I heard the first few notes of the opening A major arpeggio just as clearly as I could hear my

heart rapidly beating in my ears. Instinctually, as a result of hours and hours of diligent practice
and preparation for this moment, my body allowed air to flow into my lungs, and I opened my
mouth to sing the first Abraham, the tight interval and entrance carefully tuned and synced
with my colleague. I felt especially nervous for this performancenot because of a lack of
preparedness, but because of how desperately I wanted to express the beauty and magnitude of
the message portrayed by Benjamin Brittens expertly crafted Canticle II. I recalled the first
time I had heard the work, several months before, at the beginning of my preparation for this
piece. The intensity of the story itself and the moving text combined with music that perfectly
expresses the raw and pure emotions felt throughout brought me to tears. The overwhelming
emotion I experienced was similar to that of the first time I heard Pavarotti sing Nessun
Dorma at a high school summer vocal program, which became the defining moment for me in
my journey to become a professional musician.
As my performance that evening continued, I felt the nerves ease as I became more deeply
connected with the music, my character, and my surroundings. Being a highly empathetic
person, I thrive on my ability to really delve into a character. The paralyzing fear I experienced
as Isaac realizes that his father will kill him forced me to consider life, loss, love, and trust in a
very different way, as I know it similarly challenged the audience. The overwhelming,
vulnerable emotion and passion present in music are what make music so irresistible and
relevant to me and to every human being at any point in time. Music challenges everyone
involved to open up their mind, heart, and soul enough to experience intangible beauty through
raw emotion.

The ability for a story which took place thousands of years ago to have such an incredible
impact on an audience is mystifying. Throughout my studies, I have become more and more
aware of the power of music to connect, influence, and heal others. The tears in the audiences
eyes the moment before Abraham moves to sacrifice his son Isaac truly emphasized this point
as there was not a person in the audience who had not experienced pain or fear and could not
relate, on some level or another, to the range of strong emotions present in that moment. In
addition, the universality of the theme of absolute obedience, love, and trust as well as the
relevance of this particular story to so many religious traditions shows the ability of music to
break through historical, racial, ethnic, and religious barriers. In a world filled with so much
segregation and hurt, participating in something so unifying is a wonderful burden.
I hope to pursue a Masters of Music degree to further develop the vocal technique and
performance foundation I have received as an undergraduate. I wish to further build my
confidence as a musician and a performer in all areas of my field, including opera, oratorio,
choral singing, art song, teaching, and conducting; challenging myself and my worldview in
new ways in order to continue playing an active role in exposing a more beautiful, meaningful,
and integrated world.