Arts Student of the Week: Noah Randall

By Jocelyn Rowley

When it comes to art, Noah Randall doesn't limit himself to one mode of expression.

"I really like exploring almost any way that I can express myself," the Niwot senior said. "I mainly do it through music, but I've found other outlets like drawing and painting. Even jewelry and poetry, just anything I can get my hands on that I can express myself through, I at least give it a try."

The senior is currently enrolled in Niwot's advanced drawing and painting class, but outside the classroom, he has immersed himself in a unique niche of the music world.

"I've been playing traditional and contemporary Zimbabwean music for around 10 years now," he said. "So I'm pretty ingrained in a lot of percussion instruments, a lot of melodic instruments. And then I also play a lot of Western instruments, like bass, guitar, drums, stuff like that."

Randall said that the dynamic musical style has influenced his work in the visual arts, and made him more open to improvisation and trying new media, such as stencil- and print-making. It has also made him a standout student in Niwot's art classes, according to art teacher Jason Watkins.

"Noah is an amazing artist. Every project he does is magnificent, and we are always pleasantly surprised by his tenacity, attention to detail, and level of craftsmanship."

After graduation, Randall plans to attend CU-Boulder and study ecology and evolutionary biology, a decidedly more data-driven field than art or music, Randall admitted. He has no intention of giving up his more artistic pursuits, but feels that "balance" between work and leisure is optimal.

"I don't really want to taint these hobbies of mine by putting them where I have to be dependent on them," he said. "Because I love making music, and I love making art, but I feel like if I had to consistently do it for money or for any type of sustenance, I would lose the fun of that. So I'm taking a STEM field, but probably most of my elective slots will be filled up with art classes or music classes."