For Dylan Scollon ‘25, his musical journey has been one of discovery, rediscovery, and obsession. 

Although Scollon was part of the orchestra in middle school, it was during high school that he began to discover his interest in music. “My middle school didn’t have the most prestigious  program - it was more focused on getting kids to play for the sake of playing,” he said. “High school was where I found out I enjoyed music, where I began to take it seriously.” 

He attended Central High School in Philadelphia where he joined the orchestra on the trumpet, eventually switching to violin and then viola. 

Despite his previous experience, music was the last thing on Scollon’s mind when he decided to apply to Swarthmore. “The reason I chose Swarthmore was actually because of Discover Swat,” he said. Discover Swarthmore—also known as DiscoSwat—is a program that offers an all expenses paid trip to Swarthmore for rising high school seniors to explore campus, with preference given to low-income and first generation college students. Scollon was the first in his family to attend college, and his high school chemistry teacher was the one who pushed him in the direction of Swarthmore. 

When he first arrived, Scollon felt opposed to even joining the orchestra at Swarthmore. “I was scared of  the audition process,” he said. “I felt that if I had to audition for it, I was never going to make it in to play.”

Throughout his time in the music department, however, this began to change. The people, environment and philosophy of the department gave him opportunities for exploration and a sense of belonging. “I like how the process behind making and creating music as a community is stressed at Swarthmore,” he said. “It’s just like with visual art or dance, or any other form of artistic expression — the process might seem weird at first, but when you experience it yourself, it feels quite amazing.” Scollon is now the principal violist of the Swarthmore College Orchestra, a position he has held for many years, and a consistently active member of the Fetter Music Chamber program.

Taking MUSI 023: 20th Century Music with Professor Barbara Milewski further allowed him to explore the art of composers that he cared about. “I was fascinated by this Soviet composer called Dmitri Shostakovich,” he said. “I really felt that I needed to learn more about this man in a formal way.” He started taking more theory courses to learn composition and music history courses to learn more about his life. Eventually, he found that it had snowballed into a thorough understanding of Shostakovich’s musical tradition. Though Scollon’s musical pursuits span many subfields, he felt that his thematic throughline was in 20th Century music, especially in France and the Soviet Union. “I like using that style of music as a way to inform my composition and playing,” he said. 

A lot of his musical experiences at Swarthmore, though, were outside of his main field of interest of Soviet Russian music. However, that didn’t mean he wasn’t open to the exploration of and participation in making all sorts of other music. “I really enjoyed this piece called Nights in the Gardens of Spain by Manuel de Falla with the orchestra and soloist Marcantonio Barone,” he said.  “I also enjoyed when we played the Romeo and Juliet Overture by Tchaikovsky.” 

Looking back, Scollon found himself supported throughout his intellectual pursuits by the professors in the department. “For a lot of music students,” he laughed, “Barbara [Milewski] really becomes a treasured mentor, counselor, and therapist.” Her open-mindedness, kind disposition, and willingness to help students with all sorts of troubles attracted Scollon to the faculty of the music program. “She understands that you are human and are going through real life,” he said. “In her advising, she focuses on the academics, but she also makes sure that you’re doing okay; not just surviving, but thriving.” 

After graduating, Scollon wants to keep music in his life despite experiencing some uncertainty about the future. “I want to keep playing the violin and the viola in chamber groups, but the difficult part in that comes in finding people to play with when I don’t really know where I’ll be, ” he said. 

Scollon plans to work on habitat conservation and biology-focused landscape design, creating spaces and ecosystems that are functional but also beautiful at the same time.

Speaking to prospective music majors, Scollon talks of the same conviction that drove him on his journey. “Prioritize classes that interest you, and to the students who especially want to do ensemble and chamber, dedicate yourself to it.” He smiled. “Put passion into it. It really shows in your performance.”

-- 

Favorite Music course at Swarthmore: 20th Century Music with Barbara Milewski

Favorite Music making experience at Swarthmore: Playing the Dvorak American Quartet with my friends

What you'll miss most about Swarthmore: Crum Woods

What sound or noise do you love? Harpsichord

What sound or noise do you hate? The loud white noise of Narples!

What's the last song you played on your phone? Shostakovich String Quartet no. 15