“Even though it’s a career that I love, it is still work, it is still labor for me, but I can’t see myself doing any other labor..”
Spencer Wilson shares his love of music through performance and teaching
ABOUT MY AUDIOGRAM
By Shelby Carter
Before Spencer Wilson became a professional musician, he already became enamored
with music at a young age, particularly through Japanese animation. Growing up with
Pokémon and Studio Ghibli, the music captured Wilson’s imagination.
After trying the clarinet in elementary school, Wilson decided to switch to the bassoon as he found it less competitive. Little did he know that he would soon become a professional bassoonist, performing with groups like the Dallas Winds and teaching students the art of music.
When teaching his students, Wilson teaches private lessons one-on-one and with a group master class, helping high schoolers prepare for concerts and competitions.
“The best feeling I have is when a student is asking a question about how to interpret music before I have even told them what to think about,” Wilson said.
As a bassoonist for the Dallas Winds, Wilson admires how dozens of people come together to work hard and play a piece of music. Despite the many challenges of being a professional musician, Wilson finds his career rewarding in not only playing music with his peers, but also teaching younger generations how to play the rare double-reed instrument. “Even though it’s a career that I love, it is still work, it is still labor for me, but I can’t see myself doing any other labor,” he said.
This audiogram was inspired by the Arlington Museum of Art and its wide array of artwork from various artists. Music is an artform in of itself and Wilson shares it with his students and fellow musicians. They all come together to do one thing: play music.
Meet Shelby Carter
Shelby Carter is a student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Arlington, where she also works as a news reporter for The Shorthorn, a student-run newspaper.
Raised in Arlington, Shelby graduated from James Martin High School in 2021. In her spare time, she likes to watch movies, play video games, read books, watch hockey and play with her four dogs.
About AMA+UTA CreateCollab
Throughout the Fall 2024 semester, the Arlington Museum of Art is partnering with The University of Texas at Arlington and a senior-level digital storytelling class to explore a wide variety of contemporary themes inspired by the museum’s mission, values, and exhibitions.
Class projects include photo essays, one-minute documentaries, and one-minute podcasts about themes as broad as creating detailed flower arrangements, a life saving cat cafe, everyday heroes, and environmental art.
Associate Professor of Communication Erika Pribanic-Smith, who teaches the class, values opportunities to bring real-world experiences to her students.
“My goal is to give my students real-world experience in all of my classes, creating real stories using real sources,” said Dr. Pribanic-Smith. “Creating stories that will be published for the public to see, not just submitted for a grade, gives students extra incentive to put forth their best effort. Furthermore, working with professionals gives the students another layer of feedback to reinforce what they’re learning in the classroom. I prefer to work with organizations like the Arlington Museum of Art who will benefit in some way from the students’ content so that we are providing a service to the community.”
