Music professor In-Sil Yoo has her students taking notes, while she also writes her own. 

As a teacher and a composer, she runs a student composition recital each year and teaches a variety of music classes.  “Teaching has been the most important part of my career,” Yoo said.  “I have always wanted to be a teacher who can help every student become an open-minded musician and thinker.”

Yoo directed the Soundsandbox last year and is currently composing a piece based on the work of Associate Professor and Chair of Fine Arts Melissa Schulenberg.

“I intend to develop enough musical skills to keep inviting students into a new world, allowing them to appreciate the beauty of music,” Yoo said.  “I take my responsibilities as a teacher very seriously, and teach with a passion.”

Yoo said that as a composer, she tries to remain connected to her Korean background.  “Finding the connection between Korean and European traditional music is the main focus of my new compositions; I have been writing pieces of music using Korean traditional materials,” she said.

Yoo noted that she is mostly teaching courses that focus on Western music.  “I want to use my Korean musical background to broaden my student’s musical language,” she said.

According to Yoo, she came to St. Lawrence because she saw it as a University where she could concentrate on being a devoted teacher.  “SLU invites students to be challenged, but at the same time students should feel comfortable enough to ask for assistance when needed.  I knew I could build wonderful relationships with my students here,” she said.