In a few months, Mary Keating will leave CSUN with a degree in music performance, a violin and a plan. This dedicated, classically-trained musician has already begun performing and recording professionally in the Los Angeles area.

“It’s been difficult at times, but I’ve definitely grown a lot,” she said.

The 24-year-old has been studying the violin since she was 8. Inspired by her mother, she first attempted to make music at the age of 4. The little girl watched her mother pull the bow across the strings to produce beautiful, clear notes. She was frustrated to find out she could not immediately do the same.

Maybe there was something wrong with the violin, she thought.

When she was old enough to learn, her mother enrolled the 8-year-old in lessons. As a young girl, she wasn’t big enough for a full-sized instrument and started with a child’s, smaller version. Keating’s mother had not been able to study music herself until she was 19 and able to pay for her own lessons and instrument.

“She cleaned a lot of toilets to pay for that violin,” Keating said.

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