I stood staring at the blinding lights as my heart raced with excitement. We had finished singing the Latin piece “Laetatus Sum”—a piece that won us a ticket to perform at the Carnegie Hall in Spring 2012. Hearing the audiences’ thunderous roars, I smiled brightly in satisfaction, thinking “carpe diem.”
My choir director from high school taught me this Latin phrase, meaning “seize the day,” through vocal music. He showed us a movie scene from The Dead Poets Society. In the clip, a teacher was instructing his students to seize the day. Just like the teacher from the movie, my director also told us to live in the moment. Little did I know that these two words would gradually become my life’s motto.
When I stepped into the first day of chorale, I saw the room filled with unknown faces and different people from my usual acquaintances. The scene was much happier and to everyone, singing meant more than just reading notes. Singing was like an empty canvas, ready to be painted with the melodic colors of our voices. However, the process was not easy—being part of a choir meant that we had to sing well, but to sing in tune and blend our voices to create a harmony. Through sectionals and encouragements, we improved and eventually created an astounding sound. Although we faced challenges with seniors graduating and new singers entering, we always kept “carpe diem” in mind as we pushed aside distractions and simply enjoyed every second of the harmonious moment.
All the anxiety and stress accumulated from academic school life vanished once I entered the vocal room. When singing, I was no longer just a responsible student or dependable daughter but instead a carefree musician. Choir helped me interact with people outside of my comfort zone and taught me to express myself as a performer and an artist. At that moment, I pushed aside the pressures of school and became a vocalist who could express emotions with creativity and musicality.
Plato said “music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” I cannot agree more with him.
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