Caitlin Gleason '18

Of all the themes we've had in the last three years as a Chorus, never has one been so relatable and thought-provoking as this year's. Isolation and community, as Robert has previously mentioned in rehearsal, relates to the core of the undergraduate experience and because of that, I find myself appreciating this year’s music so much more.

When we enter college, much of our identity is still shifting and transforming just as our voices shift and transform from freshman year to senior year. In a weird and whimsical way, things also come full circle. During freshman year everyone's biggest concern is: who are my friends? What is my community? Who makes me feel at home? I'm sure most, if not all first-year students, fear rejection and isolation during those early months especially. And if not for the musical groups I joined, I would have felt deserted as well.

But by the time senior year rolls around, there comes a newfound sense of appreciation for isolation. It becomes less frightening as we find comfort in enjoying spending time with ourselves, and find that simply observing the world alone is a fine way to pass the afternoon. I have come to appreciate the feeling that I am comfortable, and even often happy, being alone.

With that, however, I also have solidified my communities. That sense of security permits me to enjoy both time learning from those around me and time learning about who I really am.

So thank you, Robert, for picking a theme that leaves me pensive, introspective, and content looking back on how much we grow from freshman year to now. In the same way a choir operates, there is synergy in numbers, but to be impactful you must be equally as confident as a singular singer.