I have a confession: I owe an apology to Swarthmore’s musicians. When browsing through my previous Artist of the Week profiles, I realized that I hadn’t interviewed a singer in … over a year.
As a retired clarinetist myself, this was pretty embarrassing. I knew that I needed to start the fall semester strong. Waiting in an RA meeting, I had an epiphany that the perfect interviewee was sitting right next to me, Olivia (Liv) Scarozza ’25.
When I asked her if she’d be willing to join me for an interview, Liv humbly accepted the offer and agreed to meet me in Hobbs. While Liv isn’t a music major, she has the experience of a professional singer.
“I sang in a choir for my whole upbringing. I started singing in my mom’s choir when I was five. I went to a boarding school in England that had a strong choral program when I was thirteen, and that’s when I started taking vocal performances a lot more seriously. I was singing at least three times a week and taking individual singing lessons,” she shared.
I wasn’t surprised by Liv’s extensive singing background. From the second we met in RA training, her voice cut through the anxious tension of the room. As if singing powerfully in a choir, she projected a positive attitude towards our table. Performance requires poise, the celebration of individual strengths, and the improvement of collective weaknesses to create harmony. In other words, it’s about the marriage of one’s strengths and weaknesses to those of the others. Interestingly, Liv shared a similar sentiment about her experience singing at Swarthmore.
“Coming to Swarthmore, there’s a real mix of backgrounds. It was cool to be in my chamber group with lots of people who have unique strengths. These Fetter ensembles have been a really fun way to experience that.”
When I attended one Fetter ensemble performance in my first year, I had limited knowledge of the program. Liv informed me, “For multiple semesters at Swarthmore, I’ve done a Fetter ensemble, where you can choose your project to work on with a group of instrumentalists and a professional coach. It all culminates in a final performance near the end of the semester.”
She continued, “In my Fetter group, I’m getting the opportunity to sing with period-specific instruments which I’m excited for. We’re doing Handel’s ‘Gloria,’ which has six movements. It’s a soprano solo accompanied by two violins, as well as cello and organ/harpsichord (basso continuo). I’m doing the ensemble with two of my friends from freshman year! The Fetter ensembles are kind of a well-kept secret and they’re a really good way for people who are very passionate about music to deeply immerse themselves into a project and get financial support. You don’t even have to be a music minor or major to apply.”
I was curious to hear if there were any other resources Swarthmore provided for musical development outside of ensembles and classes. Liv replied, “I have an incredible singing teacher, and she has helped my technique greatly. During my time here, I’ve worked very hard to technically advance my mix, or the middle of my range. I’ve always found the higher notes to come more naturally, and am able to belt the bottom, but the middle is tricky! So, I’ve been learning to bridge the gap between those two and make a consistent sound throughout my middle range.”
Liv’s on-campus experience is starkly different from her experience during her semester abroad at Oxford last fall. While she finds time to sing in a Philadelphia choir, the European musical convention has a unique rigor.
“During my time in Oxford, I had the opportunity to sing several times a week, which is unique to the Anglican choral tradition in England. I sang three services a week at Merton College Oxford, which was so cool. It’s a 14th-century chapel, with varied music repertoire, and the entire experience was awesome. I was able to reconnect with an aspect of my expression that I missed. We recorded a premiere of a piece while I was there for Christmas that’s coming out this November,” Liv said.
As we neared the end of our interview, we talked about the bittersweet nature of being a serious musician. We both wished that concerts were more well-attended because of the sheer effort associated with the performances. In general, the public can overlook the seriousness of musical mastery, especially if it’s not your career. At the same time, making your passion your profession brings its challenges, as Liv also acknowledges.
“I went to a choral summer program at Duke [University] this past summer and everyone there was pursuing music as a full-time career. I was probably one of three people that weren’t. It was interesting to be reminded that it could be a possible career path if I wanted it to be. Since I’ve grown up in a family of professional church musicians, I’ve seen how financially difficult it can be to make a life out of it, and I never wanted my art — one of my main passions in my life —- to be something I’m relying on for my paycheck.”
Nonetheless, I was happy to hear that Liv plans on singing post-graduation. She shared, “The great thing about Episcopalian churches is that they’re on the weekends, so I could have a full-time job and still sing on Sundays, which would be really fulfilling for me. There are also some cool early music groups devoted to performing composers like Purcell and Monteverdi, which is some of my favorite music!”
Walking out of Hobbs, I realized our conversation had given me a window into an aspect of myself I hadn’t considered for a long time. Admittedly, I was nervous about interviewing a musician because my professional experience was largely negative. While I doubt I’ll ever play clarinet again, my appreciation for fellow musicians has never left. Liv’s passion shines through her performance and onto us, making us part of her colorful choir.
