The final note ends, and a second of silence rings out. In this quiet moment, Julia Schaubert ’27 and Elena Bub ’27 revel in their pride after an incredible performance with Trinity University’s Wind Ensemble.
Both are in various music ensembles at Trinity, including the flute ensemble, orchestra, and chamber singers, but they began their musical journeys much earlier. Schaubert has played the flute since sixth grade and knew instantly she wanted to continue with it. Bub has been singing since she could talk and started playing the saxophone in sixth grade.
While researching universities to apply to, Schaubert and Bub found Trinity’s music scholarship opportunities, which award incoming students up to $10,000 based on musical ability in voice or instrument, regardless of their intended major.
At Trinity, both Schaubert and Bub have found a college that supports their passion for music while giving them the flexibility to be non-music majors on the pre-med track.
In her first year at Trinity, Joe Kneer, D.M.A., invited Schaubert to perform in the orchestra, and she also committed to the band. This opportunity let her meet new people, learn new types of music, and experience a new musical culture while taking her STEM classes.
“I knew the orchestra existed, but I didn't know much about it. But (Kneer) said, ' You should come play with us.’ And I thought, ‘Sure, sounds like fun,'” Schaubert says. “I felt very excited to be asked to participate in the ensemble and to broaden my participation in the music department early on.”
Schaubert, a biology major, appreciates how exploring two vastly different fields encourages critical thinking. “I came here because I want to do something health care-related, but I was not really sure what,” Schaubert says. “I think playing the flute strengthens the creative part of my brain, and it helps me with thinking outside the box and problem-solving.”
This problem-solving skill especially comes in handy in her biology classes, such as genetics and vertebrate physiology, when she designs her student-led projects.
After graduation, she’ll know to keep her mind open and to connect with the creative side of her brain as she goes to veterinary school.
When applying to Trinity, Bub thought she had to choose either choir or band, but at Trinity, she could do both. Similarly, she is a business major who is on the pre-medicine track, and through this, Bub can explore her interests academically and musically.
Bub, a human resource management major and aspiring ophthalmologist, connects her interests through Trinity’s chapter of Music as Medicine, singing in a nursing home, using her voice to help others heal while earning hours in public service needed for medical school applications.
“Whenever you tell someone a diagnosis—even telling a terrible diagnosis—I just want to be there for people. And the correlation with music, too, is that you're opening your heart to someone, and you're hoping that you touch someone's life in a different way,” Bub says.
Throughout her Trinity career, the music department has touched Bub’s heart. She says her professors understand that if you need a class that conflicts with rehearsal, they will always find a way to make it work.
During spring break 2025, Chia-Wei Lee, D.M.A., invited Bub to travel with him and other vocal studio students to Taiwan and Japan to perform, study, and grow as musicians. She returned to Taiwan during winter break last year, and she plans to go again this coming spring break. Bub also attended the Southwestern American Choral Directors Association conference in March 2026. On these trips, she explored new countries and states, visited local sites, and met new communities while pursuing her passion.
“It was really, really cool, and I don't think I'd have that experience with music anywhere else,” Bub says. “The music department reminds me how much of a gift it is to be at Trinity. I live and breathe music, and you get to find a family with the department.”