Katherine Noonan: Innovation, Arts, and Design Pathway

Harmonizing Passions: A Collaborative Songwriting Project

Immersion Vanderbilt Faculty Adviser: Brittany Chase, Blair School of Music

Pathway: Innovation, Arts, and Design

Katherine Noonan (Medicine, Health, & Society; Cognitive Studies, '25) co-wrote, produced, and performed "In My Car," an original song that blended her love for acoustic folk-pop with her collaborator’s background in electronic music. The experience challenged her creatively, pushing her to experiment with new genres and embrace collaboration in a way that completely reshaped how she approaches songwriting.

Working with Professor Brittany Chase as her faculty adviser, Katherine explored how music fosters community and personal connection. This idea now informs her work with students as part of Reformed University Fellowship. Though she doesn’t pursue music full-time, the project reminded her of the joy of creative collaboration and how artistic expression can strengthen bonds across campus and beyond.

Read more about Katherine's songwriting experience and her reasoning for making it her Immersion Vanderbilt in the Q&A below!

Listen to "In My Car"

Katherine Noonan Q&A: Songwriting to Immersion Vanderbilt

What inspired your songwriting project for Immersion Vanderbilt?

My friend Mark and I met through Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) on campus, and once we discovered that we both loved songwriting and music, we decided that it would be really fun to collaborate! The writing process was super fun and natural, and it was a cool experience to mix our musical styles and genres. I usually write more acoustic, indie folk/pop songs, and Mark had more experience producing EDM-style songs, so this song ended up being a fun mix of both of those genres and production styles. In terms of inspiration, I loved how light-hearted and fun this song is. I’m not even sure how we came up with the song idea. I think it just rhymed, and the syllables worked with the melody that we were humming. I usually write slower, more contemplative songs by myself, so it was exciting to invite someone else into the process who totally changed the energy of my songwriting. It was a completely different approach to songwriting that I had never experienced before, and I am so thankful for this project and this song!
Why did you decide to center your culminating project around this idea?

When I spoke with my immersion adviser, she encouraged me to think about the things I was passionate about as well as what I was already involved in on campus. I have always loved songwriting and making music, and RUF is an organization that I was very involved in as well. So when I thought about combining my passions for the on-campus community through RUF and songwriting, my immersion project felt like the perfect opportunity to do so.
Who was your faculty adviser, and how did they support your project? How did you select them to be your adviser?

My faculty advisor was Professor Brittany Chase! I took her History of Rock Music course during the fall of my sophomore year, and I loved the way she was so passionate about music. I was also really inspired by her knowledge of different musical genres. I knew she taught other courses like History of Rap and History of Pop music, so I thought it would be meaningful to have her as my faculty adviser for this project. Because this song was a different genre for me, I knew she would have helpful insight and advice for it! When I sent her our finished song, she was so encouraging and supportive of it which meant so much to us! I am so thankful that she was willing to work with me on this project, and her encouragement and excitement made this project even more meaningful.
Looking back, how has this culminating project shaped your academic or career goals after graduation?

I am not pursuing music full-time right now, but music will always be a very important part of my life, and this project helped remind me of the unique and unexpected ways that music can pop up in my life! This project also encouraged me to collaborate with other people who are passionate about similar things! I am actually working for RUF now after graduation, so this project also helped me lean into my on-campus community and helped me realize how important it was to me, which ultimately led me to my current job.
What advice would you give to students thinking about creating their own creative project for their Immersion Vanderbilt culminating project?

I would encourage students to go outside of their comfort zones in terms of creativity! If it’s music, I would encourage them to try writing or playing in a different genre. If it’s visual art, I would encourage them to try a different style or medium! I would’ve never guessed that writing in a different genre would be so fun, and it has completely changed the way I think about songwriting now. I would also encourage students to invite other people into their projects because it was such a unique and fun way to collaborate with one of my friends!