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| Close-up at the end of "Love One Another" on my first broadcast. |
I have been asked by a friend to share how I came to join the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It's taken me a long time to put this post together. To get the full experience of this blog post, please watch the videos! I hope you'll enjoy listening to the songs.
People often ask me, "What made you want to join the choir?"
Grandma Bateman gave me Consider the Lilies soon after I turned fifteen.
Mack Wilberg's grand arrangement of "I Believe in Christ" really caught my attention.
I sat on my bed, captivated by the music and filled with the Spirit. The words and music of this hymn burned within my heart. I knew that what the choir sang about was true, and that Jesus was my Savior. I longed to sing with them. I knew then that I needed to join the choir.
(Journal entry April 11, 2004, age 15)
(Journal entry March 11, 2005, age 15)
I took voice lessons and sang in high school choirs and musicals. Discovering that I had an "OK" singing voice was really exciting for me. The choir sang "We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet" in the October 2006 General Conference (General Conference is a worldwide meeting for the LDS Church that happens twice a year [October and April]). This song resonated with me strongly, just like when I heard "I Believe in Christ" for the first time. I knew God's church had been restored and I wanted to sing about it!
(Journal Entry October 1, 2006, age 17)
(Journal Entry April 5, 2009, age 20)
Although I wanted to join the choir, the minimum age requirement is 25 years old, so I didn't even think about it much while at college. I had no intention of joining the choir in my twenties. My plan was to get married, leave Utah, and come back to Utah to join the choir when I got older. But life doesn't quite work out the way you plan! I ended up serving a full time mission (2010-2012), to Temple Square of all places! The choir sang "Look to the Rainbow" from Finian's Rainbow at my very first live broadcast I attended as a missionary.
After my mission I returned to BYU to finish my degree. I made plans to go to California for a graduate program in Music Education, and I was excited to become a music teacher!
People often ask me, "What made you want to join the choir?"
Grandma Bateman gave me Consider the Lilies soon after I turned fifteen.
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I sat on my bed, captivated by the music and filled with the Spirit. The words and music of this hymn burned within my heart. I knew that what the choir sang about was true, and that Jesus was my Savior. I longed to sing with them. I knew then that I needed to join the choir.
(Journal entry April 11, 2004, age 15)
Happy Easter! It is my dream to become a part of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir when I grow up. For Easter today I got "Consider the Lilies" -- a beautiful CD with songs from the Tabernacle Choir. What greater joy than to praise the Lord in song? I cannot think of any better.I listened to the choir before going to bed each night in high school. My mom even got me tickets to see them perform in Seattle for my sixteenth birthday.
(Journal entry March 11, 2005, age 15)
For my birthday I got... 4 tickets to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle!! [Our seats are] in the front row of the main floor :) :) I'm so happy!(Journal entry June 23, 2005, age 16)
The highlight of my day - I went with Mom, Dad and Bethany up to Seattle's Paramount Theatre and watch the Mormon Tabernacle Choir! We were in the very front row- the coolest thing about it was that we could see the facial expressions of lots of the choir members - I just wanted to sing with them! I cried when they sang at the beginning because I was so overwhelmed - then I calmed down a bit- I just watched intently afterward. ... How happy - the whole [audience] was like one huge family - you would see so many people you knew or just look at someone and wonder if you had seen them before because everyone had such a happy spirit about them. But it truly was amazing to watch the choir live - it is much different than during broadcasts. I've only become more determined to work at musical theory and learn more and develop my voice - I want to be in the choir .... My greatest goal (except exaltation ) is to use my life and express my faith through music - its the best way to do it and the Spirit is so huge. Words cannot describe my hopes and dreams - they run so deeply into my testimony that they are almost inseparable. My favorite songs they sang were "How Can I Keep From Singing?" "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing", and "Suo-gan"
I took voice lessons and sang in high school choirs and musicals. Discovering that I had an "OK" singing voice was really exciting for me. The choir sang "We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet" in the October 2006 General Conference (General Conference is a worldwide meeting for the LDS Church that happens twice a year [October and April]). This song resonated with me strongly, just like when I heard "I Believe in Christ" for the first time. I knew God's church had been restored and I wanted to sing about it!
(Journal Entry October 1, 2006, age 17)
As of right now ... I really only want 2 things: 1) To be in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, 2) To Serve God wherever He calls me. Anything else is extraneous and can fall away, but those two things I MUST attain.I loved singing and thought I might enjoy being a voice teacher, so I applied for the Vocal Performance program at BYU. I was accepted and enjoyed many varied musical experiences there (choir, opera, musicals, solo recitals, etc). When I was on a study abroad trip in Vienna and having a hard day, the choir's music spoke to me again during General Conference.
(Journal Entry April 5, 2009, age 20)
The music in General Conference was especially beautiful. "You Can Make The Pathway Bright" was a glorious arrangement. I still long to be a part of the MoTab.
Although I wanted to join the choir, the minimum age requirement is 25 years old, so I didn't even think about it much while at college. I had no intention of joining the choir in my twenties. My plan was to get married, leave Utah, and come back to Utah to join the choir when I got older. But life doesn't quite work out the way you plan! I ended up serving a full time mission (2010-2012), to Temple Square of all places! The choir sang "Look to the Rainbow" from Finian's Rainbow at my very first live broadcast I attended as a missionary.
After my mission I returned to BYU to finish my degree. I made plans to go to California for a graduate program in Music Education, and I was excited to become a music teacher!
During October 2012's General Conference, the choir sang, "The Day Dawn Is Breaking."
During this song I had a very powerful experience and I felt that if I was ever going to have a chance to sing with the choir, I needed to not pursue the graduate program in California. I made plans to stay in Utah and do another year of undergraduate work, though it was a hard decision for me to make!
I auditioned for BYU Singers with Dr. Staheli in the summer of 2013, thinking that this would be a nice way to cap off my BYU experience. He was very gracious and told me to look for the callback email when school got closer. At the same time I was also working as a teacher in the Missionary Training Center. One day I told our secretary that I was auditioning for BYU Singers. She mentioned that the Tabernacle Choir audition cycle was also open. It hadn't even been on my radar! I realized that I would be 25 years old in time for the cutoff in April, so I thought about it and prayed about it.
I knew that I had always wanted to join MoTab, but I didn't feel that it was wise to audition for MoTab and BYU Singers at the same time as they both are very demanding choirs, and the audition process for MoTab takes months to complete. If I had been accepted into BYU Singers in September, I would have closed the door on MoTab. I wanted to give my best to whichever choir I was supposed to be a part of. I asked for a priesthood blessing from a trusted friend, President Clegg. After some pondering, prayer, and the blessing from him, I felt that God wanted me to turn my efforts to auditioning for the Tabernacle Choir. I e-mailed Dr. Staheli, telling him not to consider me for a call back, as my plans had changed.
My audition process for MoTab went from August to November 2013:
During this song I had a very powerful experience and I felt that if I was ever going to have a chance to sing with the choir, I needed to not pursue the graduate program in California. I made plans to stay in Utah and do another year of undergraduate work, though it was a hard decision for me to make!
I auditioned for BYU Singers with Dr. Staheli in the summer of 2013, thinking that this would be a nice way to cap off my BYU experience. He was very gracious and told me to look for the callback email when school got closer. At the same time I was also working as a teacher in the Missionary Training Center. One day I told our secretary that I was auditioning for BYU Singers. She mentioned that the Tabernacle Choir audition cycle was also open. It hadn't even been on my radar! I realized that I would be 25 years old in time for the cutoff in April, so I thought about it and prayed about it.
I knew that I had always wanted to join MoTab, but I didn't feel that it was wise to audition for MoTab and BYU Singers at the same time as they both are very demanding choirs, and the audition process for MoTab takes months to complete. If I had been accepted into BYU Singers in September, I would have closed the door on MoTab. I wanted to give my best to whichever choir I was supposed to be a part of. I asked for a priesthood blessing from a trusted friend, President Clegg. After some pondering, prayer, and the blessing from him, I felt that God wanted me to turn my efforts to auditioning for the Tabernacle Choir. I e-mailed Dr. Staheli, telling him not to consider me for a call back, as my plans had changed.
My audition process for MoTab went from August to November 2013:
- I submitted a recorded audition with my bishop's letter of recommendation.
- I received an invitation to take the MoTab music theory test. You must get 80% or better on the test to move on to the live audition.
- When I received notice that I had passed the test, I was invited to audition in-person for Mack Wilberg and Ryan Murphy. I was nervous, but they were nice to me. They mentioned it was interesting that I had been a missionary at Temple Square. I sang "Abide with Me; Tis Eventide" in G major and sight-sang a few lines of music as well as an unfamiliar hymn.
- I received an acceptance letter to the Temple Square Chorale (MoTab Boot Camp).
Rebecca Wilberg, the choir's vocal coach, placed me as a second soprano. My first Music and the Spoken Word broadcast was on February 9th, 2014. (Though I appear several times on this broadcast, you can skip ahead to 15:55 and watch the song "Love One Another" -- that's when I got a close-up shot)
I sang Handel's Messiah in April 2014 and recorded the entire work with the choir. I sang in Carnegie Hall this summer, and will go on tour to Europe next summer.
And that is my story of how I came to join the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I can serve for up to twenty years, and I plan to stay in the choir for as long as I feel that it is right. I can also leave the choir and re-audition at a later time if we feel that is right. The age limit is 60 years old.
A quote from one of my journal entries seems fitting to end with:
"Once I've achieved my dream of being in the MoTab, I'll need to get a new dream, or something! Maybe my dreams are too small, which I never thought before...." (Friday Aug 2 2013)
I still haven't figured out if my dreams are too small, but I do know that I am where God needs me to be, and that is enough for me.
If you've made it to the end of this post, THANK YOU for reading (and listening)!
I sang Handel's Messiah in April 2014 and recorded the entire work with the choir. I sang in Carnegie Hall this summer, and will go on tour to Europe next summer.
And that is my story of how I came to join the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I can serve for up to twenty years, and I plan to stay in the choir for as long as I feel that it is right. I can also leave the choir and re-audition at a later time if we feel that is right. The age limit is 60 years old.
A quote from one of my journal entries seems fitting to end with:
"Once I've achieved my dream of being in the MoTab, I'll need to get a new dream, or something! Maybe my dreams are too small, which I never thought before...." (Friday Aug 2 2013)
I still haven't figured out if my dreams are too small, but I do know that I am where God needs me to be, and that is enough for me.
If you've made it to the end of this post, THANK YOU for reading (and listening)!
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