Bixby Piccolo Hill ’27 does it all as a Performing & Media Arts major

Bixby relishes the mixed plate of opportunities he has in the Performing & Media Arts (PMA) Department in the College of Arts & Sciences. From wiring and hanging lights in the Schwartz Performing Arts Center, to acting, dancing, improvising, and directing—he loves it all.

This semester, he’s starring as the lead in a student-written short film, Milkshake Kiss. Bixby plays Charlie, who imbibes a magic milkshake and is visited by figures from his past. He invites the audience to see the film when it premieres at the Kiplinger Theatre.

Bixby’s also practicing the art of directing. He’s currently directing a production of A Streetcar Named Desire, showing in the Schwartz Center’s Black Box Theatre.

“There's a new generation of people in the industry who do everything,” he says. “That’s what Cornell PMA offers, the opportunity to form yourself into a well-rounded creative who can do it all.”

Bixby is a recipient of the Martin and Bernice Rosenzweig Scholarship, in addition to Cornell grant aid. With both he and his sister (Parker Piccolo Hill ’25) at Cornell, and his brother currently applying to college, Bixby said his aid package makes a big difference for his family.

“Knowing that my family is not sacrificing too much for me to get this education—it gives me a sense of security. So, I can focus on taking advantage of all the opportunities Cornell offers me,” he says.