If Music be the Food of Love

Megan McCornack

�If Music be the food of love, play on! Give me excess of it.�
-Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

As I sit and reflect upon the four years I spent in high school, the Youth Choral Academy stands out as the event that I believe has most shaped my life so far. I am honored that I was able to participate for three out of my four high school years. I remember auditioning as a high school sophomore with little idea of how amazing a program Youth Choral Academy actually is. I knew that I would be singing with students my age from all over the Northwest, conducted by Anton Armstrong. I knew that I would sing Brahms's �Ein Deutsches Requiem� with the Oregon Bach Festival Chorus, conducted by the renowned Helmuth Rilling. What I did not know was that the experience would shape me into the musician and person that I have become today and inspire me to pursue my passion for the performing arts.

Young people today are generally not encouraged to be musicians. I have been blessed with talented and loving parents who have surrounded me with music my whole life, but most kids don't get that experience. Society praises the athlete, but not necessarily the accomplished musician. Music programs in public schools are being cut in droves as budget propositions fail. Living with these facts is discouraging. The environment in the Oregon Bach Festival is so overwhelmingly positive. Seeing the successful musicians in the Festival Chorus and Orchestra living out their passions in their careers is inspiring. I have started friendships with people in the YCA that I know will be life-long. A bond made through music, a common passion, is difficult to break. It is so wonderful to be surrounded by people who feel the same way I do about music. It is so important to have opportunities like the YCA available to young people.

I am living proof that learning occurs in more settings than in the classroom. The German Requiem showed me the depth of human emotion and provided me with an outlet for the pain of a loss. I learned to sing my soul. Bobby McFerrin taught me to live for my music rather than to simply perform. Bach's Christmas Oratorio showed me a new kind of joy and a new way to celebrate. I'm sure nobody who participated in the 2003 YCA will ever forget "Singet demm Herm." After our concert with Herr Rilling, I had never felt such accomplishment. People contemplate the true meaning of love, and I am sure that some of the answer was revealed in the singing of "Amor de mi Alma." We even "had a lil' church" every year with "Praise His Holy Name," "City Called Heaven," and of course, Robert Ray's "Gospel Mass." Every song has meant something in my life. Musicianship taught me that there is so much more to music than just the notes and interpretation. Movement class helped me learn to feel music with every part of my body. Now when I sing, I am always dancing, whether visibly or internally. I've been a "burgundy mama," and learned to sing with a voice like "Godiva chocolate." Dr. Armstrong's stories, inspirational or funny, will remain with me forever. His friendship and honesty are so genuine; he raises you up as a person and musician.

With music, I am truly home. As I head off for college and music school this coming fall, the lessons and memories I have made will follow me. Now I hope to be a professional musician, either as a coach accompanist or pianist, but I know I will never stop singing. I am a member of the women's a cappella group Divisi at the University of Oregon, and I'm sure more opportunities to sing will come about. I hope I can return to the Oregon Bach Festival someday as a member of the Festival Chorus. I would absolutely love to accompany the Youth Choral Academy, also. Dr. Clark, I cannot thank you enough for giving me the opportunity to participate in the Youth Choral Academy and for your friendship towards me and my family. Music has the power to move people, the power to cross borders and break through barriers. The Youth Choral Academy has shown me that I can follow my dreams.