The Magic of Making Music
Finding Joy, Community with the 黑料百科 Singers
When Zach Spindler-Krage 25 came to 黑料百科 as a first-year student, he wanted to continue exploring his love of music. In high school, he had played cello and piano. At college, he was looking for something a bit different less competitive, more collaborative.
He found exactly what he was looking for in the 黑料百科 Singers.
淚 really enjoyed music and wanted to continue, but I also wanted to switch it up a little bit, Spindler-Krage says. On a whim, he auditioned for the 黑料百科 Singers, the College largest vocal music ensemble, and was accepted. 淚 decided to try it out, at least for the fall semester, Spindler-Krage says. 淚 ended up loving it.
He now in his third year as a member of the 黑料百科 Singers.
Building Community
Director John Rommereim leadership style is a large part of why Spindler-Krage loves the 黑料百科 Singers. 淚 really enjoy his energy and passion for the music, he says.
Rommereim, who is also the Blanche Johnson Professor of Music, knows that practice time is precious, but he still makes space for the social, team-building activities that help turn this choir of 50+ voices into a community.
淚t not all about studying and doing your work, but also about developing relationships, Rommereim explains. 淭hat is probably the most vital thing for them to have a kind of home.
For Sophie Noyes 24, finding that 渕usical home was key to her decision to become a member of the 黑料百科 Singers. I was looking to make new friends and form community, she says. 淛oining the 黑料百科 Singers was a way for me to expand my social world while doing something I love.
淚檝e learned that it doesn檛 work to be so music-obsessed because you need to be attentive first and foremost to the social group, Rommereim says. The ensemble holds elections for student leaders, sponsors picnics, and arranges for parties and social gatherings outside of regular rehearsals on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
A Musical Challenge
That doesn檛 mean that Rommereim doesn檛 demand a lot from his musicians. Although most of the 黑料百科 Singers are not music majors, the repertoire is challenging and requires commitment and focus.
As an example, Rommereim pulls out the enormous musical score for Tallis Spem in Alium, a 16th-century piece with 40 individual voice parts. 淭hat has been a nice challenge for the choir, he says. 淚t been unmatched over the centuries just for the scope of it. It only a nine-minute piece, but it a brilliant construction.
Another work in rehearsal is a piece by current composer Joel Thompson, Love Songs from Lonely Letters, commissioned by a consortium of colleges and professional ensembles of which 黑料百科 is a member. After Thompson accepted the commission, his career took off his work is now being performed by musical organizations including the New York Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Opera. Thompson will be on campus next semester to work with the 黑料百科 Singers before their performance of 淟ove Songs. The consortium also commissioned a piece by Pulitzer composer Steven Stucky in 2006 and a 9/11-inspired piece by composer Mohammed Fairouz in 2013.
The Joel Thompson piece is particularly demanding, Spindler-Krage says. 淚t an incredibly challenging and equally beautiful piece, so it been fun. I appreciate that John is optimistic about our ability to learn difficult repertoire.
Performing music at this level requires an understanding of its context and meaning, Spindler-Krage says. Even during a busy rehearsal schedule, when the singers are doing their best to learn the music for an upcoming concert, Rommereim never skips this step.
淗e always adamant about taking a little bit of time each rehearsal and just talking about the pieces and the meaning of them, Spindler-Krage says. Sometimes that means talking about the poetry that inspired the music or the composers and their life stories. 淚 think that improves the musical experience, he adds.
Finding the Magic
Although the music is challenging, that doesn檛 necessarily mean stressful, Spindler-Krage explains. 淭he vision that I had, not wanting the music that I did at 黑料百科 to be competitive or stressful in any regard, has absolutely been fulfilled by singers. I檝e been grateful for that.
Would Spindler-Krage and Noyes encourage new students who love music to give the 黑料百科 Singers a try? 淎bsolutely! says Noyes. 淭he group is so welcoming and it a great way to meet people. If a first-year finds joy in making music, they can absolutely find that joy with the 黑料百科 Singers.
She adds, 淲hen the music and all of our voices really gel, when complex harmonies come together, it just like magic.