Over 10 hours of group and individual sessions, Bullock worked with students to refine their music, explore how each composition supports the story and develop a cohesive sound for the production.
For Matthew Shrivastav, a music education and music composition major with a minor in jazz studies, that meant finding a way for many individual ideas to sound like one score. We worked on trying to make the music we all wrote sound like it all came from the same sound world, Shrivastav said. It was a very cool process because we all came into the project with a bunch of different ideas and then got feedback on how to turn it into the vision that is being asked for.
Miles Hoehler said Bullock and Hurley visited his composition studio class to critique first drafts of the music tracks and suggest changes. The next day, Bullock met with him one-on-one to plan his next draft. One of Hoehlers tracks used a slowly descending bassline to create a sense of dread and going deeper. For his next piece, Bullock suggested easing off the tension chord so the music settles more gradually into a final chord, giving it a more resigned, conclusive feel. This idea sounds really good and Im excited to write it, Hoehler said.
Paul Hurley, a faculty coordinator for the project, said the experience provides opportunities for students to explore areas of professional composition not currently offered as dedicated areas of study within their programs.
"Many of the students are interested in composing for film, television, and video games," Hurley said. "This collaboration is providing students with a project that mirrors the process of future professional work they will encounter after graduation."
That connection to screen work resonated with Shrivastav. It mainly just changed how I view film scoring because writing for the play is very similar to how writing for a film works, he said.
For Hoehler, the project has changed how he approaches his own process. Im starting to realize how important it is to make multiple drafts and to not be so attached to the first file you start writing the music on, he said. My problem is I tend to write like my first draft is my final draft and that way of working just leads to a lot of writers block.
Students also experienced the exchange of ideas and constructive feedback that are essential to collaborative creative work.
During one group session, a discussion about creating a contemporary musical identity for "Romeo and Juliet" led to a memorable observation from faculty member Adam Roberts: "More pop, less classical." The phrase became a recurring theme as students worked to refine their compositions.
Hurley said Bullock quickly established a rapport with the students, connecting with their interests while sharing his professional expertise and providing supportive feedback.
Collaboration Across Disciplines
The project extends beyond music composition, bringing students and faculty together across multiple disciplines to create a fully realized theatrical production.
As the music develops, it is also helping shape other creative elements of the production, including the set, lighting and costume designs. Students are experiencing firsthand how their individual contributions influence the work of an entire creative team.
"It shows that there are different ways to approach a challenge and arrive at a solution," Hardin said.
The collaboration also offers a glimpse of future opportunities for interdisciplinary learning at Kent 91心頭利. The School of Music, School of Theatre and Dance, and School of Media and Journalism are among the academic units that will come together in the new College of Design, Media, and the Arts on July 1, 2027.
Hardin sees the project as an example of the collaborative experiences that the new college can continue to foster.
"While we are currently searching for the inaugural Dean of the new college, the current leadership of the two colleges is looking forward to more collaborations like this going forward," Hardin said.
From the Classroom to the Stage
The collaboration will continue throughout the academic year, with additional rounds of revisions and feedback planned before rehearsals begin in February.
Bullock will also work with faculty and students in theatrical sound design and technology to adapt and implement the music for the production. As rehearsals progress, student composers will continue making adjustments to ensure their work supports the performers and the overall storytelling.
For now, student compositions are played back using basic instrument sounds on their computers. Hoehler is looking forward to hearing his pieces once Jeff Polunas, assistant professor of sound and projection design refines the audio, when every composition will be rendered with the same high-quality instruments, making all of the pieces sound like theyre coming from the same world, he said.
By opening night, more than 80 collaborators will have contributed to the production.
For Hurley, the opportunity for students to experience the entire creative process, from initial composition to final performance, is particularly meaningful.
"When Romeo and Juliet opens in April of 2027, each student will have the opportunity to hear and see their work in the production, and how it helps tell the story of one of the most well-known plays in history," Hurley said.
For the student composers, that moment is the payoff. The best thing about being a composer is being able to hear your work performed live, Shrivastav said. Thats what Im looking forward to the most, the finished project being performed for an audience to enjoy.
Kent 91心頭利's production of "Romeo and Juliet" runs April 15-25, 2027, in Wright-Curtis Theatre.
Learn more about Jeremy Bullock and the Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist Series.
