Conducting a culture of care and collaboration that strives for success in and outside the practice room: That’s just one of the goals of SFCM’s student council this year.

Just under two dozen students form this year's student council led by Chair Alec Ruiter, a Technology and Applied Composition student, and Vice-Chair Erika Cho, a violist studying with Dimitri Murrath. 

Student council members meet in the Foo Family Reading room.

Both students were introduced to music as children and are now thrilled to be at SFCM studying what they love. “Music changed my life and helped me,” Ruiter, who started on piano before expanding to “every percussion instrument I could find,” said. As a young teen, he began scoring student films “with the hope that these stories intertwined with music could help others as much as they helped me.”

“I was obsessed with how mellow the sound was,” said Cho upon hearing the viola for the first time in fifth grade, when a local musician played for her class, “I had never heard of the viola before that,” she added. Taking up the instrument soon after, she explained, “The more I played, the more I realized that I really enjoyed making music.” 

Students meet in the Bowes Center.

Officially established in 2023, the Student Council allows elected students to have a voice in areas such as academics, support services, and activities. Overall, they have a shared goal: to build pathways for student life at SFCM to continue to thrive in all areas. “Whether it’s providing a comfy hangout space with complimentary coffee or tea, collaborating with the administration to improve workflows or graduation requirements or organizing fun events that bring together all students, these efforts strive to create a healthier environment, offer better networking opportunities, and foster a stronger sense of school spirit,” Ruiter said. 

“As a music student, it is so easy to get sucked into your own solitary practice space,” Cho said. The team aims to combat this by promoting inclusion among students, “It's good to be focused and have a goal in mind, but in many other ways it can harm your mental health and affect your productivity and improvement. I believe it's important for us to get out of this individualistic stereotype and branch out to create a sense of togetherness within the school.”

Student Council members.

Meeting routinely over the year, the group will hear student concerns, represent the student body, and provide feedback to all levels of the Conservatory administration. “When a school focuses on student life and encourages innovation through collaboration, students achieve tremendous success.” Ruiter said. “If they truly resonate with what SFCM stands for, they are more likely to stay connected and invested in the school’s future.” 

The Conservatory is dedicated to helping students thrive intellectually, artistically, professionally, and individually, an approach that extends into the student groups that make up the fabric of campus life. In addition to clubs dedicated to music, there are also social and athletic clubs ranging from the Pride Network to Basketball Club. It’s this community that the new Student Council is looking forward to advancing. “If we practice this idea as much as we practice our crafts, we can become more well-rounded and influential musicians to the rest of society,” Cho said.

Learn more about student life at SFCM.