First off – I will admit that this post shares the title of two (spectacular) How I Met Your Mother episodes, as well as an Old English rhyme-turned wedding tradition; but I prefer these words in the context of their straightforward definitions.  I find that “Something Old and Something New” accurately describes my experience with Essence of Joy over the past two semesters.

The “Something Old” was and is singing.  I sang in middle and high school in various groups and productions, and grew in many ways through the experiences and opportunities that I was given.  Its a passion of mine, and one of my major tools for being successful in other aspects of my life.  But I’ve talked about that before.

Conversely, the “Something New” was just about everything else.  As freshmen, were were all inundated with “new,” and I’m sure that we could all compose a very thorough list of the aspects  of college that took us by surprise.

The people that I met in Essence are some of the most talented people I have encountered at Penn State, and they all have absolutely enormous hearts as well as a bizarre and unnatural amount of energy that doesn’t seem to run out.  As I have mentioned in previous posts, they are all wildly different, but yet ardently support each other in their out-of-choir endeavors.

Although I mentioned music as the “Something Old,” I had not been exposed to such inspiring diversity.  African-American spiritual and gospel music has an indescribable soul to it that is naturally lacking in other genres of music.  Beyond that, the vast majority of our performances took place at all-black places of worship, which showed me yet another community with their own traditions and ways of worship.

I’ve mentioned before that I don’t consider myself to be as religious as a majority of the choir, nor as I may seem in writing a blog about a gospel choir.  I often struggle with where to draw the line between religion (in my case Christianity) and science/the world as it is.  Essence has proven to me that there is to be no line in reference to certain aspects of religion, aspects that I am now convinced transcend any barriers that you try to put in place.

Paramount among these are happiness and hope.  In singing with this choir, I have seen that what we convey to audiences through our encounters with them can bring people joy and hope, and that is what truly matters to me.  We were in New Jersey last weekend, and as I was carrying equipment out to our bus a man stopped me and said, “You guys are changing lives – please, don’t stop.”  Being a part of something that has this sort of effect on people has been a whopping “Something New” for me, but has given me many opportunities to listen, learn, and grow.

Source: psu.edu

This weekend culminates Penn State’s Capital Campaign that has been building since January 1, 2007.  In 2010, then-President Graham Spanier announced that the campaign had already reached over $1 billion in donations, and that the University’s goal would be to raise $2 billion by June 2014 (news.psu.edu).

Although the actual campaign has not been completed, there is a production on saturday in Eisenhower Auditorium for all individuals who donated a seven-figure (a million dollars!) sum to the university.  This event is how the Capital Campaign relates to Essence, because the event that I mentioned includes many performing groups.

At a rehearsal earlier this week, the organizers were setting up the props and walking us through our parts, and I was blown away by the scale of this.  The Glee Club, Essence, and other performing groups are doing ‘numbers’ during the show, and a Penn State Nobel Laureate even agreed to participate.  We are singing a choreographed  “Shine the Light,” in addition to joining the Glee Club in “Fight on State” and, oddly enough, “The Power of Love.”

Part of the hype will be that the amount of money that has been raised so far will be announced, and the production seems to be a push to “give just a little more,” particularly considering who the audience members will be.  Even after this rehearsal, I really didn’t understand what the point of raising this massive sum of money was, so I looked into where it will go.

The amount of money that had been raised by 2010, and the expected $2 billion by the end of this year truly astounded me.  The money will go towards keeping the cost of tuition from rising significantly and offering scholarships to students.  Other goals include:

– Enhancing honors education and encouraging innovation across the curriculum
– Building faculty strength and capacity
– Fostering discovery and creativity through interdisciplinary research initiatives

It is amazing to see how much we, as students, benefit from the donations of alumni and of others!  I am sure that not all of this money goes directly towards helping students, but it does contribute to the institution that we are a (paying) part of (psu.edu).

When I got to rehearsal on Sunday night, instead of our usual warm-up and get right to rehearsing routine, Dr. Leach asked us this question: “what’s going on in your lives?”  Of course the room was silent for an extremely awkward thirty seconds that seemed to linger, because nobody knew whether he was actually asking us or if it was rhetorical.

Well, it turns out that he really was asking us, and he spent the better part of an hour going through the choir and asking us about exciting news, future plans, and upcoming events.  It was fascinating.  So many people that I thought I had a general understanding of proved me wildly wrong.  It is interesting how people put up a facade or simply don’t talk about certain aspects of their lives that define them.

Everyone talked about summer jobs, upcoming recitals, or other projects that they are working on.  The seniors talked about job offers (and made us all realize that they are indeed graduating), and Dr. Leach even shared details of his weekend.

An interesting aspect of this question is that it acknowledges that each of us have unique lives, and specific paths that set us apart.  We share Essence, and most of our time together is spent on that, but it is important to also see the individuality of everyone, and that is something I have come to appreciate this semester.

One of the Sopranos is also in Army ROTC (I have no idea how she does more than that!), and she had received a military and academic excellence award, others had been accepted to internships, organized a philanthropic event, and countless other things.  College has helped me to realize that there is so much more to people than they display for you to see, and it always requires a question like “What’s going on in your life?” to truly get to know them.

I guess that this is one of my favorite parts of Essence: going to another choir member’s senior recital (one of the requirements of a music performance degree) and 2/3 of the audience consisting of other Essence members who came to support them.  Its amazing what you can find out about someone by taking the time to ask a few questions, and listening to whatever they choose to share.

On a side note – Essence has a concert this weekend!  If you don’t have anything to do on sunday night, we are performing at 6pm in the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center!

I talked a little bit about Essence’s Spring Break Tour last week, and I mentioned Orlando, FL as one of the places that we performed.  There were many other aspects of the tour, including beautiful churches and people, that have stuck with me after our return to University Park.

I had not been to many of the cities in the south, and got to see Charleston, Raleigh, Savannah, and Atlanta for the first time.  On top of that, all of the churches that we performed in were all-black churches, which I had also not experienced before.  It was an eye-opening experience to visit these places and see specific aspects of them that I didn’t know existed

Rehearsing before a performance in Charleston, SC

Apart from the places and people, I learned a lot about the importance of relationships.  Every one of our performances at high schools and churches was made possible because Dr. Leach (our director) knew them personally and had maintained a relationship with them.  Many were Alumni of the choir, or colleagues of his.  After prolonged performances, Dr. Leach asks us to write a reflection and he also sends his own thoughts to us.  In his missive he wrote that “Every performance destination occurred as a result of the marvelous relationships that I enjoy with people across the USA.”

That importance, of not just remembering someone’s face or name from an experience that you shared, but knowing what is going on in another person’s life and maintaining a connection makes a significant difference.  The ability to maintain such a vast network of relationships at that level has always been a quality of Dr. Leach’s that has impressed me, but time and time again I see the massive benefits of it.

The video below is another result of those relationships.  Dr. Leach’s close friend Tony McNiell, who had hosted the choir in years past at his previous church in Charlotte, NC, and now is the artistic director at Ebenezer Baptist in Atlanta, GA invited us to perform at Ebenezer’s service to start our tour.  This church is significant because Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his father were co-pastors there until his death, following which his funeral was held at Ebenezer.

This Gospel piece, “Hallelujah” was performed by the MLK choir during the service, until Essence figured out our parts and joined in (where this video starts).

As I have mentioned in many of my previous posts, over spring break Essence of Joy went on tour to perform at various high schools, churches, and other venues in the south.  It was an absolutely amazing experience, but there was one performance that stood out to me because something happened that genuinely surprised and perplexed me.

The piece Anticipation, which was the subject of one of my previous posts, is sung at the end of each one of our concerts.  In it, we go out into the audience and shake their hands as we exit and sing.  I’ve always enjoyed it because, for me,  it is an unprecedented chance to connect with the audience.

But this time was different. Essence was performing just north of Orlando, Florida at St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church about mid-way through our tour. I was shaking people’s hands, as were the rest of the members of the choir, when I came to a woman who simply refused to accept my outstretched hand.  This had never happened to me before, and I honestly didn’t know how to react.  What was wrong? Was she a germaphobe? This was honestly the only explanation that I could muster, because she was looking into my eyes and smiling, but still rejected my outstretched hand.  After a painful and unending 30 seconds I smiled and moved on, but that moment stuck with me.

To be perfectly honest, my initial reaction was to be offended by the woman’s refusal, but I struggled to define exactly why I had felt personally offended.  It seemed like the wrong reaction, mostly because the purpose of the song has nothing to do with me, and her simple decision to not shake my hand shouldn’t have effected me, even though it wasn’t normal.

It seems trivial, and maybe it is, but it made me think about purpose.  It led me to consider the fact that the entire tour was for the people that we performed for (although I definitely enjoyed the warmth).  It made me realize that it is always important to consider the reasons that you are doing something, or who you are doing something for.  That line of thinking can often help to establish a new perspective, and made me realize that the woman didn’t need to shake my hand in order for me to connect with her and for our performance to bring her Joy.

One thing that is glaringly different in college is the way that professors convey material to students.  In high school the curriculum is extremely structured, and I’ve heard many people refer to high school education as a process of “hand-holding.”  However, in college this is drastically different.  In any type of course, there is an extremely open-ended aspect to assignments and the overall method that students can use to be successful.

Everyone that I have talked to has said the same thing about their courses, but I thought that surely a choir would just be a choir.  I knew that Essence was going to be more professional than the high school choirs that I performed in, but a choir is a choir and I expected it to be relatively similar.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.  One interesting aspect of Essence is its returning members, and that portions of our repertoire are the same every year.  That was a rude awakening for me and the six other new members mainly because Dr. Leach doesn’t usually bother to teach those returning pieces.

For the returning pieces we are rarely given sheet music, and usually have to figure it out based on a printout of the lyrics and 10 minutes learning the parts during rehearsal.

But then there are the pieces that the six of us literally had to learn during a performance, like “There is No Failure in God.”  For me, learning something on the fly or in a way that I’m not used to is relatable to college in general.  I think that learning in new and unfamiliar ways has an extremely positive effect on education, and builds skills that can be used in any walk of life.  I would argue that during a performance is perhaps a little extreme, but is still a sure way to learn.

During spring break, Essence of Joy is traveling south to tour high schools and churches.  We will be performing in Charlotte, Atlanta, Delray Beach, Fort Pierce, Orlando, Jacksonville, Charleston, Savannah, and Raleigh.  I’m really looking forward to going to a place that is (hopefully) a little warmer and less windy than State College, but I’m also looking forward to the many experiences that I’m sure will be eye-opening.

One of the places that I am most looking forward to performing at is in Atlanta, GA.  Essence will be performing at the morning church services at Ebenezer Baptist Church.

Source: NPS.gov

At the age of 19, Martin Luther King Jr. gave a sermon at Ebenezer Baptist and was subsequently ordained as a minister.  In 1960 he became a co-pastor of Ebenezer Baptist alongside his father.  He remained a co-pastor of the church until his death.  Dr. King’s funeral was also held at Ebenezer Baptist, and the National Park Service considers the church to be a national historic landmark.

The church is a significant spiritual landmark and has been extremely influential in both commemorating the civil rights movement and in continuing the effort for equality.  In 2008, before he was elected, President Obama visited and spoke at Ebenezer Baptist, where he joined the congregation in singing “We Shall Overcome.” (pictured below)

Source: The Associated Press

I think that it is extremely special that Essence has been given the chance to perform at this sacred place, not because of the building, but because of the people and events that it has played host to.

Going south will be a very interesting experience because the audiences there will be far different than the ones that we normally perform for.  In some ways I expect our music to be less accepted in the south than it is in Pennsylvania, but I could be very wrong about that.  I’m looking forward to finding out, and it being a little warmer.

At the end of every concert, Essence always sings the same song: Anticipation.  The lyrics of the song are fascinating, focusing on an uplifting view of death.  But more so than the lyrics, it is what we do during the song that makes it special.  We leave the stage and walk throughout the audience, shaking hands with everyone and exchanging smiles.

It is a completely surreal experience every single time, and it is what I remember most about each performance.  More often than not, about a quarter of the audience is uncontrollable crying, and the older men and women go for a hug instead of a handshake when I stretch out my hand.  A connection occurs in these moments, but Dr. Leach (our director) has a different word for it: encounter.

He labels this last song as the culmination of our encounter with the audience.  Dr. Leach often says that we only have one chance with this audience, and that it is our task to bring them to another place of being, beyond the pew or seat that they are sitting in.

I realized in writing this post, that I sound like a devoutly religious person, but the truth is that I am not.  The emotions that we share in this choir are experienced by both the choir members and the audience, and they are not strictly Christian emotions.  Yes, the lyrics reflect Christian teachings, but the uplifting nature of the song and the humbling opportunity to share it has nothing to do with religion, but have everything to do with faith, optimism, and hope.

This is a recording of Essence singing Anticipation:

Can’t wait to see him, look upon his face.  Bow down before him, thank him for his grace.  Shake hands with the Elders, the 20 and the 4.  Say hello to my loved ones, who’ve gone on before.

Jesus is preparing a place just for me.  If you want to see me, in heaven I will be.  Time will be my friend, day will never end.  Summer, Winter, Spring, or Fall won’t have to come at all.

Hope to see you there, where all the Saints will be.  Come and go with me.

This weekend, Essence is performing at the American Choir Director’s Association’s annual conference in Baltimore.  It’s an honor to be selected to perform at this conference, even more so for Penn State because the Glee Club was also selected to perform.  The last time two groups from the same university were selected to perform was 15 years ago, and they were from Harvard.

Of course, all of this soared over my head, because as a freshman it’s all I can do to keep up.  We arrived in Baltimore on Thursday afternoon, and had to do a soundcheck tonight (as I write this) for our performances tomorrow.  The concerts take place, not in a convention center, but in Churches and Cathedrals scattered around the city.

It is an oddly amazing feeling to go into a church, cathedral, or other gathering place in a city.  I have always loved the way, as you walk in the front door, the city fades away and you enter a magnificent and beautiful place that is both quiet and peaceful.  It just so happens that we will have the opportunity to perform in such a place tomorrow.

Old Saint Paul’s Church

Is located just a few blocks away from the Inner Harbor.  The Church itself was founded in 1692 as an Anglican Parish in the British colony of Maryland.  Many of its buildings were destroyed by fire, but the one that still stands was built in 1856.

Exterior: Photo from Wikimedia

When I walked into the church with the rest of the choir, I was still shocked to see how beautiful the building was, the ceiling was even painted to look like the sky.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to take very good pictures, and although that is mostly due to my lack of skill, we were also extremely rushed.  We had 30 minutes to do a sound check, and not a minute more.  The group in the second picture is another choir that was selected to perform.  They were extremely talented, and are from a performing arts high school in Connecticut.

It has already been an amazing experience to travel with the choir (and spend some time at the inner harbor) , and I am sure that tomorrow will be memorable.  Perhaps what makes this performance so unique, and difficult, is the audience.  The only people permitted to be in the audience are attendees of the conference: Choir directors and professors.  We are performing 5 pieces, and the composers of 3 of them will be in attendance.

Although it’s a tough crowd, I’m really looking forward to it.  After our performance tomorrow, we are heading to the Harrisburg Area to perform at various churches until Sunday night when we return to campus.  It never stops, but I wouldn’t want it to.

Music was my passion in high school, and, together with swimming, consumed most of my time.  When I came to Penn State, I wanted to find one group to keep my love of music going, because I had decided that I didn’t want to make a career out of it.  I ended up auditioning for an extremely unusual choir (for me) that I hadn’t had much experience with.

Essence of Joy is an African and African American Choir, and we perform music ranging from traditional to gospel.  Being a part of the choir has been an incredible, eye-opening experience that has made me aware of so much.  There are many things that I have discovered through Essence, one of the most unexpected was spirituality.  I am Protestant, and am involved in my church at home and sometimes perform there, but my definition of spirituality was dashed from the first day of rehearsal.

Singing this kind of music for people unpacks a whole new definition of spirituality, for the audience and for the singers.  For me, the best word to describe it is happiness, and a general uplifting feeling.  This semester, Essence is traveling to a conference next week in Baltimore to perform, as well as periodic performances throughout the Spring.  During Spring break, we are going on a tour of the south, starting in Maryland and working our way down to Orlando, Florida.

I plan to post about my experiences during those trips, as well as what happens at rehearsals and the ideas behind the group.  Essence was featured on the PSU homepage this month (in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.) and there is a short video and article that place Essence in the context of the civil rights movement.

http://www.psu.edu/feature/2014/01/16/we-are-dream

And yes, I am a very white person in an African-American Choir, but oddly (and in my opinion interestingly) there are quite a few of us.  The choir is incredibly diverse; a bass from Nigeria, a handful of singers from the Bronx, and even a Jewish soprano, but we are all there for one reason: to share Joy.

Photo Credit: PSU.edu