Fox Cities News

Senior Eli Elder has found a unique path by combining his interests in mathematics and music through the Bachelor of Musical Arts (B.M.A.) degree at Lawrence University. The program, introduced in 2019, allows students to split their studies equally between music and another liberal arts field. Elder, from Highland Park, Illinois, chose mathematics as his secondary focus.

“The B.M.A. program allows me to study music and math in a really easy way that’s built into the fabric of the program,” Elder said. “I don’t have to jump through hoops to be able to study both.”

Initially considering physics, Elder shifted to mathematics due to engaging classes and professors. His education at Lawrence has also allowed him to explore other disciplines such as statistics, computer science, and poetry.

Within the Conservatory of Music, Elder focuses on jazz and contemporary improvisation with an emphasis on jazz saxophone. The B.M.A. program's flexibility permits students to audition with non-classical repertoires.

Elder appreciates the collaborative community at Lawrence. “The community, everyone is just so nice to each other, and there’s so many opportunities to collaborate with all different types of musicians,” he said.

Elder expanded his academic experience abroad through the Budapest Semesters in Mathematics Education program. There, he studied Hungarian pedagogy, particularly the spiral curriculum which revisits subjects annually with increasing complexity.

“The support that Lawrence gave me in applying, finding the program, getting funding was very helpful,” Elder noted about his time in Budapest.

After graduation, Elder plans to pursue a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction for secondary mathematics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He aims to integrate arts into education: “Implementing the arts is definitely a great way to further education,” he said.