0 Brockport Students to Perform Houghton Senior’s Original Choir Composition

Brockport Students to Perform Houghton Senior’s Original Choir Composition

May 9, 2019

Houghton University senior Jacob Hoskins won first place in the 5th Annual A.D. Oliver Choral Composition Competition, with his choir composition, “Blue as the Oceans Deep.”

In addition to receiving a small honorarium, Hoskins had the opportunity to work with 6th-graders at A.D. Oliver Middle School in Brockport, rehearsing “Blue as the Oceans Deep” with them. The choir will premiere Hoskins’ piece at their 6th Grade Band and Chorus Concert on May 15.

“It was a privilege and a pleasure to work with the kids at A.D. Oliver Middle School,” Hoskins said, “[specifically] on aspects involving general composition technique and applying it to my choral piece. I am truly blessed to have had this experience, and to have worked with such talented kids!”

Sharing the Joys of Music

“I’m proud of Jacob and his outstanding accomplishment,” said Carrie Magin, assistant professor of music composition and theory. “Not only did he create a beautiful piece of music, but he’s touching the lives of many young students through his work.”

Reflecting on the inspiration and meaning behind “Blue as the Oceans Deep,” Hoskins said that the piece explores the richness of life through the metaphor of the ocean. “It is so blue; it is so deep; it’s calm and yet so vast,” he said, adding that “in thinking about the ocean, there are a lot of things for us to discover and experience in this world, all of which can take place any day during our lifetime.”

Hoskins is majoring in music industry and business administration, and will graduate this May with Houghton University’s Class of 2019. After graduation, he looks forward to returning to Grand Ledge, Michigan.

A.D. Oliver Middle School, located in Brockport, NY, teaches students grades 6-8 as part of the Brockport Central School District.

Houghton University is a liberal arts institution that challenges students to academic excellence – in the context of a relevant Christian community – and empowers them to enrich the world. The college of 1,000 students is located in Western New York, just 65 miles from Rochester and Buffalo.