Bea Carmelle Cuasey
Hello! My name is Bea Cuasay (pronounced Bay-ya Qua-sai). I grew up in Gurnee, and recently returned to Gurnee, after a brief stint teaching sixth grade at a classical school in Colorado Springs following the completion of my undergraduate education last year. I joined the American Guild of Organists under the Young Organists Initiative out of a desire to learn from everybody involved (I love reading and hearing about what different organists are up to), as I continue to develop my organ skills.
I fell in love with playing the organ the summer after my junior year of high school. I was on the road with my youth group heading to a mission trip in the Twin Cities. In the car, we had the classical music radio station on, and this lovely organ piece began playing. I asked my youth minister and a fellow musician friend if I should play the organ, and they encouraged me to do so. The day we came back from this trip, I went over to Ruth Peck, my parish music director at St. Paul the Apostle in Gurnee. I was involved with music ministry at St. Paul’s throughout high school, and I’d hear the name “Nathan Laube” often mentioned, as some musicians at St. Paul’s told stories about him from time to time. Nathan played piano and organ at St. Paul’s when I was growing up, and he’s someone I look up to! Ruth, one of Nathan’s mentors when he was growing up, showed me how to turn on the organ, use the organ registers, and whatnot. She gave me a copy of Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in C major BWV 553. After everybody had left, I sat in the empty church and started playing the organ. From that point onward, I was hooked.
I went to Warren Township High School and graduated in 2017. From there, I went off to South Bend, Indiana, where I studied Philosophy with a minor in Humanistic Studies (which consists of both history and literature) at Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame. I was only a few credits short of completing a Music minor with organ and voice concentrations. At Saint Mary’s, I studied organ under David Eicher and Trevis Young and voice under Alissa Plenzler. I also minored in Constitutional Studies, concentrating in Political Theory, at the University of Notre Dame.
Music has long been an important part of my life. My first instrument was the piano, which I began playing around the age of four. I started playing clarinet in fifth grade and guitar in seventh grade. I played guitar and sang in church all four years of high school. For two years in high school, I played bass drum on the drumline and bass guitar for the pep band.
I came to college hoping that the pipe organ in LeMans Hall at Saint Mary’s would be repaired and restored; fortunately I was able to practice on a digital organ in the music building. I also had opportunities to be involved in various musical ensembles at Notre Dame. I played mellophone (Falto, after F-Alto horn, as they call it there) in the Notre Dame Marching Band and, for one season, cymbals in the Basketball Varsity Band. When invited, I also enjoyed singing with the Holy Cross College Liturgical Choir, Saint Mary’s Chapel Choir, and the Notre Dame Women’s Liturgical (now Magnificat) Choir.
I sang under the direction of Andrew McShane and Jonathan Hehn in the Notre Dame Liturgical Choir. It was a real blessing to sing right under the large pipes of the Fritts Organ in the Basilica and stand right next to the console where I would watch the organist play each Sunday. This inspired my interest in trying out different pipe organs wherever I travel. It is amazing to touch the keys and hear an instrument sing like that. There’s nothing like it.
Outside of my musical interests, I enjoy reading great books, authors such as Evelyn Waugh and P.G. Wodehouse, and anything pertaining to the humanities and culture. I also enjoy the outdoors––going on walks, runs, and bike rides. I like cooking and discovering different coffees, teas, and kombuchas. But most of all, I enjoy talking with people—friends and meeting new faces.
I never thought I’d be considered an organist—it’s daunting—but there’s something exciting about it too. Thank you for welcoming me!