Kaylee Newbanks ’24
Smithie Snapshots
Other clubs, sports, and activities you’d like to mention:
Field hockey, club ice hockey, Noteables acapella, WOZQ DJ, and Javanese Gamelan Ensemble.
Describe your major completely incorrectly.
I listen to music and then gatekeep listening to music.
What would you do with your major if you knew you could not fail?
I would probably write a lot of music and maybe actually publish/release it. Also I would probably perform more on guitar/vocals.
What’s your all-time favorite Smith memory?
Probably J-term in 2022 when the pond froze over enough to go ice skating on and my partner who actually had ice skates dragged me around on the ice in my docs with a really long stick.
What sound do you love?
I really love the sound of wind, whether it’s blowing through tree leaves or making wind chimes sing—the sound of the wind chimes in my grandma’s backyard is a particular favorite of mine.
Did you ever have trouble deciding on a major? What, ultimately, helped you decide?
I came into Smith thinking I was going to study government and psychology and then very quickly decided that it wasn’t what I wanted to do, so then I switched to just psych. By the end of my first year, I discovered the music department and started thinking about how I could minor in music and major in psych, but by the middle of my sophomore year I decided I wanted it to be the other way around. I have always been super music-oriented, but I never really thought that I would want to do anything with music professionally; it was pretty much just a hobby. Ultimately, I think it was my composition classes that really flipped that switch for me because I really enjoyed doing it and felt like it could be something I could keep doing professionally!
We had a day in class where two of the staff in the music department played our pieces live and I remember almost being brought to tears because I was so pleasantly surprised by the way it sounded in real life.
Describe a moment from a class that particularly sticks with you.
I remember in my intro composition class we had an assignment to compose a duet for violin and cello and I was writing it on Noteflight (an online notation software) so I had only heard the midi robot recording of my piece so far. Then we had a day in class where two of the staff in the music department played our pieces live and I remember almost being brought to tears because I was so pleasantly surprised by the way it sounded in real life; this was such a lovely moment for me as a composer to actually hear my own work for the first time!
What's the one thing about your Smith experience you think will help you most in your career?
I think at Smith I was able to try a lot of different things that I wouldn’t have been able to try otherwise, and this has really inspired me to jump at any opportunity I get that sounds interesting. Everything can be a learning experience whether you enjoyed it or not, and if you’re open to trying something new you might discover a passion you didn’t have before! (I never thought I would ever be a DJ on the radio, or be able to play ice hockey, but I have actually discovered I love both of these things and might even try to continue them professionally/recreationally post Smith)
What would you sing at Karaoke night?
This is so hard because I love doing karaoke so so so much but probably ”Me and Bobby Mcgee” by Janis Joplin or literally anything by The Chicks (”Sin Wagon,” ”When You Were Mine,” ”Goodbye Earl”—me and my bestie from home love doing this one at karaoke)
What radio stations do you listen to in the car the most?
At home it's Sunny 93.1 (San Diego’s ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s classic hits) and Rock 105.3, but at Smith it’s 91.9 WOZQ (of course ;) and 94.3 Rewind Hits.
