Yvonne Wormer

A close photo of Yvonne as she sits at a table in front of windows in the Student Center. She smiles at the camera warmly while holding a coffee cup in her left hand.

Pronouns:

She/her

Department:

Music

How did you end up going into your current role or field and what do you enjoy most about the work you do?

When I was 12 yrs old my uncle Peter heard me playing piano at a family gathering and commented that "you phrase like a singer." Not knowing what that meant, I set out to understand and discovered I instinctively allowed for a musical breath in my playing. Thereafter I began accompanying my junior high and high school choirs, eventually majoring in piano performance in college (CSUEastBay alumna). What appealed to me about being a collaborative pianist is the teamwork and interpretation of music with another person, regardless of their level of ability. I love telling a story and that is essentially what musicians do: we tell a musical story. Text sets singers apart from all other musicians and informs the way we interpret the song/aria. Accompanying instrumentalists is equally rewarding, though the works are typically longer than vocal music and lack text to help interpret the music; nevertheless it is still telling a story. Making music in collaboration with others is a wonderful microcosm of society: we all bring our abilities to the table, work together, and create something that never existed before by sheer virtue of being unique individuals coming together to create a new whole.

What do you enjoy most about being part of the Sonoma State community?

I love working so intimately with students and my colleagues. I've met many wonderful young people, and have stayed in touch with quite a few of them over the years.

What do you find most fulfilling about working in higher education?

Working at an adult level with students, directly influencing their lives and in turn learning from them.

In what ways does your work make an impact on students, the campus or the broader campus community?

Most people in the vocal/choral community in Sonoma County know who I am and what I do. I bring a good reputation wherever I go in both friendliness and quality music-making that reflects well on SSU's program. With students, I hope to have made an impact on them by truly seeing them and recognizing who they are, amplifying their talents and abilities and sharing with them what I see as their particular strengths and abilities.