Alumni Spotlight: Sarah Noble

Sarah Noble received her Bachelor of Music with a concentration in vocal music education from Wayne State University in May 2018. During her time at Wayne, she was a member and interim president of the WSU chapter of the National Association for Music Education, as well as a member of the American Choral Directors Association. She also spent many semesters as the soprano section leader for the Concert Chorale and honed her conducting skills as assistant conductor for both the Women's Chorale and Concert Chorale. In addition to her studies in music, Ms. Noble completed a minor in English education. She was part of a core group of undergraduate students invited to participate in the creation of a grant-funded project titled Dividing the Kingdoms: Interdisciplinary Methods for Teaching King Lear to Undergraduates, which is due to be piloted at Wayne State in Fall 2018.

"I initially chose Wayne State for the practical reasons of financial aid and proximity to home, but what I discovered as I integrated myself into the program and into the city were things of a far more passionate nature. I valued the diversity of people and their perspectives. I appreciated the commitment of the faculty to excellent teaching. I revered the surrounding city and the rich musical experiences it offered. But more than anything, I treasured the unique opportunities it heralded into my life, both seemingly small and large. As Robert Frost so aptly pronounced, 'that has made all the difference.'"

Ms. Noble has been a chorister at St. John's Episcopal Church in Detroit for nearly five years where she sang under the direction of esteemed organist and conductor Dr. Huw Lewis. She also was a cabin counselor at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, singing in the faculty choral ensembles and assisting the Bernstein Choir as an accompanist and conductor. Ms. Noble has a long-time love of musical theatre and has performed in various community and semi-professional productions over the years. She is now vocal directing the popular musical, The Wizard of Oz, in her hometown, Wyandotte, before heading off to Yale University for her Masters in Choral Conducting in the fall.