Tessa Nojaim ’21, ’21E majored in tuba performance at Eastman and political science in the College.
Tessa Nojaim ’21, ’21E faced a tough decision as she neared graduation from the University of Rochester: attend law school or begin studies for a graduate degree in music. She even considered attempting both.
She ultimately decided to attend Suffolk Law School in Boston this fall, with plans to venture into the world of copyright/intellectual property law. She hopes to keep playing—and perhaps teaching—music for the rest of her life.
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One thing is certain: Nojaim’s four years as a dual degree student prepared her for a promising future. She’ll graduate this spring with degrees in political science from the College and tuba performance from the Eastman School of Music. “The River Campus and Eastman both exceeded my expectations,” she says. “There were a lot more opportunities than I expected.”
During her time at Rochester, Nojaim interned at a law firm and a jazz radio station, worked at the Eastman Theatre as an usher and box office staffer, played club soccer, and joined Mock Trial. She also served as Eastman’s Students’ Association president this year and is most proud of instituting “office hours” where Eastman students could meet her one on one to discuss issues that concern them. “That led to a lot of great conversations we haven’t had in the past,” she says.
Nojaim says being a dual degree student was challenging. “Before the pandemic, it seemed like every moment of your day was spent in a class, practicing your instrument, or riding a bus,” she says. “But I’ve had some amazing experiences and met some great friends.”
Nojaim began playing the tuba when she was eight, “mainly because I thought it was cool I could fit inside the case.” She chose the University because of its dual degree program and the proximity of the River Campus and Eastman.
“I like that there’s two different campuses just a bus ride away,” she says. “So, my music life is completely separate from my political science life. It’s something a lot of college students don’t get to experience.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented its own challenges to musicians. Performance masks, 30-minute breaks to let air particles settle, and no audiences.
“I tried to make the best of it,” she says. “My friends and I would write arrangements and record videos and put them all together when we couldn’t see each other. And I will never forget when we were finally able to play together, just with string performers because we have reduced groups. But this semester we played a Shostakovich piece and it was incredible.”
Nojaim’s biggest takeaway from both campuses was the connections she made.
“I think I’m going to look back and really appreciate the friendliness on both campuses, and people willing to talk to you about anything in your life,” she says. “The ability to communicate with my peers at Eastman and the River Campus was such a special experience.”
