About

Samantha Hardison is from Warsaw, North Carolina and graduated in the spring of 2019 with a degree in music education. During her time at UNCP, she has worked hard to leave her mark on the music department. Samantha is proud of all her work, but especially the music that she composed, her junior recital, and her honors thesis. She is thankful that the honors college gave her a close-knit community of people that she got to live with in Oak Hall. She said, “I met a lot of my friends in the honors living community and through attending honors events.”

For Samantha’s senior project she took a creative route and built onto an independent study that she began during her junior year. Mentored by Dr. Joshua Busman, she composed music and thoroughly enjoyed it. She was inspired to compose after her independent study, which is why she wanted to continue composing music for her senior project. She composed a work of three movements, recorded it, and wrote program notes in order to discuss the composing process and the influences she had during the creation and implementation of her project.

After graduation, Samantha began teaching. She advises honors students to, “stay persistent even when it is tough.” She explained that being an honors student is not easy but is very rewarding in the end. Samantha’s greatest memories at UNCP are of her junior and senior recitals. She enjoyed rehearsing and performing alone and with other great musicians!

Senior Project

Mentor: Joshua Busman

Masks: Three dances for Soprano Flute, Clarinet & Horn