Semester 4

Arts TRYathlon #1: Choose Your Own Adventure

Event Logistics 2/9/26, Gamer Symphony Orchestra at the Clarice

#music #orchestra #composition

In what ways did this event challenge and/or affirm your definitions of what counts as art?

The Gamer Symphony Orchestra's concert at the Clarice showcased student-made arrangements of iconic pieces of video-game music from a large array of genres. It included traditional orchestra instruments, as well as choir additions and an acapella performance. One of the orchestra's main missions is to broaden the audience of videogame music, as many don't view it in the same light as traditional composition. In this way, it affirmed my definition of what counts as art- the performance was a perfect example of why music from modern media shouldn't be treated as lesser, and that it's an incredibly powerful art form when given the attention it deserves. It also encourages creativity in performance, as digital-based pieces require thought and care to be properly performed in an orchestral medium. One of their arrangements, featuring an acapella performance of Bubblegum K. K. from Animal Crossing New Horizons, was a great example of this as the original song was entirely vocaloid and digital notes. In order to perform this in a real-life setting, the performers sang entirely in 'meeps' and 'moops,' imitating the game's original sound in a way that was unique. It reaffirms that video game music, and music from all modern media, is a true art form and encourages creativity far beyond its original medium and purpose.

Arts TRYathlon #2: Choose Your Own Adventure

Event Logistics (2/16/26, Rockville Pike & Rose, Foon Sham Sculpture Visit)

#sculpture #visualart

Seeing Foon Sham, a UMD professor, and his sculpture at Pike & Rose Plaza reaffirmed my prior beliefs that art can create and build community. Sham's sculpture work can be found at a number of different places in Maryland, with one of the most notable sculptures featured outside the REI store at Pike & Rose. At UMD, I happened to speak with Professor Sham at an arts event I attended for another class. Upon our first meeting, he introduced himself and asked where I was from, shortly following up by asking if I had ever seen his work in my county. I was shocked to learn that I had: in multiple different locations, too. I spoke with him at length about his pieces, and the following weekend when I was home I decided to stop by his most iconic work near me, the tree-like sculpture outside REI at Pike & Rose plaza.

The sculpture is two-stories high, and dwarfs its surrounding structures. The REI it was built for reflects this as well: there isn't anywhere in or around the building where you can't see Sham's sculpture work. Even on the upper floor, you can see its hulking limbs outside the store's second-story window. Pike & Rose is an iconic area in downtown Rockville, shaped by the breadth and styles of artwork present in the area. Sham's piece was one of the first to be built on the block, followed later by countless murals and artistic endeavors over the years. Being unveiled in 2021, it set a precedent and built a community of art that's still being expanded upon years later. Major projects to follow started in 2023 with Rockville Town Center's asphalt art and a number of murals in the surrounding area. It goes to show how one artist can start developing themes that define a community, and that often change can happen due to the endeavors of just one person.

Arts TRYathlon #3: Arts Scholars Event

Event Logistics (3/12/26, Maker Mixer, Forever Flowers)

#craft #visualart #3dart

In what ways did this event challenge you to step out of your comfort zone? What value came from the experience of stepping outside your comfort zone?

The Forever Flowers event with TA Val involved creating flowers with pipe cleaners in a wide range of colors, shapes, and sizes. I was surprised with the versatility of the medium, and happy with what I was able to create even though I had never tried the craft before. In this way I stepped out of my comfort zone: wire art in general was pretty unfamiliar to me before this workshop, and it allowed me to learn more about it. I was glad for the experience, and I had a lot of fun experimenting with different methods to create my flowers. At first, I had trouble manipulating the pipe cleaners and wires in a way that looked natural. I noticed that once I bent a wire point it wouldn't ever smooth back down to it's original look, so it took a little trial and error to bend the wires the way I wanted without making mistakes. Though it was tedious at times, I felt better after I had figured things out and was proud that I had taken the time to to learn a new skill. Stepping out of my comfort zone, though it was difficult at first, let me learn an entirely new skill that I would not have been exposed to otherwise.

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