Spring quarter is always the most difficult for me to finish because it marks the end of a school year and the culmination of their UCLA experience for an entire class of seniors.  In a week, I will be losing a handful of my favorite people at UCLA, and they will head off into the world in their separate ways, hopefully not forgetting us and with plans to visit again in the near future.

Yesterday, the UCLA Chorale had our last rehearsal of the year, and we spent a few moments at the end to acknowledge our seniors and hear about their plans after graduation.  It was very surreal to think that all of the people standing up were our seniors and we wouldn’t be seeing them at next year’s rehearsals.  We had gone through so much together this year, including an incredible experience as artists in residence at the Arizona Musicfest performing Verdi’s Requiem (related posts: part 1 and part 2), and it was the second time in UCLA Choral Department history that the Chorale got to travel and perform (the first time was to Beijing, China a few years back).  The sharing sessions soon became personal dedications to our conductor for how great of an impact he had made on our lives, and how much the choral program has meant to us throughout the years.  As if it weren’t incredible enough to see a hundred singers (few of whom are actual music majors) come together twice a week for two hours to make beautiful music, it was even crazier to hear their plans and remember that our singers are also engineers, future doctors, teachers, physicists, architects, sociologists, neuroscientists, and diplomats.  I can’t even begin to describe how it feels to be a part of a group of such vastly different interests, but all with one common interest in musical excellence.  I can’t thank our conductor, Donald Neuen, enough for everything he has taught us about music, expression, discipline, and heart.

Look at what this season of goodbyes does to me.  I’m not even a graduating senior, and I’m already talking like one. 😛