Nathan McKinstry (he/him/his) is a senior undergraduate student at the Eastman School of Music, studying both music theory and trumpet performance. His bachelor’s thesis aims to understand the relationships between figured bass, counterpoint, and other chordal tablature systems, and the role they play in the analysis of music. Outside of music, Nathan holds many interests across academia, from math and the sciences through history, and incorporates aspects of these other academic pursuits into his musical and theatrical career. He also enjoys hiking, especially in his hometown hills of Pennsylvania, and sailing whenever the opportunity arises.