“Music Truly is Everything to Me"

If you were prompted to define music, how would you find the words?

If you ask music education major Arianna Rice, she’s up to the challenge: “It's a form of communication and expression, a tool to process feelings and experiences,” she explains. “Music truly is everything to me.”

For many Jackrabbits like Arianna in the SDSU Concert Choir, music is their past, present, and future. Music is also what will take one of campus’ most beloved groups on an international tour they’ll never forget.

The SDSU Concert Choir is known for delivering vibrant and engaging vocal artistry, both for the audience members on the receiving end of the songs and for the talented Jackrabbits sharing their gift of music. The group is also known for their invaluable, pre-professional ensemble training that brings undergrad musicians to performance opportunities around the world. Through the Concert Choir, students are trained to become the standout stars of tomorrow.

In years past, the Concert Choir has sung their way to New York City, Washington, D.C., Great Britain, Bavaria, Spain, and Italy, among innumerable performances in the region.

Next on the group’s agenda for musical milestones is a nine-day trip to Norway and Sweden.

There, up to 60 members of the choir will take in the local culture right on the heels of Christmas, ringing in the new year in a foreign country. The Concert Choir will find irreplaceable experiences abroad, both through their music and through their own personal bucket lists. The group plans to visit the fjords via a riverboat cruise, join in local holiday festivities, hike among mountains and glaciers, and tour the national opera house in Oslo.

Arianna is only one voice in a chorus of dedicated Jackrabbits, intent on tackling ambitious goals in harmony and eager to share their repertoire with diverse audiences. We caught up with her to hear more about life within the Concert Choir: how the group works as a team, what their upcoming performances mean to each member, and how the entire yellow and blue family can support them on their upcoming journey to represent SDSU on a global stage.

With the upcoming trip to Norway and Sweden, your journey at SDSU has been impacted positively by donors. What would you say to the people who made/are making these experiences for you possible?

"I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunity these generous donors are helping to provide so many of us young students. These international tours present a unique, once-in-a-lifetime chance to travel abroad and learn about other cultures. Without the help of these donors, many of us would not be able to afford this experience, and we are truly grateful for everything you've done to make this available to all of us."

What is your major, and what inspired you to choose that field?

"I have always been passionate about music, though when I first came to SDSU I started as a business economics major. Because of my musical involvement in high school, I was taking private voice lessons with Dr. Diddle and was a member of the Concert Choir. After a few months, I began to realize that I found myself so much more motivated and excited to attend my vocal rehearsals than my regular classes. My time in private voice and Concert Choir helped me to realize that my true passion in life lay in music and performance. Being in these ensembles gave me the courage and the confidence to change my major to music education, and I have never looked back."

How did you get involved with the choir?

"Choir is something I have done my entire life, and, when I was looking at schools, I specifically chose colleges with university choirs. From older friends of mine, I knew the SDSU Concert Choir was like a family, and that culture of the choir is what ultimately made me decide to become a Jackrabbit."

What keeps you motivated to stay involved in choir?

"The choir is my safe place – my second home. Dr. Diddle has created an environment that encourages and prioritizes relationships and connection. I have made almost all of my closest friends through my time in the Concert Choir here at SDSU. When I sing, the rest of my life falls away, and, for 50 minutes every day, I'm able to focus on making music with other students who are as passionate as I am about its value."

How has your time in the SDSU Choir impacted who you are today?

"Throughout all of the rehearsals, concerts, trips, and tours, I have created so many memories that I will take with me and cherish for life. This ensemble helped me realize my true passion in life and steered me toward a career path that I know I will thrive in. Between teaching me responsibility, teamwork, punctuality, and how to give back, my time in the Concert Choir has shaped who I am today."

Describe one of your favorite memories in the SDSU Concert Choir.

"Some members of the choir had the incredible opportunity to perform Giacomo Puccini's opera, La Boheme. We got to work alongside incredibly talented professional opera singers to put together an impressive show. As someone who loves the art of opera and hopes to one day enter the field as a performer, this was incredibly rewarding. Getting to talk with the singers and ask questions about their career paths was invaluable. This was my first time performing in an opera, and I am so thankful for everything the experience taught me and the memories I will carry for years to come."

What's the best part of participating in the SDSU Choir?

"The best part of the choir is getting the opportunity to create music with my closest friends and then share it with the community. Making music is already special to me, but to get to work on a setlist for weeks and perform it with my friends makes the experience that much more significant. To then get to share that music is incredibly rewarding for my soul."

What are some key life lessons that being in the choir has taught you?

"Being a member of a choir is being part of a team. Each of us has a responsibility to the other members to come to rehearsal knowing our parts and to practice outside of class. We rely on each other and are only as successful as each member allows us to be. This sense of responsibility and teamwork allows us to sing harder repertoire and be a truly beautiful-sounding choir. Most importantly, this ensemble taught me how to give back to those around me by sharing my gift. These are life skills that I will use every day in the workforce and I’m grateful I have had the chance to strengthen them."

What do you love about SDSU?

"As a second-generation Jackrabbit, I was raised in yellow and blue, though that isn't why I decided to come here. I chose SDSU because our culture creates a community that feels like home. Both on campus and off, there's a community of support wherever you go. No matter how far you might have traveled to be here, you know you always have a family waiting for you in Brookings, SD."

While the Concert Choir’s Scandinavian sojourn is a priceless experience, it does come at a cost.

Additional support is needed from the Jackrabbit family to bridge the gap and ensure that no student misses out on the tour due to financial burdens. Your generosity can support Arianna, and others like her, as they embark on the opportunity of a lifetime.

As Arianna succinctly put it, music is everything to her – and to the many Jackrabbits who have dedicated countless practice and performance hours to earn their way to a trip they’ll never forget. With your generosity, the show will go on for the SDSU Concert Choir.