Harmonic Equations

Photo Story with Video Component

Directed by Max Feliu

2023 Spring Big Band Concert

UNC-Chapel Hill Jazz Band

Marvin Koonce Jazz Pianist and Math Major at UNC

This photo story aimed to document a person’s impact on my community. I delved deep into who Marvin is, what he does, and the complications he faces as a second-year math and music double major. Marvin’s story exemplifies how everyone has a meaningful story that can be told through a creative medium.

Marvin Koonce, a sophomore at UNC-Chapel Hill, sits below his bed amidst the chaos on Thursday, April 27, 2023. As a math and music double major, he stands at a pivotal point in his life: he must find a sense of direction in a life wreathed in chaos

Marvin Koonce, a sophomore at UNC-Chapel Hill, sits below his bed amidst the chaos on Thursday, April 27, 2023. As a math and music double major, he stands at a pivotal point in his life: he must find a sense of direction in a life wreathed in chaos and uncertainty. “The piano can feel monotonous. I get frustrated when I play scales when I don’t want to be playing scales, or when I’m following rules and patterns that feel mindless in an algorithmic sense. I have my mind on all the time when I don’t want it to be on, and that can feel confining.”

Koonce keeps his grandfather, George Ragsdale, close to him even when he is away from home in college in his dorm room. “He was my role model and as a young kid my hero. I adopted all the qualities he had – both the good and the bad – and we would bo

Koonce keeps his grandfather, George Ragsdale, close to him even when he is away from home in college in his dorm room. “He was my role model and as a young kid my hero. I adopted all the qualities he had – both the good and the bad – and we would bond through playing the piano.”

Koonce practices his jazz composition in his dorm room. “I don't self-reflect very well, and I've recently realized has been a big problem. I didn't plan on getting a math degree and now I basically have one. Despite my success as an analytical think

Koonce practices his jazz composition in his dorm room. “I don't self-reflect very well, and I've recently realized has been a big problem. I didn't plan on getting a math degree and now I basically have one. Despite my success as an analytical thinker, that stays in the math world, and I need to do a better job thinking about how my actions affect others and myself. Coming into college, I was convinced that I would be doing music professionally, and that's just faded again. The evidence says that it will probably come back. Now, it just feels a lot like a chore at times. It's something that demands constant practice and that’s what I've always struggled with in like in every enterprise.”

During a long math session, Koonce works on a proof as his classmates frantically study for a math exam late at night inside Philips Hall on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. “To give me a head start in early math, I used to play blackjack with my grandfathe

During a long math session, Koonce works on a proof as his classmates frantically study for a math exam late at night inside Philips Hall on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. “To give me a head start in early math, I used to play blackjack with my grandfather. That early start has carried on until now, especially this semester. Math and music crossover in ways people wouldn’t expect. For me, it's not the math and the music it's the music connecting with the math. The more musical and artistic side of my brain guides me through my math work, especially at higher levels."

With the Spring Big Band concert ahead, Koonce spends multiple hours rehearsing in his room on Monday, May 3, 2023. He feels drained both emotionally and physically when he plays. “Music is always ebbing and flowing. I'm never quite sure whether I wa

With the Spring Big Band concert ahead, Koonce spends multiple hours rehearsing in his room on Monday, May 3, 2023. He feels drained both emotionally and physically when he plays. “Music is always ebbing and flowing. I'm never quite sure whether I want to do way more of it or quit altogether, and it can be emotionally exhausting. It can be a very private experience where I mindlessly plug away and soothe my soul, but at the same time, I'm sometimes just fed up with it. It feels like it’s no longer a sense of self-expression and everything sounds the same, and that’s just so frustrating to deal with and I feel empty and hollow.”

Koonce goes for an evening run to clear his mind at Merrit’s Pasture on Monday, April 10, 2023. Running is one of the few occasions where he can escape his hectic life. “Running pulls the chord really well, especially since both these disciplines are

Koonce goes for an evening run to clear his mind at Merrit’s Pasture on Monday, April 10, 2023. Running is one of the few occasions where he can escape his hectic life. “Running pulls the chord really well, especially since both these disciplines are mental in nature. Whenever I'm mentally exhausted, it’s something that disconnects my brain and allows me to connect other parts of my life – things I have to block out while working on math and music. I need to reflect more about myself in my life, and running helps me do that.”