The Right Destination
During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chloe Shantz heard from her father, a Conrad Grebel University College alum, that “Grebel was one of the few residences that did things to foster community.” After hearing this, she placed faith in his words and made a life-changing decision.
She moved from Edmonton, Alberta and transferred to the University of Waterloo from Concordia University of Edmonton, where she had been enrolled in fully online courses. Now, she is in her fourth and final year of school, pursuing a double major in Music and English Literature at UWaterloo while living at Grebel.
Chloe is a soprano vocalist and violinist who has been a highly involved member of the Music Department’s Chamber Choir, Instrumental Chamber Ensemble, Orchestra Ensemble, and Chapel. She is also the vocal director of Grebel’s upcoming production of The Clockmaker’s Daughter: The Musical, which will be premiering in March.
“I’ve changed so much as an artist here,” said Chloe. “There is a combination of people at Grebel from different walks of life in different programs who have a shared interest in music. The opportunity to find your own unique voice and pursue leadership and great music creates an encouraging atmosphere.”
One of her most memorable musical experiences at Grebel was doing a directed study course last term with Professor Mark Vuorinen, where she conducted a piece with the Chamber Choir. “It was such a beautiful Renaissance piece. It was great to learn how to lead through teaching my peers and my friends, who were all very supportive of me learning and performing,” she said. “The fact the faculty are so close by lets you have a one-on-one connection with them, which is when you learn the most.”
Outside of Grebel, Chloe still surrounds herself with music and community. She co-directs the Mennonite Youth Choir with Grebel alum Joel Woods, where they lead singers in performing at local churches. She has also been a staff member at Ontario Mennonite Music Camp at Grebel. “My role is to teach kids how to sing well, conduct them in performances, and expose them to lots of new music. I motivate them to not worry so much about being perfect and just focus on offering their musical gifts,” she shared.
“It’s easy to feel disconnected in university, but in group singing, you’re forced to be present and offer your voice and your whole self to be there. That's why it’s important,” reflected Chloe. “Then, the best part of performing is when you realize it’s all finally coming together and it’s what we all worked toward.”
While her primary interest is music, Chloe is grateful for the opportunity to study in multiple disciplines at UWaterloo. “I’m able to nurture this other side of me, which is English and creative writing, while also composing, conducting, and building my leadership skills. Pulling these different artistic areas together has been really good for me because they feed each other and teach me different things,” she explained.
“Having the freedom to pursue unique passions and music while also having a small community of tight-knit people makes this place special,” Chloe said. She couldn’t be happier about moving to Grebel four years ago, as it elevated her university experience and musical skills. Chloe is now looking ahead, planning to pursue a Master of Music in Choral Conducting and hopes to write a fantasy novel.
By Zoey Pearce