09/01/2026
My name is Sidney Simmons, and I am a senior Music Therapy major here at Roberts Wesleyan University.
My time in the Roberts Wesleyan Music Department has been nothing short of incredible. I have been surrounded by the best faculty, staff, and classmates I could have ever dreamed of.
The genuine care, kindness, compassion, and love I have experienced are beyond words. Each person is truly invested in my success and improvement, both as a musician and as an individual.
While my musicianship has grown exponentially, the personal growth I have experienced is just as profound. I have gained confidence, gratitude, and developed a relationship with the Lord. My professors and classmates truly demonstrate servant leadership; pushing me to be the best version of myself with love, care, and consistent support.
On the days I feel that I am not enough or I am not meant to be here, I know for certain that I am the only one who thinks that. I am consistently surrounded by encouragement with absolutely zero toxic competition; a rare trait for a music program.
If I could pick one word to describe this department, it’s family. The people here hold extraordinary value in my life, and this is my home away from home. This loving community doesn’t just encompass the musicians within the walls of Cox Memorial Hall; it reaches far beyond, into the lives of other Roberts students and people in the Greater Rochester Area.
I believe that the veil between heaven and earth is thinnest in a room full of people making music together. Roberts music helps bring that little slice of heaven to so many people, and that is so powerful.
My time in the Roberts Wesleyan Music Department has shown me what it means to live out my calling through Jesus and for Jesus with love, kindness, and compassion; and for that I am exceedingly grateful.
Roberts Music is, by far, one of my greatest blessings.
