And the Beat Goes On: Dickinson Alum Bridges Divides Through Music
Officer Strachan, a 2013 graduate of Dickinson's music-performance program, plays the violin in uniform.
Alexander Strachan ’13 serves with badge and bow
Officer Alexander Strachan ’13 stirs up some curiosity when he plays the violin in uniform. That’s by design. “I try to have people reevaluate—rethink—what a police officer means to them,” the officer and professionally trained violinist says.
Strachan performed internationally as a music major at Dickinson and entered the police force a few years after graduation. Working first on the beat in St. George’s County, Md., he now serves under the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Police Department. And he has continued to perform music.
Strachan enjoys the creative outlet music provides him, particularly after a stressful day at work. But he is also driven by a desire to bring people together. Performing in an officer’s uniform, he believes, can help reframe public perceptions, and open new avenues of communication.
“It humanizes the badge,” Strachan explains, “and it brings this beautiful connection I think we sorely need.”
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Published July 24, 2024