“What amazed me most when I came to Stevens was that there are so many groups on campus and so many different and easy ways to get involved in the different music and performing arts ensembles or to even create your own group,” says Garrett Horwath, a freshman Civil Engineering major.
Originally from Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, Horwath is a cellist in the Stevens Orchestra and is involved in Torch. His other hobbies include singing and theater. Garrett considers himself a bit of a theater nerd, a true Broadway fan. He claims his favorite performer is Jeremy Jordan, explaining that “[Jordan] is vocal goals and is adorable in every aspect. I was so obsessed with him in middle school I ended up seeing him twice in Newsies just so I could see his last show on Broadway.”
Music has been a part of Garrett’s life from an early age. Originally from Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, Garrett began playing cello in 4th grade. “My older brother plays the violin, and I have family in Europe that plays professionally, so they were a driving force behind me being interested in music.” He adds, “My grandfather was also a singer, and he would practice his choir music with me at a young age.”
Garrett continued his musical pursuits at Stevens due to the fun he had playing in ensembles growing up. “One of my favorite pieces I’ve played [is] Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden” even though it is kind of an overdone string ensemble repertoire. I [also] arranged [a] medley from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies last year that I practiced with my string quartet, which was exciting because the whole movie score is very cello-heavy [and] fun to play.”
Garrett is also interested in the world of code. “My favorite class so far at Stevens has been E115 [Intro to Programming] because even though I’ve never coded before or anything, it’s relatively intuitive and important to learn.” He adds, “My professor’s a really cool guy, and explains things well if you need help—in addition to throwing us candy if you ask questions!”
Music and schoolwork can oftentimes be a juggling act. Garrett admits that whenever he is stuck on a problem, he plays cello to help keep his mind going and “keep [myself] productively distracted from my schoolwork.”
Despite it being midterms season, there is always something quirky happening on campus. Garrett recounts the other day he saw a woman on roller-skates wearing leg warmers being pulled by her dog through campus. “That really put me in a life-loving mood knowing that we’re all here trying to live our best lives no matter how one defines that for themselves!” He adds, “I’m also very happy it is finally fall, so I can break out my flannels and scarves!”
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