Most college students start planning for their careers long before they graduate. Few of them, however, expect to become part of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, a Grammy- and Emmy-winning, world-famous organization that has performed in over 28 countries and for ten U.S. Presidents. Of the current 360-member choir, ten are alumni from BYU–Hawaii: Lauren Tuft, Sharon Seminario, Ivalani Uluave Bradshaw, Desiree Marchant Syme, Janet Greenhalgh, Lewis Quinn, Siope Kinikini, Robert Lono Ikuwa, Jamie Bunker, and Sinoe Ika.
Becoming a part of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir takes a lot of preparation, persistence, and practice. Ikuwa was encouraged by friends to audition for the Choir, but he never felt a strong desire to do so. A week before the audition deadline, he had an unforgettable experience. “I woke up one morning and received a dream that I was singing in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir,” Ikuwa recalls. “I knew it was personal revelation at that moment.” Following this prompting, he immediately began the application process.
“I checked online and did the exhaustive first audition requirements: a personal recording of numerous scales, a hymn sung in three different ways, etcetera,” Ikuwa explained. After receiving his letter of acceptance, he went through a second audition round that tested his musical theory before moving on to the third round: the live audition. “It was quite intimidating,” he remembers.
Jamie Bunker always knew she wanted to be in the Choir ever since she was a little girl watching them perform during General Conference. As a Vocal Performance Major at BYU–Hawaii, she sang in the Concert Choir, an experience that prepared her well. “Although the style of singing is very different in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir from the BYU–Hawaii Concert Choir, I feel like the mission is very similar,” Bunker explained. “At BYU–Hawaii, the choir helped teach me how to sing well, but more importantly, it taught me to focus my energies on giving praise to God through music.”
Dr. David Kammerer, chair of the Department of Music and Theatre Arts at BYU–Hawaii, fondly remembers the alumni and reaffirmed his belief that their learning here prepared them to be successful in the future. “This institution has had a fine choral tradition for quite a long time,” Kammerer said. “Although this is a relatively small program compared to the other BYU campuses, it can be an advantage because students get some very intimate mentoring from their teachers.”
A typical week as a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir involves a 15-hour time commitment (sometimes more) – but the alumni say it’s worth it. “I have felt such amazing feelings as I've put my whole heart into trying to accomplish this,” Bunker shared, “and I know that those who listen are touched by the Spirit. It's the best way I know how to be a missionary.”
For more information about the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, visit http://www.mormontabernaclechoir.org.
Learn more about a “Total Education” at BYU–Hawaii at http://about.byuh.edu/totaleducation.