Name: Sam Hauser 
Major: Instrumental Music Education (Tuba)
Hometown: Eagan, Minnesota
Planned Graduation Date: December 2023
What are you involved with here at ISU and beyond? I am a member of the Wind Ensemble, ISUCF’V’MB, Cy-Five Brass Quintet, Commencement Brass, and I am the President of the ISU Music Student Representative Council. I’m also the instrument manager (or cage master) for the department! In my time off from school I spend as much time as I can with family and friends, as well as coaching youth lacrosse for Homegrown Lacrosse in the Twin Cities.
What pieces are you working on right now? I am currently working on movements from the Hindemith Sonata for Tuba, Marcello Sonata no. 2 in E minor, Gregson Tuba Concerto, and Vaughan Williams’ 6 Studies in English Folk Song. These will all be performed for my continuation in December.
What are you doing/looking forward to this semester? Getting to be back together in full ensembles has been such a blast. I’m just thankful to be getting to make music with all of my friends again.
What is your favorite thing about your experiences at Iowa State? I have always felt fully supported. The students and faculty really care about everyone here and they make it incredibly obvious that that is the case.
Why did you choose the Dept. of Music and Theatre at ISU? I came in open option and really wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. After about a month of school my freshman year I had gotten to know so many people in the program and started taking lessons with Professor Carichner and the choice was clear. I just felt so welcomed and supported that I really didn't have to think twice before auditioning at semester.
What are your interests beyond music and theatre? Outside of music I do a lot of reading, admittedly the reading is usually about music but I still think that counts. I am also minoring in psychology so I try to stay up to date on new things within the psychology field, mainly focused on performance and motivational psychology. When I’m not in school I love to hike, bike, fish, and play with my dog. I have also been known to enjoy watching Hallmark movies with my mom. In the summers I'm very active in the Minnesota youth lacrosse coaching community, coaching camps for the Premier Lacrosse League as well as Homegrown Lacrosse. This summer I am also fortunate enough to be coaching a 10U travel lacrosse team for the Minnesota Chill.
What are your plans after graduation? I am planning to attend graduate school and then hopefully teach at the collegiate level, maybe try and win a position in an orchestra somewhere. Nothing is really set in stone for me right now and I could not be more excited!
Any words of wisdom for prospective students? I’ve been watching a lot of Ted Lasso lately so I’ll leave you with a quote from that that really stood out to me:
“Taking on a challenge is a lot like riding a horse, isn’t it? If you’re comfortable while you’re doing it, you’re probably doing it wrong.”
Take a chance, if it pushes you out of your comfort zone that might not be such a bad thing.