Grad Feature – Emily Drum – Fred Fox School of Music

Congratulations to Emily Drum (BS Sociology, music minor), who will graduate in May with a long list of remarkable musical accomplishments. Emily has been a member, soloist and section leader in Symphonic Choir, with which she recently prepared and performed her arrangement of Will the Circle Be Unbroken. This spring she also composed an original work, “Helas!” that was premiered in April, conducted by DMA Choral Conductor Mirae Lee. Emily has been active throughout her time at UA with Amplified A Cappella as a member and director, and also with the non-collegiate a cappella group ADJ. This year Amplified earned second place in the West Semifinal of ICCA for the first time in the group’s history, and Emily won the overall award for Outstanding Arrangement for Rain (which you can view here https://youtu.be/x8mJB6VJGq8). Emily also was a driving force behind the 2020 Holiday Card to Tucson Concert, audio editing three of the virtual choir pieces, and she has been instrumental in creating rehearsal recordings for online rehearsals throughout the year. Congratulations Emily and thank you for all the ways you have made a difference during your time at the University of Arizona!

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One thing that needs to be considered in this time of major climate change concern is the carbon emissions of flying in artists from overseas. The carbon emissions of flying Stockholm-Tucson roundtrip come to about 3 tons per economy class passenger. That is comparable to the carbon emissions produced by the average American in 1 year of driving. Could a US-based organist have played this recital (shorter travel distance and lower emissions)? Or, is Hammarstrom already on tour in the US (thus consolidating multiple recitals into 1 overseas trip)? There is also the option of offsetting flight emissions. Saying this as a DMA grad of the UA organ program and as an astronomy educator who’s following the astronomy field’s efforts to mitigate climate impact.