Self-discipline is a hard trait to master. Audrey Blood '13, however, seems to have it down pat.
An accomplished cellist, sculptor, dancer and world traveler, Blood has worked hard to fine-tune her talents and is eager to explore further creative outlets.
The motivation behind her hunger for self-expression comes from what she finds most rewarding about her artistic practice—connecting with the surrounding community.
Blood embarked on her first creative endeavor—playing the cello—at age four. She decided to sway away from emulating her violinist older sister and, instead, "help out" the orchestra by picking up a larger string instrument. Soon after beginning lessons, Blood fell in love with the cello and continued to play throughout her time at school.
"Playing the cello is the first way I learned to be expressive," she said. "I now really like playing in symphonies and orchestras. I have a sense of being an individual in a larger sort of purpose, and I like the team analogy of playing in an orchestra. I was also really shy in high school, so playing with others was my first window into being expressive in a group framework."
In high school, Blood augmented such group collaboration by playing in a chamber group and forming an electric cello Metallica cover band, an experience she describes as "nerdy but fun."
At Bowdoin, she plays in a sextet and participates in the Bowdoin Music Exchange, a student-led service organization that plays at local schools, hospitals and senior housing facilities.
"A friend asked me last year if I wanted to play a couple solos at Mid Coast Hospital, so I decided to give it a try," she said. "It was the most fun I had with cello all year. It was really relaxed and it was for a community purpose, which I love."
"We [musicians] don't realize how special music is to people—we have it everyday!" she added.
In addition to pursuing long-held passions, Blood has discovered a new interest in the visual arts at Bowdoin.
With two architects for parents, Blood initially rejected the fine arts path, but, after taking Drawing I, had a change of heart. In her two successive courses, Sculpture I and Public Art, Blood created a cello-playing chair and designed a sound-focused fountain.
"I really want to continue combining sound with art," she said. "For Public Art, I designed a fountain that is supposed to be down by the Androscoggin River in the park across from Fort Andross. People would sit at the fountain and look at the water, but, because the fountain water trickles behind their heads, they would hear that water at the same time [as the river]. Projects where I can mesh sound with visual art like that are my favorite. They help me brainstorm music ideas too."
Visual art has also helped Blood balance her creativity. While attending Interlochen Summer Arts Camp in Michigan, she dabbled in black and white photography to supplement her intensive cello routine.
At Bowdoin, Blood is also a member of female student dance group Vague.
Blood's third equilibrating passion requires a bit more adventuring than the other two. She loves to travel.
"I lived in Tokyo for a year on an exchange program at my high school's sister school," she said. "I was the only international student at an all-girls Japanese school. It was so overwhelming. I took cello lessons with a teacher who was really good. He was really hard on me, but I kept playing and learned a lot. I also explored other cultural things, like pop music."
Blood also accompanied two of her teachers on a trip to Haiti, where she and her peers volunteered at a local high school.
"My music teacher and biology teacher organized spring trips to our sister school on the Central Plateau," she said. "We painted the school and then helped build a foundation for a classroom."
"I also was able to play cello for the community there. That was an amazing moment," she added. "I had grown up having cello, but being able to share it and donate one to the community was pretty awesome."
Sharing something she loves with others is what keeps Blood returning to her musical infatuation. She finds the experience both personally and communally rewarding.
"I feel the most 'me' when I play cello," she reflected. "I feel limitless. It's both internal and external at the same time, and I can explore it personally and then share it with the outside world. I really like that duality...I love it!"
"Plus," she added, "when you're playing the cello, you're hugging it!"
With so much love for instruments, dance, exploring and art, Blood is bound to keep traveling far, both globally and creatively.