Middlesex Community College: Alum Credits MCC For Helping Him Pursue Career In Music

Press release from the Middlesex Community College:

Caitlin Buckley

1/13/2022

Dylan Jack, of Tewksbury, understands the value of combining passion with education. The musician started his academic journey at Middlesex Community College because although he was certain he wanted to pursue the field, “I didn’t know exactly where I wanted to go with music.”

“It was my first true academic experience with music outside of my own studying, reading and playing,” Jack said. “It made sense for me at the time, and MCC was a great place to start.”

The 2008 graduate chose Middlesex because it felt accessible and familiar – his mother was an alumna of MCC’s Dental Hygiene program. When he arrived, he also found interesting classes that pushed him to expand his musical repertoire, supportive professors who helped him hone his talents, and relevant experiences that allowed him opportunities to perform.

His goal was to learn as much about music as he could. By taking a variety of classes in MCC’s Music program, he was able to explore the field, discover a more direct path to his future career, and gain a better sense of what his future would look like.

“Middlesex really has it together with a well-rounded musical education,” he said. “The fact that I could study American, world and western music while learning music theory, piano and voice and the business side in a two-year program was amazing.”

Middlesex professors made all the difference for Jack. Receiving direct feedback on his work – whether he was writing an essay or practicing a piece of music – made him feel heard and respected. Their “heartwarming and inspiring” influence is much of the reason why he “looks back fondly on my time at MCC.”

“All the faculty in the Music department were so encouraging and patient and willing to share their knowledge and even their own musical ventures and compositions with me,” he said. “It made me want to go to class every single day.”

While he emphasizes that all of his professors impacted him in some way, Jack praises Humanities faculty members Johannah Segarich and Susan Dill in particular. In Segarich’s American Music class, Jack’s knowledge of music grew, exposing him to different perspectives, approaches and styles. Dill proved she believed in Jack’s abilities – even when he was unsure himself – hiring him for his first job as a percussionist for a production of “The Music Man.”

“She knew I would bust my hump and give it my all,” he said. “Through it all she was so encouraging and I’ve successfully played many musicals since.”

After graduating, Jack transferred all of his MCC credits to McNally Smith College of Music in Saint Paul, Minn. When he moved back to Massachusetts, he earned a master’s degree in Modern American Music from the Longy School of Music in Cambridge. Having taught private lessons for drums and percussion since 2012, Jack started teaching the History of Jazz at Emerson College in 2019.

Jack continues to perform about 75 gigs a year, including a concert at MCC with the Dylan Jack Quartet in 2016 as part of the college’s “A World of Music” concert series. He has released two albums with the Dylan Jack Quartet, including Period Pieces which was a critics’ pick by JAZZIZ Magazine in 2021.

From performing in student recitals to learning new styles of music, Middlesex offered Jack a supportive community in which to practice his art. And although he was uncertain of his path before coming to the college, Jack credits MCC for helping him to reach his goals and pursue his career in music.

“I knew early on that I wanted my career path to be encompassed in music,” he said. “If I’m going to play music, why not focus on it 100 percent and gain as much knowledge from as many teachers as I possibly can?”

Part of the Arts and Humanities pathway, the Music program at MCC helps students go into – and succeed in – the workforce or transfer to four-year schools with its award-winning and affordable offerings, small class sizes and flexible schedules. For more information, visit https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/discover/dyp_artshum.aspx to discover a path to a career in Music at Middlesex.

If you have ever taken a class at MCC, you are an alum! To share your story – and join the free Alumni Association – contact Amy Lee, Director of Annual Giving & Alumni Relations, at 978-656-3028 or [email protected]. Visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/alumni for more information.

Register now for MCC’s Spring 2022 semester, starting on Monday, January 24. Visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/registration/ or call 1-800-818-3434 for more information.

Discover your path at Middlesex Community College. As one of the largest, most comprehensive community colleges in Massachusetts, MCC has been a proven leader in education for more than 50 years. Middlesex puts the student first. Meeting each learner where they are, MCC provides them with a safe, welcoming and engaging place to learn. Offering more than 80 degree and certificate programs – plus hundreds of noncredit courses – Middlesex features flexible course formats and a variety of award-winning student support services and resources. Student success starts at MCC!

This press release was produced by the Middlesex Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.