Senior Nathan Thompson is this week’s Gustie of the Week. Thompson is a Music Education major and serves as the Gustavus Choir’s (G-Choir) vice-president.
Thompson is from Roseville, Minnesota– roughly an hour and a half away from Saint Peter.
When deciding on a college, Thompson did not have any colleges in mind. He did not have a set path and was introduced to Gustavus Adolphus College through a family member.
“I was just kind of looking for a place that would give me the means to figure out who I was and what I could do and what I would enjoy doing for the rest of my life and hopefully have some great experiences along the way,” Thompson said.
Here at Gustavus, Thompson is involved in many activities. Thompson is a tenor in G-Choir and is also a part of the a capella ensembles G-Sharp and Legacy. Thompson also participates in Vocal Jazz and is in the Campus Band.
Outside of music, he is a Gustie Greeter and before COVID-19, he would volunteer at South Elementary with the kindergartners.
Through music, Thompson has built his self-confidence and learned to be more comfortable with who he is. Being a part of an ensemble, Thompson sees that no voice is better than the other. And being a quiet kid upon entering college, Thompson has found his voice.
“I was kind of a quiet kid in high school and I feel like music for me was my way to sort of express myself in an introspective way. And in my very introverted self, I think music’s a very powerful thing in that regard, so we can speak through it without actually producing words with our mouths,” Thompson said.
Thompson’s interest in music developed throughout his high school years and finally cultivated into a passion when he became a part of the Gustavus community.
“I always looked up to my band and my choir teachers in high school, but […] I always told myself that there’s no way I could do that. But […] I came here and was in Chapel Choir my first year and I just fell in love with what we were doing,” Thompson said.
“Through the teachers I’ve had and through the experiences I’ve been fortunate to have, I’ve decided that music would be the career I would pursue for the rest of my life,” Thompson said.
Thompson’s aspirations for the future would be to teach high school students in vocal education. He would prefer to teach at a big inner-city school, but is excited to teach just about anywhere.
Thompson hopes to teach high school students to be introspective through music and focus on being their true selves. Thompson hopes to help students find their voice in a time where the influence of the media is highly effective on young people.
Music is incredibly important to Thompson.
“[In] The world we live in, it’s hard to feel like you have a voice in things, especially when we’re constantly being flooded with media and television and news, and we’re constantly being bombarded with these expectations of us […] what we should look like, how we should behave and how we should express ourselves. I think music is a way to show young people that [expectations] isn’t what matters and you can be your true self,” Thompson said.
Now a senior, Thompson offered advice to younger students:
