Matt Peters
map004@marietta.edu
As the academic year draws to a close, varying degrees of stress and anticipation permeate the air. While most students will soon be packing their possessions and vacating campus in mass-exodus fashion, members of the Marietta Concert Choir will be staying behind to make the final preparations for their upcoming spring tour.
The six-day tour, scheduled to begin on Wednesday, May 6, will consist of five concerts in the Mid-Atlantic/New England region. Stops will be made in Wellsboro, Penn., Old Lyme, Conn., East Hampton, Conn., Dover, Del., Shepherdstown, W. Va. and Washington, D.C.
The MC concert choir embarks on a different tour each year, alternating various local, national, and international destinations. In recent years, the choir has travelled abroad to Italy, China, and the United Kingdom, and domestically across the Northeast and Midwest United States.
“We’ve been everywhere,” remarked director Daniel Monek, Ph. D.
Monek added that, in his 15 years as concert choir director, many great memories have been made through the choir’s travels.
“Each tour has its unique moment that everybody treasures,” he said.
For senior Carson Schumacher one of those unique moments was performing in St. Paul’s Cathedral during the choir’s 2013 England tour, which he described as an “awesome” experience.
Monek said in addition to the experience that students gain from the trip, tour provides an opportunity to promote the College.
“We don’t just go and sing, we go and introduce people to Marietta College… It’s a chance for them to hear more about us and what we do, and the programs we offer as a whole school.”
Students say they look forward to tour for a variety of reasons. Carson enjoys getting to know his fellow choir-mates, seeing the sites, and tasting local cuisine. Freshman Zebulon Suzelis is excited to explore Washington, D.C. for the first time, and sophomore Emily Stainbrook looks forward to the long movie-filled bus rides.
As a director, Dr. Monek looks forward to the growth and improvement that accompanies each tour.
“Every year, you can see a group evolving,” he said. “We probably evolve as much within the week and a half of tour as we do in the entire [school] year.”
According to Monek, it’s the “intense focus” that occurs during tour that bonds returning members.
“It’s a chance for us to do our performing without any of the other stresses that we normally have here,” he said.
Last year’s Ohio tour went so smoothly that the choir decided, mid-tour, to record one of their performances live.
“When you know your A-game is going, it’s a really nice feeling,” Monek said.
Now – amidst essays, finals, and senior capstones – members of the MC concert choir are working hard in preparation for another successful tour.
