Passion-Driven, Career-Focused, Logan Phillips Finds Contentment Making Beautiful Music

Logan Phillips ’24 was setting the stage in high school for a career as a mechanical or electrical engineer, going so far as to complete a program in that area of study at his school’s career center and focusing on math and science courses.

In the end, however, he couldn’t deny his passion for music.

Logan enrolled in Keene State’s music program and discovered a love for bass and playing jazz and a vision for his future.

Along with the College’s Concert Choir, Logan will travel to Keene’s partner city of Einbeck in Germany this week to participate in an eight-day choral-cultural exchange of community musicians.

Not only will he join, but he will lead. Logan will conduct a piece composed by J.S. Bach in Bach’s home country. Another Keene State student, Elise Lowe ‘24, will lead a German madrigal.

The Music Department, the swim team, Sigma Pi Fraternity … all of it has provided such a great community and college experience for me. The ability to work hard and persevere, not give up no matter how hard things get, and enjoy the present make it work.”

– Logan Phillips

The exchange features visits to Goetheschule, a high school; the Mendelssohn Community Music School; and the Detmold Academy of Music. Also, Logan, Elise, and the delegation of other students and faculty will tour a transportation museum; visit a world-leading seed-producing company; and make a stop at one of the oldest still-operating breweries in the world.

A Keene native, Logan is majoring in music education – choral and music performance. He is a member of the swimming and diving team, part of Greek life, serves on the Student Athletic Advisory Committee and is a student ambassador for the Music Department, a role in which he meets with prospective students visiting campus to talk about academic and engagement opportunities.

Conducting the student Concert Choir this semester and leading the lower voices through rehearsals for the Bach cantata has been an amazing experience,” Logan said.

“Logan has excelled in music performance, rehearsal leading, and conducting. He is able to communicate the composer’s intent of a piece to elicit an expressive sound by the tenor and bass singers,” said Keene State music professor Sandra Howard.

His studies have stoked Logan’s desire to perform and reaffirmed his aspiration to be a high school music teacher. True to his full range of interests, he would also like to assist with a school musical theater club and be an assistant swim team coach.

Toward those ends, he said he will likely pursue a master’s degree.

For now, he has everything he wants, glad that he listened to his heart.

“For me, music was my hobby and I never really considered pursuing it as a career, but when it came time to finally decide what college I was going to and what I wanted to study I realized I wanted to do something that I really had a passion for and enjoyed.”

“At Keene State, I brought motivation and I found capability,” Logan added. “The Music Department, the swim team, Sigma Pi Fraternity … all of it has provided such a great community and college experience for me. The ability to work hard and persevere, not give up no matter how hard things get, and enjoy the present make it work.”

Keene State’s music program, fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, offers five music degrees and a music minor. Learn more here.