In Perfect Harmony: Sisters In the Music Program

For Elaine Wolochuck, there is an unexpectedly familiar face she can always count on seeing as she heads to jazz rehearsal.

Despite coming to NC State from her hometown of Robbinsville, New Jersey, a seven-hour drive from Raleigh, oftentimes when she enters Price Music Center, she runs into none other than her younger sister, Allyson.

Elaine is a fourth-year double majoring in business administration, with a concentration in finance, and international studies, with a concentration in global relations. She is also double minoring in Spanish and piano performance.

She plays piano as part of both the Jazz Orchestra and the Wind Ensemble.

Her sister, Allyson, is a first-year majoring in psychology with a minor in vocal performance. She is involved in the State Chorale and the Ladies In Red a capella group.

The sisters’ journey in music started with the piano lessons they both took as children.

“I ended up loving it, I stuck with it, and then it kind of spread from there,” Elaine said of the lessons. “I joined a bunch of things in high school and in middle school even, before that and I kind of knew coming into college what I wanted to involve myself in.”

While Allyson continued with piano lessons from first through eighth grade, she found her true passion when she took a choir class in middle school. “I loved that, so when I got to high school I switched from piano lessons to voice lessons and then continued with choir in high school.”

“For me, I just was more drawn to singing,” she continued, “anywhere where I could sing and use my voice was a place of joy for me.”

While they may be in different specialties, this has not stopped the siblings from taking inspiration from one another. Though, older sister Elaine says “In a way, I think it’s more non-musical than musical.”

“I think Allyson inspires me because she has a good work ethic,” said Elaine. Especially with being the oldest sibling, watching how she started in middle school and how Allyson has grown from there has been really inspirational for her. “Last year, I flew up for her senior musical where she had the lead in her show, and getting to watch that growth has always inspired me to keep going and keep improving my craft,” she says.

Similarly, Allyson says of Elaine, “It’s been cool to watch her grow throughout her whole life and then especially here.”

Elaine contributes a lot of that growth to the community within the Music program, which she says is her favorite part of being involved here at NC State. “I’ve met a variety of personalities and just all people that I can learn from and grow and I’m just so confident in the music community that we have at NC State.”

“People care about being there, people care about each other, and that’s a very special thing.”

Allyson says that she saw how happy Elaine was being involved in the Music program and wanted that same thing for herself. “Getting to hear a first-person perspective on how much fun she was having and how much she loved it. That definitely influenced my decision to get involved with Music.”

Despite their increasingly busy schedules, the sisters still manage to find time to collaborate when home. “We’ll be in the house together just kind of jamming out, and it’s fun because that’s what music is about: just sharing a story with someone and having a good time,” says Elaine.

“It’s great to be here with her. I’m happy that my sister is all the way here from New Jersey with me. It’s been a great experience, and she makes NC State feel even more like home than it is already,” she adds. “It’s kind of special because 2025 is that 100th anniversary of the department as a whole and it’s really cool that Allyson and I are overlapping on that year.” 

“Hopefully, next semester we can do some collaborative work together and just enjoy the time that we have before I graduate.”

Even with the distance between NC State and their hometown, the siblings’ parents always make an effort to come down and support them. The Wolochucks are all looking forward to their reunion at the end of the month, when Elaine’s Jazz Concert will be happening on Saturday, Nov. 23, and Allyson’s Ladies in Red concert will take place the very next day. 

Outside of their excitement for their upcoming performances, the siblings are just happy to spend time with one another. “It’s been really special to have my little sister here. We only overlap for one year, and time is flying by,” said Elaine.

You can watch Elaine perform in the Jazz Orchestra and Combo Concert on Saturday, November 23, and the Wind Ensemble Holiday Concert on Monday, December 2. Allyson will perform with the State Chorale on Friday, November 8, and Ladies in Red on Sunday, November 24. Tickets for these performances are available to purchase through Ticket Central.