Over winter break, February 5-8, Pacific Union College’s department of music went on tour to the San Diego, CA, area. They performed for chapel programs at Escondido Adventist Academy and San Diego Academy, presented vespers at Paradise Village Retirement Community and San Diego Fil-Am Adventist Church, and provided music for the church service at Bonita Valley Adventist Church.

Ensembles on tour were Mosaic, PUC’s string quartet, and Vox Pro Musica (VPM), PUC’s select audition-only vocal ensemble. Mosaic is directed by Chair of Music Rachelle Berthelsen Davis; VPM is directed by Professor of Music Ronnie Zanella.

“My favorite tour performance was at the retirement center because the audience was very lively and singing felt like a gift that night,” comments Tessa Hutzkal, senior graphic design major, who sings first alto with VPM. She adds, “I also unofficially loved when we sang in a very echoey walkway while outside.”

It is not common for elementary or secondary schools to receive visits from college-level music ensembles, something Michael Spencer, music director at Escondido Academy, commented on.

“He was super appreciative of the level of excellent music-making we brought to their students,” says Berthelsen Davis. “He remarked that they have opportunities to bus their students to high-level musical performances, but they’ve never had that level of performance come to them.”

Gabbie Cortez, senior nursing major who plays violin with Mosaic, really enjoyed church on Sabbath during tour. “They welcomed us with open arms, and everything from the song service to the message and the pieces we performed felt so powerful,” she says. “I felt a general sense that we, not just VPM and Mosaic, but the congregation as well, were all there as a community to make music together and worship God. Experiencing that with friends who feel like family and a congregation that welcomes you like family is very special.”

Berthelsen Davis agrees. “Sabbath morning was a powerful collaborative worship in music experience with the Bonita Church,” she comments. “The last song together, ‘To God Be the Glory,’ had many of us in tears.”

That theme of “together” resonated across performers, concert attendees, and directors throughout the tour, and is something any musician who has ever toured with an ensemble will immediately understand.

“One of the most valuable benefits a music tour gives to the students who participate is a sense of community and comradery, shared memories, and a window into a world they may never have experienced before,” Berthelsen Davis says. “On this particular tour students stayed in host homes, so they also experienced hospitality and a different family culture from their own.”

The most rewarding part of tour for Cortez was connecting with the people they performed for. “Being able to use our talents to bring people closer to God through our music is an experience that brings my heart a lot of joy,” she shares.

Hutzkal adds that visiting schools on tour feels a bit like paying it forward from her own experience. “Tour gives me the opportunity to show kids just like I was that the things they love are out there,” she says. “There’s a community excited to welcome them in, and they can find that here at PUC—just like I did.”

The intense “togetherness” of a music tour—24/7 with the same group of people—can perhaps seem a bit overwhelming at first, but it translates into an unforgettable bonding experience like none other.

“Music tours allow for so much connection, which is what makes them so fulfilling and fun,” Cortez explains. “It’s always a good time getting to joke, laugh, talk, and make music with your friends for an entire weekend. You get to build relationships with people you weren’t as close to before, and grow existing relationships as well.”

John Carey, first year theology major and baritone in VPM, says getting closer with his friends is the biggest benefit he sees in music tours. “I think you tend to get to know people fairly well after being crammed in a van with them for a few hours,” he says with a smile. “I also love that I’m able to meet new people and have the adventure of being in places I’ve never been before.”

Those bonds of shared experience offer something special to the ensembles after they return from tour, as well. “The chemistry of our choir always feels so much stronger after tour and makes a noticeable difference in our performances that follow,” Hutzkal comments.

Some top choices the ensembles performed during tour included VPM’s “True Light,” arranged by Keith Hampton. “It’s a super fun arrangement and the joy they performed it with was magnetic and contagious,” comments Berthelsen Davis. Mosaic’s performance of the second movement of Handel’s Concerto Grosso Op. 6, No. 9 also stood out. “The ensemble members stepped up to the plate, owned the musical challenge, and made the music come alive with joy,” says Berthelsen Davis.

On Sunday, the group was invited to the Verduzco home, a family who has students at PUC and knows many of the ensemble members on tour. They provided the ensembles with a delicious breakfast of chilaquiles before they headed home to PUC. “It meant we got on the road a little later than planned, but we did so with bellies full of food made with love and care,” Berthelsen Davis comments.

Music is a powerful medium, and sharing it with others—both through collaboration and performance—is impactful. “I have grown much more confident as a person by developing my musical skills,” shares Hutzkal. “The community I’ve found with people who share my passions is what keeps me going when life gets difficult. Music keeps college life from feeling too heavy.”

The language of music speaks across disciplines, creating community between people who may not otherwise find opportunity to connect.

“PUC has an amazing community, especially in the department of music,” comments Cortez. “I’ve learned and grown so much as a musician here, and as a person; this department gives you the space and resources to facilitate learning in a way that can challenge you, but always in a way that makes you enjoy the process and love what you’re creating. My experiences here have enriched my life and made me feel more connected to God, as well as grown my love for music.”

Carey agrees. “Being involved in music at PUC has developed a very strong sense of

belonging and purpose for me,” he says.

Though tour lasts only a few days, the effort, energy, and time that go into preparing for those few days is immense, between coordinating the tour schedule, selecting and rehearsing repertoire, arranging travel and lodging, and all a trip with 20+ people entails. And one might wonder: Is it worth it?

“Every time we go on tour I ask that very question,” Berthelsen Davis says with a grin. “And every time, by the end of the tour, the answer is yes. Touring is a way that our student musicians, very few of whom are music majors, actively experience PUC’s mission to help students learn with purpose, rise in faith, and serve with love. And it’s incredibly special to be part of that.”