MEET OUR GRADUATES: Hannah Gillooley Found her Voice through Music

A music education major and teacher at Early Learners Academy in Seekonk, Hannah Gillooley’s desire is to spend the rest of her career teaching others about what she says is the life-changing power of music.

As a child, Gillooley was diagnosed with a condition called selective mutism, an anxiety disorder that renders one unable to speak in social settings such as school or work. From ages three to 11, she never spoke outside of her Woonsocket home.  

But as she headed into middle school, she experienced a vocal breakthrough triggered when she saw her cousin playing clarinet.

“I thought it was the coolest instrument I’d ever seen,” she says.

Gillooley not only began playing clarinet in middle school, but she also began speaking in public again. In high school, she sung her first solo.

“That was terrifying but also marked a turning point for me to become more social and perform in front of people.”

Julie Krugman, a RIC adjunct faculty member, was instrumental in shaping her voice, particularly with her senior recital, while RIC Associate Professor of Music Ian Greitzer, her clarinet teacher, taught Gillooley the importance of being an educator first. 

“He’s always been vocal about telling me that I’m not here to be the best clarinetist in the state, but to be an educator,” she says. 

“Growing up, I latched onto my music teachers,” she says. “They made me feel important and valued and recognized my accomplishments. They were there for me outside of music. If I didn’t have them, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today. And now, I want to be that kind of teacher for someone else. As a teacher, I want students to keep music as a skill they can carry with them for the rest of their lives.”

Gillooley credits RIC for being a supportive space throughout her college career. After her mother passed away in 2021, the RIC community rallied around her. A month later, that same year, the community was beside her again when she announced her impending pregnancy and that she’d have to step away from college for a semester. Gillooley returned to RIC during Fall Semester 2022.

“Everyone at RIC has been accommodating,” she says. “They’re like family. Now that I am graduating, I feel a bit of disbelief that I will be leaving people with whom I’ve built such deep bonds.” 

Learn more about the B.M. in music program.