Robert Emmerich, '12
March 9, 2012
Accounting major sings classical music to relieve stress
Robert Emmerich, '12, is an accounting major and a campus tour guide who’s got his top three reasons for coming to Richmond ready to go when anyone asks.
In order, they are: the business school, the dining hall and food (“I say it facetiously,” he says), and the campus feel. “When you’re walking around campus, you don’t necessarily know everybody’s name. But you do recognize almost everybody’s face, and it creates that sense of community here.”
Digging a little deeper, however, Emmerich describes one of his biggest passions on campus: Schola Cantorum, the music department’s small classical chorus with an emphasis on a cappella repertoire. Schola is Emmerich’s release.
“It’s kind of my emotional outlet from the accounting, numbers and all that stuff,” he says. “I can express myself in a different way. It’s my release. Especially in college, when you’re stressed about a paper or a test, it’s good to just sing your heart out and release all that emotion.”
Emmerich has sung classically since he was little through church groups and high school musicals. After hearing about Schola at Richmond, he auditioned, joined the group and has “never looked back.”
Through Schola, Emmerich has traveled to Prague, Slovakia, Budapest, and Vienna on a tour his freshman year. This spring break, the group toured Spain and Portugal with the Jazz Ensemble. Schola performed six concerts, some with the jazz group and some on its own.
Schola performed primarily in churches, where the acoustics are “just perfect,” Emmerich says. “You get to hear every part ring out really clearly, which is nice.”
In addition to several classical pieces, Schola also specializes in American spirituals, such as Oh Shenandoah, a piece arranged by a former conductor of the group in 1975 that has become popular around the country.
“We [brought] a little piece of Richmond to Spain,” Emmerich says. “It’s a good opportunity to share our culture with them.”
With a job already lined up at PricewaterhouseCoopers in New Jersey after graduation, Emmerich’s career is beginning to take shape. But while he still has papers and finals to finish, he escapes the stress through Schola. The second line tenor doesn’t have a specific preference for types or styles of music — just “give me something to sing and I’ll sing it,” he says.
In order, they are: the business school, the dining hall and food (“I say it facetiously,” he says), and the campus feel. “When you’re walking around campus, you don’t necessarily know everybody’s name. But you do recognize almost everybody’s face, and it creates that sense of community here.”
Digging a little deeper, however, Emmerich describes one of his biggest passions on campus: Schola Cantorum, the music department’s small classical chorus with an emphasis on a cappella repertoire. Schola is Emmerich’s release.
“It’s kind of my emotional outlet from the accounting, numbers and all that stuff,” he says. “I can express myself in a different way. It’s my release. Especially in college, when you’re stressed about a paper or a test, it’s good to just sing your heart out and release all that emotion.”
Emmerich has sung classically since he was little through church groups and high school musicals. After hearing about Schola at Richmond, he auditioned, joined the group and has “never looked back.”
Through Schola, Emmerich has traveled to Prague, Slovakia, Budapest, and Vienna on a tour his freshman year. This spring break, the group toured Spain and Portugal with the Jazz Ensemble. Schola performed six concerts, some with the jazz group and some on its own.
Schola performed primarily in churches, where the acoustics are “just perfect,” Emmerich says. “You get to hear every part ring out really clearly, which is nice.”
In addition to several classical pieces, Schola also specializes in American spirituals, such as Oh Shenandoah, a piece arranged by a former conductor of the group in 1975 that has become popular around the country.
“We [brought] a little piece of Richmond to Spain,” Emmerich says. “It’s a good opportunity to share our culture with them.”
With a job already lined up at PricewaterhouseCoopers in New Jersey after graduation, Emmerich’s career is beginning to take shape. But while he still has papers and finals to finish, he escapes the stress through Schola. The second line tenor doesn’t have a specific preference for types or styles of music — just “give me something to sing and I’ll sing it,” he says.