By David Poulos, Staff Writer
Molly Hoffman ’24, an environmental studies and public policy double major with minors in Spanish and music, performed her Minor Honors Recital on April 5 in Paul Recital Hall. The recital included “The Tale of the Oyster,” “Morike Lieder,” “Nuit d’etoiles,” “Au bord de l’eau,” “Arirang,” “La Mestiza” and “Laurie’s Song.” Hoffman found choosing which songs to perform difficult and ultimately chose songs that she finds fun to sing.
Molly Hoffman ’24 (Photo Courtesy of Molly Hoffman)
“It was hard to choose what songs to sing because I’ve practiced so many during my voice lessons over the last four years,” Hoffman said. “Ultimately, I chose the songs that are fun to sing, whether they have silly lyrics, unique rhythms, or high notes that feel good in a soprano’s voice. I’m not pursuing a music career, so I felt like this was my only opportunity to perform these solo art songs.”
Reflecting on her time at Gettysburg College, Hoffman expressed her appreciation for the people she has met and the experiences she has had: “My time at Gettysburg has been a rollercoaster. It was hard at first coming to college during Covid but looking back, I’m happy with how I’ve spent my time here. I’ve met so many wonderful people and learned so much, and now I have amazing memories from the experiences I’ve had here.”
Hoffman elaborated on how her senior year has proved most fruitful.
“My senior year has been the best one yet! The last three years were huge learning curves, but now I finally feel confident in what I’m doing and I’m having fun doing it,” Hoffman shared. “I did what I wanted to do, and now I’m just enjoying my remaining time here.”
Hoffman also offered advice for current and future conservatory students.
“You have to take care of yourself. Music can take its toll on your mind and body with auditions, hours in the practice room and stage fright. If you only focus on the music and not yourself, you won’t perform well. It’s not a given, so you have to seek out the people and groups that help you perform your best,” Hoffman said.
Hoffman hopes to be working in the environmental public policy field once she graduates.
