Moving to His Own Beat

If you hear the sound of pounding drums in the Reading Room or a hint of cymbals from the Maeser auditorium, you may be witnessing the beatboxing skills of economics student Collin Zoeller. Between beatboxing for the BYU acapella group 1AChord and developing his passion for public policy, Collin is constantly busy exploring his passions like a true Honors student.

Collin’s musical journey began in a lackluster Economics lecture. Trying to stay alert, Collin muttered a vocal drumbeat that caught the attention of his classmate, a singer in 1AChord. She encouraged him to audition, and he became a member of 1AChord in the Fall of 2021. Collin came a long way from imitating his brother’s drum beats, amplified from the garage to Collin’s adjacent room. After embracing a limited performance schedule due to the COVID19 pandemic, Collin was ecstatic to perform in four concerts with the group in the Winter 2022 semester.

His favorite performance was 1AChord’s Care Week concert in which numerous acapella groups performed to raise money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. On Friday, February 25th, 1AChord performed original arrangements of the songs “My Universe” by BTS and Coldplay as well as “What They’ll Say About Us” by FINNEAS. Each song was specifically chosen to fit the theme of unity and understanding in the concert.

“’My Universe’ is about breaking barriers of language, distance, and culture so we recognize the commonality we have as members of the same world. ‘What They’ll Say About Us’ is about hope for the future. In the midst of the conflicts of our society and the world, it reminds us that as we seek to create a lasting and positive legacy for those who follow us, we create hope for the future. Our fight isn’t our own, but a fight for the generations that will follow and the world they will live in.”

When he isn't laying down beats, Collin works on finding his rhythm in the Honors Program. At BYU Idaho, Collin held down a full-time job and maintained a 4.0. When he transferred to BYU Provo, Collin knew he was ready for a faster tempo, and he found that in the Honors Program. Honors 290R especially had an impact on him as he learned to appreciate coding through the lens of art with the help of Dr. Marc Olivier. After finishing Honors 320 this past semester, Collin is looking forward to starting his thesis focused on crime economics in Latin America.

Before he graduates next April, Collin will continue to dazzle crowds with his vocal talent and impress fellow academics with his passion for public policy. He hopes to get a PhD in economics after graduating from BYU. It is truly exciting to watch a student like Collin create his own beat!