When Hazel Landers arrived at Rice University, their academic interests were wide-ranging and, by their own account, somewhat undefined. They came from a background in percussion performance, drawn to music as something to be played, practiced and perfected. Over time, that relationship began to shift.
“I was always so curious to know more about the stories, the people behind it and the processes,” Landers said.
That curiosity led them beyond performance and into an interdisciplinary path spanning music history, German studies and environmental studies. Now a senior in the Shepherd School of Music, Landers is majoring in music history while also pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in German studies through the School of Humanities and Arts.
“My research involves music and representations of the environment primarily in the German-speaking world,” Landers said.
The focus emerged through coursework and mentorship across departments, where language study and environmental inquiry began to intersect with their growing interest in musicology. Through research projects bridging German studies and music history, Landers has examined how music reflects and shapes human relationships with the natural world. Their senior thesis centers on an East German composer, exploring how music during the Cold War engaged with philosophical ideas about nature, complicating the period’s strictly political framing. Landers has worked closely with Danielle Ward-Griffin, assistant professor of musicology, who has supported their research and guided the development of their senior thesis.
“I’ve really enjoyed just the unbelievably rare opportunity to be able to have an environment like the Shepherd School, where the commitment to music as an art form in so many different ways is so rich,” Landers said.
That support extended beyond the classroom. With backing from the Shepherd School and School of Humanities and Arts, Landers conducted research in Germany including archival work and interviews with composers, expanding both the scope and application of their work.
“I’ve really come into my own as a researcher,” Landers said. “And it’s produced some really, really exciting opportunities beyond the university that I will cherish.”
Outside their academic work, Landers has taken on leadership and service roles across campus. They serve as president of the German Club, act as an ambassador for the German studies department and work with Fondren Library to expand student access to research resources. As a Rice Health Advisor, they also support student well-being within their residential college.
After graduation, Landers will continue building on the work they began at Rice. They plan to pursue a doctorate in musicology and will spend nine months in Germany conducting affiliate research at a conservatory in Weimar through the Wagoner Foreign Study Scholarship program.
“The university has not only supported my foundations in this regard but has actively and substantively invested in my future,” Landers said.
Landers’ academic path did not narrow over time. It became more defined, shaped by an environment that allowed different interests to meet and evolve into a single line of inquiry.
“‘Rich’ is the first word that comes to mind,” Landers said. “And ‘multidisciplinary’ and ‘unexpected’ in the best ways.”