Musical talents help grad find dream career

Celia Nowlin has always had musical ambitions.

The senior from Fort Worth grew up as a classical pianist and singer. In middle and high school, she did musical theater, then taught herself to play guitar.

“I thought I was going to be the next Taylor Swift,” she said. “So I was always writing songs and stuff like that.”

The dream of being a pop star hasn't died, but it's been tempered by the brutal reality of the music industry and her own personal interests.

“When it came time to figure out what I wanted to do, I was a little bit lost because I didn't really want to do just music or just piano, and I felt like that was my only option,” Nowlin said. “I also had a passion for psychology and mental health and counseling. In junior year of high school, I was doing a specialized research project, and I was looking at music and anxiety. Through all of that research, I found the field of music therapy, and I just knew that was what I needed to do.”

Which led her to Texas Woman’s University.

TWU offered a degree in music therapy, it was close to home, and Nowlin earned the Chancellor’s endowed scholarship, a full-ride to TWU.

“I already knew that I liked it here and I felt safe here, but knowing that I would have the financial support really just solidified it,” she said.

After successfully negotiating the academic pitfalls of the pandemic, Nowlin flourished learning from TWU music professors like Lauren DiMaio.

“You can definitely see how passionate Dr. DiMaio is about music therapy, and that rubs off on all of us,” Nowlin said. “I have grown so much as a person and musician. I’ve immersed myself in a lot of different music study. I’ve been in the TW Concert Choir, and with them I got to travel to conventions and tour Europe, so that's been incredible. I’ve gotten into music composition, so I’ve written and performed pieces for instruments I don’t even play, which I didn’t think I would ever be able to do.

“When I added a second degree, in piano performance, I was kind of in shock,” she added. “I never thought that I would be comfortable enough or passionate enough to do that. It’s been really hard, but I’m glad that I did because the things I’ve been able to accomplish are things I didn’t think I was ever going to do. I think it kind of makes my younger self proud in a way that I kept playing.”

At May’s commencement, Nowlin will graduate with two degrees, a bachelor’s of science in music therapy and a bachelor’s of art in piano performance. In the fall, she will begin a pediatric medical internship at Children’s Minnesota Hospital. After a period of training and shadowing, she’ll have her own caseload in the pediatric hospital.

But the dream of being a recording artist remains.

“It’s possible," Nowlin said. “There are music therapists out there that write songs and release albums for other therapists to use. So it’s possible I could do something like that. I think it might be best if I leave some of that pop-star stuff just as an outlet rather than a job. I understand it’s a long shot, so I’m not going to drop everything and chase it. But it would be cool if that happens someday.”

Page last updated 9:05 AM, May 8, 2023