The triangle, an instrument made from various materials, has been underrated in past years, but in a turn of events, it has gained recognition this year as one of the most important instruments in history. Given the events happening worldwide and the increasing demand for this instrument, the Department of Music at Andrews University has decided to offer Triangle Performance as one of the concentrations in Music, along with other, sometimes old-fashioned, instruments. What has led to this decision, and what will happen in the future of the music department? When I asked this question to Dr. Byron Graves, director of the Wind and Percussion area, he responded the following:
“We are very excited to introduce this new major to the Department of Music! Many people don't realize how versatile the triangle is; I once attended a conference session entitled "27 Ways to Play the Triangle". We anticipate enrolling at least a dozen new majors next year as the market for solo triangle players is just exploding right now. For some reason, it's particularly popular in Bermuda.”
After some exhaustive research, since I was very ignorant of the current music business trends and demands, I discovered that it was not just at Andrews, but several other institutions, such as Juilliard and the Royal College of Music, were also taking similar steps in the past couple of years. The most recent graduates were entering the market with a starting salary of 144k dollars! And the demand for professional trianglists in big orchestras started to increase, and so did the number of applicants. Becoming a trianglist is now right up there with becoming a doctor, a lawyer, or even a programmer.
What does it take to become a trianglist, then? I tried to find a triangle player around campus until I met Naomi Pelayo (junior, violin performance), who is just in the process of changing her major to triangle performance for the next academic year. I sat with her as she told me her background:
“When I was two years old, a dream stuck in my heart. I wanted to be a musician, a trianglist…
When I was 3, I started taking triangle lessons with Prof. Cateto Trianglowski, one of the most respected trianglists in Russia, and since then, I haven’t stopped. I became really good at any triangle (I learned how to play the equilateral triangle, the isosceles, scalene, obtuse…even the Bermuda Triangle, the hardest of them all!)
After many years of constant practice, I started participating in competitions and playing in ensembles that impulsed my career. But one day, I had to start playing violin too. This is because, in the past, trianglists were discriminated against and rejected and not seen as what they are: musicians. After that, I decided to go to Andrews University to study violin performance. However, despite being in my junior year, I decided to follow my dreams and change to triangle performance.”
I was so inspired by her testimony that I was wondering if I could learn to play the triangle as well. However, old trianglists usually see pianists badly because, as demonstrated in a study conducted by Yale students in 2023, pianists were the biggest group that discriminated against trianglists. Because of that, I had to secretly blend into the Wind Symphony one day so I could get closer to a trianglist, and then I met Eleanor Joyce (senior, music education), who can play almost any instrument. She then taught me a technique to produce the best sound:
"If you strike with the beater completely horizontal, you’ll get a lower-pitched sound, but if you strike completely vertical, the tone will sound mostly high. Therefore, professional triangle players agree that the optimum angle for striking the triangle is at 45 degrees for the best blend of overtones.”
So, if you are looking for a big change in your life or a new, well-established career, now it’s your chance to change your major to Triangle Performance! For new students, the State of Michigan is offering full-tuition scholarships to Triangle majors, as Michigan profiles itself as the new exporter of Trianglist, and it is not for less. Not going too far, some students that could be considered trianglists alums from Andrews include Jason Marquez (‘23, clarinet performance) and Tyler Ninalga (‘24, piano performance), who performed triangle on several occasions for both instrumental ensembles at our university. Take your chance now!
Disclaimer: This article is satire. Happy April Fools!
A note of thanks to Dr. Graves and my fellow friends, Naomi and Eleanor, for helping to make this article.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.