p.m. in Harper Hall, Owens will perform Feld’s “Sonata for Flute and Piano,” a trio for flute, cello and piano by Rorem and “Les Folies d’Espagne,” a solo piece by Marais that she will play on piccolo.
“You usually don’t hear these pieces on programs, but it’s all really cool music,” commented Owens. “Part of it is playful, but there are also some really intense and beautiful moments.
“Giving a piece of music to an audience is something that is really special to me,” she continued. “I enjoy all aspects of performance, from dressing up to busting out some sweet notes!”
This year, Owens has played in Wind Ensemble, in the pit orchestra for “Into the Woods” and in woodwind and flute quintets. In addition to her interest in music, she lives in the McCarthy co-op house and is the treasurer of ORC. Owens enjoys the outdoors, and definitely sees a connection between that interest and music.
“In a lot of ways, nature has been a main source of inspiration for music and composers for a long time,” she said. “Being outside makes me feel very comfortable, relaxed and happy, so I pull from a lot of those feelings when I’m playing.”
In both music and art, Owens is inspired by the people around her, and is always trying something new.
“I’m constantly inspired by my friends and what they can do, and I constantly want to do new things with my music and my art, so I am trying new things all the time,” she said. “I was very scared of the piccolo at first, but after spending some time with it, I love it. Alto flute is next.”
On the art side of things, Owens mentioned, “I’m always trying to work in new mediums by taking classes that involve sculpture or lots of computer work, which are new challenges for me. I’m still growing.”
Though Owens has no art shows coming up, she hopes to display her artwork in a show soon, possibly this spring. If you can’t wait that long, at least go check out her recital Feb. 9 at 6 p.m. in Harper Hall.