Scott AuCoin, Storyteller

Photo by Alison Harbaugh

SCOTT AUCOIN, BM Candidate in Composition and BME in Music Education, UMD School of Music

One of the most moving experiences I’ve ever had was hearing a recording of the Britten War Requiem. It was my sophomore or junior year, an informal assignment from my composition teacher. I don’t think he knew it would turn into this profound thing for me.

That experience changed my ideas about music and the way music can affect you.

I listened to it twice in one sitting. I listened to it, and was like, “Whoa, what just happened?” after the second time. It’s such a wonderful, beautiful piece. I’ll never get tired of it.

That experience changed my ideas about music and the way music can affect you. Up to that point I never had a piece affect me so deeply, and that experience confirmed that I really wanted to reach people the same way that Britten reached me.