Kristian Zajac initially chose Moraine Valley for its convenient location and affordable tuition, but after starting classes, he discovered the college was a perfect fit for his passion for music. So much so that, while he still plans to major in civil engineering, he plans also to major in music.
“I decided to go to Moraine [Valley] because they have some programs I like and it was close to home,” Kristian shared. “I honestly didn’t know there was a music program. I kind of just stumbled into it and I’m very glad I did.”
He plays more than half a dozen instruments, including the string bass, saxophone, clarinet, flute, alto saxophone, piccolo and alto flute. Some, he learned to play while taking lessons, and the rest are self-taught. “I started as a flute player throughout middle school and high school and I picked up a few instruments on the way for various reasons. The reason I play all these different reeds is for musical theater. They’ll ask you to play a Reed 1 book or Reed 2 book, and they ask you to play a few different ones. So, the common ones would be flute, clarinet, saxophone and then, sometimes, oboe.”
His talents are honed and shared across the college’s Jazz Ensemble, Concert Band, Jazz Combo and Orchestra. “I can do all of this because I’m very cognizant of my time. I didn’t used to be, but I realized I couldn’t do everything without proper time management,” Kristian explained.
Between the initial general education courses he needed to complete for civil engineering and the abundance of options to pursue his musical interests, Kristian is happy he started his education at Moraine Valley.
“There are a lot of opportunities with the classes, the lessons, the ensembles and the peer workshops,” he said. “The ensembles are great to get experience with the various instruments and all the types of music that they play.” Furthermore, Kristian shared that he is thrilled he has gotten to play with professionals. “Just being able to talk to these people who have been in this career for a while and to play alongside these professional musicians – I love that.”
He added that he recommends community colleges to friends and others. “I’m always emphasizing that community college is great and I’ve learned a lot,” Kristian said. “I genuinely do not think I would be able to do all this, plus do a dual degree, without the programs at Moraine.”
