Visit the Westminster Choir Blog
Six Westminster Choir members have volunteered to share their experiences through the Westminster Choir Blog this season. Here are some fast facts about them.
Meet our 2019-2020 Bloggers
Betsy Podsiadlo
Name: Betsy Podsiadlo
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Major: Voice Performance
Voice part: Soprano
Year of study: Senior
Fun Fact: I play bluegrass fiddle and am learning to play the banjo.
Professional plans after graduation:
I've applied to graduate school for opera and I hope to work toward my dream of singing new opera with the goal of advancing social and administrative change.
What I'm looking forward to the most about being in the Westminster Choir this year:
This year's tour stops in my hometown, San Diego! I am so excited for the people who supported me for so long as a young musician in San Diego to meet my Westminster Choir family and experience our concert.
John Lucado
Name: John Lucado
Hometown: Frederick, MD
Major: Music Education
Voice part: Bass
Year of study: Senior
Fun Fact: One of my favorite foods is lemons!
Favorite Westminster Choir memory (thus far)
Performing the staged version of Path of Miracles at the 2019 Spoleto Festival USA.
Professional plans after graduation
I plan on being a middle school music teacher for a few years, before pursuing a master's degree in Music Education. I'd also like to sing in a professional choir!
What I'm looking forward to the most about being in the Westminster Choir this year
Tour! It'll be my last memory with Westminster Choir and I'm looking forward to making the most of it.
Elizabeth Reyna
Name: Elizabeth Reyna
Hometown: Lubbock, Texas
Major: Choral Conducting
Voice part: Alto
Class Year: First-year graduate student
Fun Fact: I LOVE boxing!
Professional plans after graduation
To attain a DMA and teach choral studies at the collegiate level.
What I'm looking forward to the most about being in the Westminster Choir this year
Tour of the West Coast in January and getting to sing at Westminster Presbyterian in Dayton, Ohio for the 100-year celebration in April!
Lillie Judge
Name: Lillie Judge
Hometown: Charlotte, NC
Major: Voice Performance and Sacred Music
Voice part: Soprano
Class Year: Sophomore
Fun Fact: I work in a chocolate shop
Favorite Westminster Choir memory (so far)
Singing together at retreat :)
Professional plans after graduation
Grad school for performance and a church job working with children while I start to build a solo career.
What I'm looking forward to the most about being in the Westminster Choir this year
Spoleto and tour!
Qichen Lyu
Name: Qichen Lyu
姓名： 吕启琛
Hometown: Jiangmen, Guangdong, China
家乡：广东江门， 中国
Major: : Choral Conducting
专业：合唱指挥硕士
Voice part: Bass/Baritone
声部：男低/男中
Year of study: First year graduate student
学年：第一学年
Fun Fact: I did not usually qualify myself as a pianist until I got here. Yeah that is what I did for most of my life before.
说一点有关于自己：
我之前是一个学习钢琴演奏十余年的人，但我从不自称钢琴家哈哈，直到我来到这里。（因为英语里的Pianist主要指的就是“钢琴演奏者”）
Professional plans after graduation
To be a musician as a choral conductor
你对从WCC毕业之后的憧憬是什么？
我希望我可以以一个合唱指挥的身份从事音乐行业。
Favorite Westminster Choir memory (so far)
- When we were on retreat at the beginning of the year, on the first evening, we had a game in which we stood in a circle and closed our eyes. Then if a person touches your shoulder it means they are happy to know you, if they touch your head means they really want to know you. I remember that the whole choir was willing to have a deeper connection with me. Which was a very touching moment for me, having recently moved to a whole new life here.
- I have this second one because it’s really about music. On the first run out of our Westminster Choir, we finally performed the Friede auf Erden by Arnold Schoenberg on stage after struggling with it for so long (maybe just me). At the beginning of learning this piece, we were stuck. It’s hard music after all, I guess even Dr. Miller felt that way. He wanted us to rehearse this piece without the piano. But after struggling with this time and time again, we gradually felt the shape of it. We really put a lot of effort on this. Before the first memory-goal of this piece rehearsal, everyone gathered around in a circle and sang this together. We (at least me) felt the energy and the beauty of this piece, and that’s when I started liking it. When we finally performed this on stage, everyone was touched and was in tears at the end of the piece. That was not expected, to be honest. I got this feeling before only when I listened to the end of the Mahler Symphony No.2 ‘Resurrection,’ there were jolts of electricity running throughout my body. That was quite an experience.
迄今为止最美好的Westminster Choir的回忆：
- 在学年开始的时候的合唱团Retreat（此词很难直译，类似于团建），在第一个晚上，我们做了个游戏，大家围坐在一起，安静地闭上眼睛，然后大家会陆续绕圈子；如果想表示幸会可以摸肩，如果表示想进一步了解对方可以摸头。那个游戏持续了快20分钟，我记得好像所有人都想和我建立连接。那种温暖的感觉对我一个刚来的陌生环境开始生活的人真的是莫大的感动。
- 我还有一个有关音乐的回忆。在第一次Westminster Choir的演出的时候，经过了多少努力，我们第一次将勋伯格的作品Friede auf Erden搬上了舞台。记得在一开始学习这个作品的时候，我们都被难住了，可能连指挥米勒博士也这么觉得吧我想。他要求我们排练的时候不要用钢琴。当我们和曲子斗争了一次一次又一次之后，我们慢慢琢磨出了这个曲子的轮廓。在这个曲子的第一次背谱排练之前，大家围成一圈背唱的时候，我（们）开始感觉到这个曲子的力量和美，也就在这是，我开始喜欢这个曲子。当我们终于把它搬上舞台时候，大家被音乐都感动了，很多人都热泪盈眶。老实说这是有点意外的。我再次有那种只有之前在听马勒第二交响乐“复活”结束的时候那种全身触电的感觉。真是非同寻常的经历。
What I'm looking forward to the most about being in the Westminster Choir this year
To be honest, all of it. Who else doesn’t like the magic of music?
对于接下来的一年，你对Westminster Choir最期待的是什么？
认真讲，都很期待。谁不喜欢用音乐变出来的魔法呢？
William Butron
Name: William Butron
Hometown: New York, NY
Major: Music Education
Voice part: Bass
Class Year: Sophomore
Fun Fact: I learned how to breakdance when I was 8 years old by watching YouTube videos.
Professional plans after graduation
After graduating from WCC, I aspire to become a high school music teacher, while also continuing to perform outside of teaching, in order to keep the passion for my craft alive and well.
Favorite Westminster Choir memory (so far)
My favorite Westminster Choir memory thus far was definitely the thrill of my first performance with them! It was such a surreal experience getting to sing with such an extremely talented and passionate group of musicians who love to embody and immerse themselves in the music they sing. I can still remember the chills I got while singing and reflecting on how amazing the sound was that we were making. The pure artistry of this choir is so beautiful and I am very appreciative to be part of such a historical choir!
What I'm looking forward to the most about being in the Westminster Choir this year
This year, I am looking forward to our 100th Anniversary tour to the West Coast in 2020! I have never been on a choir tour before and I am very excited for the experience! I have also never been to the West Coast, so this will be a great opportunity to see part of the United States that I have never seen and to perform in beautiful churches and venues. I can already tell this will be such a fun and transformative experience!