Scott AuCoin, Storyteller

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.