The student population of West Chester University includes those who pursue one or more forms of artistic talent. Hang around the University theater or the Swope Music building and talent is sure to be found. The Sykes Student Union building is another place to come across some of the talented students within the WCU community.One such student who others may hear playing the piano outside the first floor Sykes ballrooms is 21-year-old Jeremy Boyd. A fourth-year student, Boyd is a professional studies major with concentrations in both music and history.
Playing the piano has become an important of his life. Boyd indicated that one source of his inspiration came from within his family.
“I would say that my interest came mainly from watching my older brother develop his skills,” Boyd said.
Boyd showed a sense of admiration for his brother’s own musical talent as something that led him toward music.
“He is an accomplished pianist, and I always wanted to do what my brother did,” Boyd said of his musical sibling.
Boyd also named others whose musical talents he draws inspiration from in his own pursuits of the art.
“The first would be Tye Tribbett,” Boyd said, adding that this particular influence performs music in the gospel genre. According to Tribbett’s website, tyetribbettworldwide.com, Tribbett is from across the river in Camden and has a choir background.
Another musical influence that comes to mind for Boyd is an artist who goes by the name of Prayz1. Prayz1 is a Philadelphia-based Christian Rap artist, according to his music profile on myspace.
While playing a melody on the Sykes piano, Boyd said that he has been practicing the piano for about a year.
However, Boyd said that he also plays the bass, while his main musical concentration is in playing the drums. Demonstrating his enthusiasm for the latter, Boyd did a brief drumming motion in the air as though a shiny set of cymbals stood before him.
Boyd continued to play a few more keys as he described what he liked in particular about playing the piano. In Boyd’s opinion, music is another way of expressing one’s emotions. This is a view that other artists may be able to relate to.
“I like that it is a vehicle that I can convey what I feel at the moment,” Boyd said. “I don’t feel like I have to say words, I can just play.”
As a WCU student with multiple talents for the musical arts, Boyd also has pursuits in writing music of his own.
“I write my own music from life experiences,” Boyd said, adding that he would then go on to put words to the melodies.
With music being a form of art that many people enjoy, Boyd shared his ideas on that from the artist’s perspective.
“My thoughts are that it is very powerful and can evoke positive and negative energy,” Boyd said.
Boyd believes that some may write to get something off of their chest, so it makes him aware of how music affects people. So when it comes to music, Boyd said that how he feels at a given moment determines what he would play.
“For example, if I felt depressed I would just play to myself but not to others,” Boyd said. “I choose to watch carefully what to play in front of people.”
As for how music will fit into his life in the future, Boyd’s plans show that it will be a strong part of his world.
“Building a studio from the ground up,” Boyd said, adding that he wants to fit those plans into capabilities such as sound engineering.
What the future holds in store for Boyd and his many talents for music, nobody can say for sure. Maybe WCU could have a graduate whose accomplishments one day include music tours or music scores for film.
In the meantime, keep an ear out for Boyd whether he is playing the bass, the piano or the drums.
Carol Dwyer is a student at West Chester University majoring in history. She can be reached at dwyermca@comcast.net.