Molly Stansfield

ALFRED: Musical ensembles at Alfred University bring people together in cohesive, cooperative groups but the things that led the members of the groups into music couldn’t be more different. Occasionally students say that, as elementary students,, they were impressed with an older sibling’s skill and wanted to be just like them. Some students said that they started music lessons to get out of doing something else such as track or house chores. One student found his grandfather’s trumpet in a closet and that set him on his way toward music lessons. However they start, it’s always wonderful when students make time to continue playing their instruments in college and beyond.

                Molly Standsfield came to Alfred University as an experienced and confident musician and has played flute in every Symphonic Band concert over the last 4 years. She has also played in several student recitals as a developing solo flutist and in every flute choir performance. Molly’s entry into music was influenced by two relatives.

                Her paternal grandmother, Agnes, was “into music”.  This grandmother not only accompanied the choir in her high school and played in churches but also accompanied her husband’s barber shop quartet in the days before Molly joined the family. Agnes was one of the piano teachers in town and encouraged Molly to be musical.

                Fifth grade was the time that Molly could start lessons in school and her family steered her toward the flute. She had an older cousin who played flute but, after graduating high school, had no interest in keeping the flute in her life. Molly’s family felt that if the instrument was there, and free, any sensible girl would like it. Happily, Molly did.

                Molly’s Grandma Agnes was in her 80s when 5^th grader Molly started playing flute. By the time Molly was flute-proficient, Agnes didn’t travel far or often but she always came to hear Molly play at Christmas Eve services so that Molly will always feel that music connects her to the memory of her grandmother. Molly’s grandmother passed away when she was in her sophomore year at AU. Following her grandmother’s lead, and not that older cousin’s, Molly plans to continue flute playing in community music groups in Maine.

                Molly said if there wasn’t a flute at the ready for her, she might have chosen to play saxophone. She took a semester of baritone sax during something called lab-band that her high school in Maine. Band-lab allowed students to give different instruments a try for a while. Molly like the sax but stayed with her flute and, during high school, the piccolo too.

                She has some good memories from playing music in high school. One Christmas she and Bryce (clarinet) and Kelcie (bassoon) were to play a woodwind trio during a band concert. Since it was Christmas they decided to festoon their instruments with bows. It may have looked great but Bryce accidentally pushed a bow into a key where it silenced the clarinet. Luckily he figured out the problem and dismissed the bow to continue performing but the next year they left the bows out of it.

                Music at AU was a plus when she was choosing a college to attend but more important was the Equestrian program and the barn. The way Molly’s paternal grandmother was “into music” her maternal grandmother, Evelyn, was “into horses”. Molly’s mom took riding lessons and tiny Molly tagged along finally starting her own riding career at age 7.  

                When visiting the Bromeley-Daggett Equestrian Center she met not prim and proper folk in formal riding gear but people in work boots and every day gear working and bonding with horses. It was her kind of horse world and she has ridden and worked there throughout her college career. She plans to keep riding when she returns to Maine where there are horses she has ridden and worked with.      

                This May, Molly will graduate with a BS in Psychology with concentrations in both Clinical and Child Psychology. She will also have minors in music and equestrian studies. Next year she will start study at the University of Southern Maine where she will earn a MS in School Counseling.

                Molly has 2 performances at the end of this semester to cap her flute experiences at Alfred University and you are invited to both. First is a student recital in which she will perform with the Alfred University flute choir directed by Caroline Sonnett scheduled for Sunday, April 15 at 3 pm in Howell Hall (the building with pillars situated next to the Carillon uphill of the King Alfred statue). The recital will also include some string ensembles.

                Molly will also perform with the Alfred University Symphonic Band on Friday, April 27 at 7:30 pm in the Miller Performing Arts Center.  As always, the concert will be free and to the public.