UC doctoral student experiments with sound

Yin, a student in UC College-Conservatory of Music’s Doctoral of Musical Arts program, specializes in saxophone performance.  

One of the highlights of his studies to date has been working with the Bearcat Bands program, offering advice on woodwind techniques while learning more about the unique art of marching bands. While Yin performed in a parading band as an elementary student in China, he is inspired by the choreography and pageantry of American marching bands. 

After graduation, Yin hopes to perform in various ensembles, noting that he never saw himself as the teaching type. “I’m not always a student who listens to the professor,” he says, with a laugh. “I just have the type of personality where I want to experiment myself first and see if [a technique] really works. If I ever teach students, I will try to accommodate to their needs – to their struggles, or to their goals – because I think everyone is different.” 

Yin talks more about his journey from Yantai, China – a coastal city in the country’s Shandong province – to hone his sound in the United States. 

When I was a sophomore in high school, my private lessons teacher suggested I pursue a career in music and get professional training in a college abroad. He said something to me that echoes in my head still from time to time. He told me, “Doing music as a career is a pretty rare thing. You can for the most part enjoy what you’re doing while you’re working, and that is precious.” 

I ended up going to Ithica [College in Ithica, N.Y.] for my undergrad. It was a beautiful town, and I learned a lot!

Cincinnati has actually been in my head for years. I remember watching a TV show when I was young about movie soundtracks and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra was playing.

Then, one day in my last year at Ithica this poster was on my professor’s bulletin board that said, “CCM looking for saxophone assistantship.” At the time I wasn’t planning to audition for CCM, but I ended up taking the last audition that winter.

I still remember after my audition, [CCM Associate Professor of Saxophone] Dr. Bunte came up to me and said, “I really like your intuition and I liked your performance; you’re accepted,” and I just hugged him.

College is a mini society on many levels. You see similar types of people and problems in and outside of school. It’s a playground for us really, in a more protected environment with professors and other staff working hard to make sure we learn in a safe and healthy environment.

Because UC is in an urban environment, there are opportunities to really explore the city. Personally, cities like New York or Chicago are too much for me! If you want a mixed type of environment, I think UC is a great choice.

Transcription and editing for this article provided by UC International student worker Sarah Dieterich.

Featured image: Wenbo Yin shows off Mary Emery Hall on UC's campus. Photo/Natalie Ochmann.