Austin Gatus would sit on his hospital bed and play the saxophone while he received treatment for leukemia as a form of therapy. Gatus, a third-year ethnomusicology student with a concentration in jazz studies, fought leukemia from ages 9 to 12. Read more...

Photo: Third-year ethnomusicology student Austin Gatus was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 9 years old. After becoming cancer-free eight years ago, Gatus began performing music at children’s hospitals in order to give back to children going through similar struggles. (Frank To/Daily Bruin)

Danielle Bongiovanni wrote her song “Bees” a year after dreaming someone put a swarm of the buzzing insects in her chest. “Bees” is also the first song Bongiovanni shared on SoundCloud, which now hosts seven of the second-year theater student’s original songs. Read more...

Photo: Second-year theater student Danielle Bongiovanni writes and records her own songs, which she uploads to SoundCloud. The latest song she posted is titled “So I can feel how I used to,” a slower song about how she sometimes values others over herself. She is also currently working on three new songs, which she said she hopes to post within the next two weeks. (Aubrey Yeo/Daily Bruin senior staff)

With more than 20 dance groups on campus, it can be difficult to find a niche. But whether a dancer’s passions lie in choreographing, competing for a top prize or even learning the basics to wow friends and family, the UCLA dance community offers students numerous opportunities to get involved. Read more...

Photo: UCLA dance groups often practice routines in parking lots, especially before upcoming competitions. Parking lot practices can sometimes last until 2 or 3 a.m. (Habeba Mostafa/Daily Bruin)