I will never forget the first time I had the privilege of listening to a piece composed by Eric Whitacre; it was sophomore year in Concert Choir, and our new choral director came in, ecstatic to be working on Whitacre's "Sleep" with us. The opening chords are enough to make someone cry over the music's beauty. The piece puts you to sleep -- in a good way, of course. (After all, look at the title.)
After working on "Sleep," my choral director knew that we were a choir made to sing Whitacre music. We handled the dissonance like professionals, while most choirs might shy away from the intense sound. Listening to Whitacre's music has changed me as a person. Here's what I have learned from Eric Whitacre.
1. Your hair is your entire image.
Look at his luscious, golden locks. Do they not scream beauty? Do they not scream maturity? Poise? Grace? That volume! The shine! It's enough to make Tina Fey swoon. Gotta love it.
2. Music connects us all and transcends any and all borders.
This is a snippet of Eric Whitacre's third installment to his Virtual Choir series; 3,746 people from 73 different countries learned Whitacre's "Water Night," filmed themselves singing the piece in their respective voice part(s), and sent it to Whitacre. This video is the result of thousands of people's passion for music. People who have never met before are making music together. How surreal is that?
3. Take your music to new heights.
This is a snippet of Whitacre conducting the VocalEssence Singers as they sing his piece "Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine." The lyrics come from da Vinci's journals as he was designing and constructing his flying machine. With this piece, if you're not flying, you're not trying. He composes the piece in a way that makes the choir sound like an airplane taking off into the sky. (That section is literally called "The Flight," and it's intense.) Concert Choir performed this piece my junior year at St. Paul's Catherdral in New York City, and it was the most fun I've ever had singing a choral piece.
4. Oranges and limes are a must-have snack for dates.
All of you Whitacre fans will understand this reference to his piece "A Boy and a Girl." For those of you who don't, here is a video of the Brigham-Young University Singers performing this stunning piece.
Go ahead -- try to lie to me and tell me you're not in tears.
5. Technique is everything.
Proper technique changes and enhances the message being received by audience members. Work on it!
6. Whitacre is life.
Need I say more?
