Oberlin Blogs

Lauren Manning ’12

Hi, my name is Lauren Manning, and I am an Oberlin senior who will hopefully, come May 28, have in my possession a B.M. in Violin Performance. My Oberlin experience has been one of profound exploration and discovery — both within myself and in the big wide world.

I am the daughter of a pastor and his wife who moved to Amman, Jordan 23 years ago. I was born in Amman and am from a very close-knit family of six. After being impressed at the age of five by a girl who played violin one day in church, I told my mom that I wanted to, "Play that thing with the stick." My parents agreed to buy me my first violin, and I eventually ended up at the National Music Conservatory of Jordan, where I studied until my freshman year at Oberlin.

I applied to Oberlin because I knew it had a reputable conservatory with great faculty; I chose Oberlin for all the typical reasons, but soon found it had so much more to offer than I had ever expected or hoped. Before moving to the United States for school, I dreaded living in America and the thought of adapting to a somewhat foreign culture. I was pleasantly surprised that my adjustment was made easier by the fact that Oberlin is not a typical community at all. What I found here in rural Ohio was a buzz of creative energy and activity not found in many larger communities.

During the past three years, I have grown immensely as a musician and as an individual; I've been given uncountable opportunities to travel and perform both in America and abroad. I have many dreams for what is to come next, but for now I am content to take every opportunity which presents itself, to work hard, and to enjoy the creative learning process which is nurtured here.

Entries from this blogger

Starting the Search Again

October 31, 2011

Oberlin has been the small, tight-knit and stimulating community I have needed for the past several years. But I am on the brink of exploring life and discovering my specific place in the world — a both exciting and terrifying prospect.

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