A small and dedicated group of School of Music students are carrying on the work and mission of the School of Music Student Advisory Council (SOMSAC), formed in 2020 by UW music students to provide a voice for students and their concerns.
Meeting each Friday in the School of Music Fishbowl, the group engages in ongoing projects related to improving the School of Music environment and spaces for students as well as community outreach endeavors intended to serve the greater Seattle community.
In some of the group’s recent projects, SOMSAC worked to improve School of Music practice rooms with new mirrors, air purifiers, vacuums, cleaning supplies, and music stands and launched an awareness campaign promoting self-cleaning of the practice rooms. The group also conducted surveys related to sound and hearing and promoted hearing protection for musicians in the UW ensembles and conducted surveys related to students’ physical and mental health.
Ongoing projects include organizing open rehearsal visits to Seattle Symphony for UW music students; coordinating monthly volunteer performance opportunities at Seattle Children’s Hospital; and serving alongside administration and faculty in representing students on School of Music committees and councils.
“This year, we hope to organize more rehearsal and performance visits in the Seattle area for community building within the School of Music,” says SoMSAC president Momoka Fukishima, “and continue to exist as a place for students to come with concerns and ideas.”
More information about SoMSAC and the anonymous student survey form can be found here.