Erin Morley Shares How Being a Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Has Grounded Her and Supported Her Musical Career.
This past semester, several dozen BYU students and faculty members had the opportunity to learn from internationally acclaimed vocal performance artist and Latter-day Saint Erin Morley, who visited BYU for a BRAVO! Professional Performing Arts Series performance and masterclass in late October. Morley demonstrated that a performer can cultivate both great talent and great faith, and shared how she has built both of these traits into her own life.
Erin Morley has been praised for the "silken clarity of her voice and the needlepoint precision of her coloratura" by the New York Times. She balances being a celebrated coloratura soprano with taking care of her three children and spending time with her husband. She has been nominated for three Grammy awards and has graced some of the world’s most premier opera stages, such as the Vienna State Opera, Royal Opera House, Bavarian State Opera, Opéra National de Paris, Gran Teatre del Lice Barcelona and Metropolitan Opera.
Morley conducted her BYU masterclass like a live performance, having each participant sing their entire piece to the waiting audience before receiving critiques. Each of the students who received her guidance said they felt honored by the individualized attention Morley showed.
“It was phenomenal. She's truly a master of her craft,” said vocal performance student Camilla Anderson. “[Morley] has just such an incredible connection throughout her breath. She has a wonderful understanding of how to get the sound you want by manipulating what you are doing for better and easier singing.”
“I really like that [Morley] carries herself with a lot of confidence, but also humility,” said vocal performance student Mckenzie Mulberry. “I liked that she had concrete tips for what we do. Sometimes well-known people come in and they say ‘be better,’ or ‘I got this lucky opportunity, and that's how I got here.’ I liked that you can see just how hard Morley has worked and all the steps she's taken and that she's willing to give us advice on how to take those steps as well.”
Vocal performance student Shelby Laycock shared, “Morley is concise in the way that she teaches, and effective in the way that she communicates. I learned a lot in the 15 minutes that I had with her.”
Following the masterclass, Morley agreed to host a Q&A session for anyone who wanted to stay. When asked how she managed to nurture both her faith and her musical talent, Morley shared just how related the two sides of her life are. She knew that music was a career option because she has a deeply spiritual knowledge of who she is and what she was called to do. For her, music is a calling, and having that spiritual confirmation gave her the confidence to pursue it.
One student expressed doubt at being able to pursue both their career and a family, and asked Morley how it was possible for her. “One of the things that has made it possible for me is my husband. He's really supportive,” Morley said. “He loves music, opera and being married to someone who has a career. So he's fully supportive of this choice. He is truly my equal in everything, and that's something that I really looked for. But he also learned along the way. We both learned how to support each other in our careers. It's really important to have really open communication with your partner and to make choices intentionally and not by default.”
Morley encouraged all the hopeful performers present to stay active in the Church. “Find a church wherever you are going. My family has made so many international friends in Vienna, Paris and London. We've bonded with people because we were there for two months and we jumped right into the Church — taught primary when they needed it; did musical numbers when they needed it. Bonding with those people grounds you.”
She credits her family with helping her musical career. “The family life that I have built is actually an antidote to nervousness and anxiousness because I just don't have time to be nervous, and it gives me a sense of perspective.
“My kids keep me grounded. One second I’m on stage and people are throwing flowers and screaming at me, and the next second I'm getting texts from the nanny that ‘someone had a meltdown, what should I do? Also, we need to plan your women's camp.’ Simply being a member of the Church grounds me. It just does. It reminds me how to be a team player, it reminds me how to pitch in. We do so much volunteer work as members of the Church, and it's given us so many life skills. But it's also humbling.”
Students and faculty members alike were inspired by Morley’s words. “It's so special to have somebody of that caliber, an active member of the Church, who is willing to come and share her gifts and knowledge with us. It's just so rare,” shared assistant vocal professor Jennifer Youngs.
Morley assured everyone that while it takes work, faith, communication and a supportive partner, a career in music is in fact achievable. “It's hard, but it is possible.”