Musical notes and scores, paint brushes and canvases, lie among the musical instruments and other creative endeavors that Brittany Jarboe has begun in her studio space in the fine arts center.

Jarboe, an art major and senior from North Vernon, Ind., spends most of her time in FAC painting. But she has continued with her musical roots by joining a folk band, Steven and the Ghosts, and minoring in music.

She first picked up the violin when she was 3, and later at 6 began playing the cello, the instrument she mainly plays in the band.

Her dad was a music teacher and started the music program at her middle school, Jennings County Middle School.

So, her love for music began.

“I started learning by ear and sight,” Jarboe said. “My dad plays music and I have uncles that are involved in music, so it was natural for me to also play an instrument.”

When Jarboe enrolled at Western, she first studied music and wanted to be a studio musician, someone who’s hired to record for artists for various labels. But she changed her mind.

“I hated it,” she said. “You have to know about classical music and so much after that. I discovered it wasn’t for me. It didn’t find joy in it 24 hours a day.”

She changed her major to art and uses that as an outlet for her creativity, but she didn’t give up on her musical pursuits.

Lebanon Junction senior Lindsay Harned, a fellow musician, said Jarboe brings depth and natural ability of visual art to her music and makes their senior trio more complete.

“She is so musical-minded,” Harned said. “Her background with visual arts makes her very sensitive to music and to her it is more than just playing notes on a page.”

For the last several months, Jarboe has been practicing and performing with four guys: Steven Page, Russell Bryan, Jordan Perciful and David Page. Steven and the Ghosts are a folk-rock mix band that performs at places such as Spencer’s Coffeehouse and Bread & Bagel. Jarboe plays the cello and fiddle for the group.

Steven Page, a senior from Guntersville, Ala., said Jarboe just showed up to practice one day and became part of the band. She brings a lot of great assets to the group.

“She brings strength,” Page said. “We tend to play more rock music and she brings more softness to the music and makes it pretty.”

This isn’t the first band Jarboe has played with. For a short time she was in a side-project band that played hard rock music. Her cello sounds were distorted by special equipment. Now, she can play her instruments in different ways.

“No more distortion,” she said. “Cello is much easier to play because I can create more things. I am more familiar with cello, therefore I can express more creativity.”

The band practices when it has a show and spends at least three hours on average getting ready. But Jarboe practices her instruments at least an hour each day.

Reach Jill Erwin at diversions@chherald.com.