The three friends alternated between reminiscing on undergraduate times and offering advice on how to pursue one’s passion. Though he also emphasized the possibility of combining the humanities and science, Chang encouraged those in pursuit of a purely musical career. “If you have a passion for it, why not?” Chang said.
Ma’s particular interest was in the innovative power of music and art. Specifically, he spoke about art’s ability to unite divergent fields, as with Kogan’s marriage of medicine and music. “For something where you think there is a dichotomy, you can creatively find a connection that no one else has thought of,” Ma said.
This concept of the unifying power of art encompasses, in a sense, the mission of Harvard JAMS. Whether they brought little theater knowledge or had already directed multiple productions, aspired to become professional musicians or sought to pursue art alongside a career in medicine, students and non-students had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the arts through these Wintersession activities.
—Staff writer Adabelle U. Ekechukwu can be reached at aekechukwu14@college.harvard.edu.