Inside the Mind of a Musician

If Camille Walker is not working on school work then she can be found playing her oboe. Graduating from Crescent Valley High School in June, Camille is going to further her studies of music at Brigham Young University, Provo, where she is majoring in Music Education. 

During her high school music career she placed in the top three for the State and Solo Contest twice, once during sophomore year and again this year. As a senior she was a drum major for the marching band. Camille has won quite a few awards that include full tuition to the Interlochen Center for the Arts through the first ever Sound Check Contest, recipients of the Dorothy May Jenks scholarship through the Oregon Music Teachers Association, and the Charles Creighton Scholarship.

For this soon to be graduate, music is a passion that cannot be rivaled. Having recently placed in the top three in the State and Solo Contest, Camille talks about her passion for music "I really have no idea. I think part of it is probably the satisfaction that comes from creating something beautiful. I think I also like the idea that music can be used to communicate ideas of the composer, just like poetry does with poets." 

Rachel Egan, who grew up "Side by side" with Camille describes Camille's love for music as "Really hard to describe. It transcends a love or enjoyment of music. She lives the music that she plays. Her passion is driven by her determination for excellence. Music is her top priority and is what brings her happiness and fulfillment." Rachel also was a drum major along side Camille.

Another close friend of Camille's is Hannah Sneller, who described Camille's passion for music as 

"Music is Camille's passion in life. She practices the oboe like crazy. She drives all the way to Eugene for oboe lessons. She is always looking for the best opportunities to further her musical career. For example, she auditioned for a six-week music camp at Interlochen this year and got in. Then she worked her butt off making a video and getting everyone she knew and everyone they knew to vote for it so she could win a full ride scholarship. And she succeeded. One of her biggest goals in life is to teach music; to find a way to pass on her knowledge and inspire young people the way her teachers inspired her. I know a lot of people who are involved in music and really love it, but Camille is one of the few who I truly believe has the passion and drive to make her dreams come true."

Camille's extra curricular activities don't lack despite the time she spends on school and music. As an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Ladder Day Saints she attends monthly meetings with all the youth leaders and monthly meetings with members of her class to plan activities and service projects that they have weekly. After she does her church activities she performs with a quintet that she founded. They play at community events and nursing homes. 

Rachel talks about Camille outside school and music as a caring and loving person who enjoys helping out friends. Camille also has a dog and a cockatiel that she likes to play with. 

Q: Do you have a role model?

A: I have many role models. My grandmother is a role model of frugality and hard work, and I have always admired both of those traits and strived to emulate them. My mother is a role model of compassionate service. Charles Creighton, Carol Nelson, and Kristine Janes are my music teacher role models. Ultimately, Jesus Christ is my role model.

Q: Describe the scholarship you just won

A:Entrants in the Interlochen Sound Check contest were instructed to create a video of their best performance and to be creative. The tuition for the camp is just under $8,000, and that does not include a ticket to Michigan, or the required uniform. The scholarship covered everything! The catch was that the winner was not selected purely on merit, but on facebook votes. The contest was not simply for a scholarship, it was for marketing! So I marketed like crazy. My brother made a facebook add campaign, and I made a crazy video with me playing oboe in front of a green screen and then a co worker of my father’s Daryl McElmurry edited it so that the background was a video of me on a princess adventure that fit with the selections of music. Then I passed out flyers and spammed my friends. The voting went on over a two week period, so I kept bugging people the whole time. It paid off! They did not call for three days after the contest, I almost gave up hope, and when he did call, I cried a little bit. That’s almost $10,000!

Q: What's your life plan? What do you plan to have accomplished in five, 10, 20, and 50 years -- personally and/or professionally?

A: In five years I plan to have a bachelors in music education from Brigham Young University. I also may be a return missionary for my church. In ten years I hope to be married and have a job in some field of music. Ideally I would teach private lessons while raising my kids. Possibly conducting a youth orchestra. In 20 years I definitely want to have had kids, own a house, and a car! I want to have developed a new hobby and have contributed to my community as a musician and music teacher. In 50 years I think I might like to be retired and traveling the world with my husband and serving possibly more missions for my church in distant and exotic countries eating distant and exotic food.