Name: Erica Kyree Glenn
BYUH employee since… 2021.
My job at BYUH is… I am the director of choral activities and an assistant professor of music in the Faculty of Culture, Language & Performing Arts. I direct our two wonderful choirs on campus, the Seasider Singers and the Hoʻolōkahi Chamber Choir, and teach private lessons in voice, conducting, and composition.
I grew up in… Pleasant Grove, Utah.
I chose to teach at BYUH because… couldn't imagine anywhere else on earth where I would get to interface with such diverse students who are also members of the Church and united in their faith in Christ. The choirs’ motto is "harmony in diversity," and I see this enacted every day on campus.
My favorite thing about teaching… is getting to learn from my students who come from so many different countries and backgrounds. I love the way every course at BYUH can (and should!) become a space for intercultural peacebuilding, regardless of the subject.
I’m currently working on… final copyediting for the choral score and orchestra parts of the 30-minute Worldwide Requiem that our chamber choir recently premiered at Carnegie Hall in New York. The goal is to publish the work so that other universities and community choirs can perform it too!
Students don’t think I notice… when they are kind to each other (especially when it's inconvenient), but I do, and it makes me so grateful to work here on this campus among such wonderful people.
My advice to graduating seniors is… don't be too overwhelmed by the enormity of the choices in front of you. Pray, ponder, consider your options, and then let the spirit guide. Remember that sometimes, instead of dictating, Heavenly Father lets his children "do many things of their own free will” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:27). We can't always see the end of the path from the beginning, but if we walk with the spirit, our choices will be consecrated to our own betterment and the betterment of those around us. Enjoy the journey!
My favorite spot on campus is… my office! I've had so many pivotal coaching sessions and important conversations with students there. Those walls have witnessed some pretty remarkable moments.
The next big trip I’m interested in… is the one I'm taking this month to present at an International Women in Music and College Music Society conference in Colombia. I've spent a lot of time in Europe and some time in Asia, but this will be my first time in South America!
You’ll never find me without… my trusty, pink MacBook Air with 2 TB of storage and 24 GB of R.A.M. for all of my media projects!
My favorite holiday is… Christmas, hands-down! It's the holiday that brings my immediate family back together from Germany, Hawaii, Texas, and Utah. It's also the holiday that centers the largest portion of the world most effectively on Christ and Christlike love. Plus, I love caroling and hot chocolate!
If I could travel anywhere, I’d go to… Ukraine and assist with relief efforts there. I served my mission in eastern Ukraine and have returned several times for language study and research programs. I spent some time in Poland in 2022 working with refugees, but I'd love to go back to Ukraine.
My favorite hike on the island is… the Crouching Lion or the Lanikai Pillbox hike.
One thing that can instantly make my day better… is a note of sincere gratitude from a student! I always keep and treasure those notes.
If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be… fresh seafood; crab (hot, with butter) or grilled salmon or the ahi salad at Pounder's.
My hobby is… making music, which I’ve been doing for as long as I can remember. My mom tells me that, even before I could speak, I used to let her know that I was hungry by beeping like the microwave and that I was sleepy by humming my favorite lullaby.
I’m currently reading… Florence Nightingale at First Hand, a biography by Lynn McDonald. I'm preparing to study playwriting at Oxford over the summer and to begin writing a musical based on the remarkable life of Florence Nightingale.
On Friday nights, you’ll find me… engaged in a personal creative project, like composing, or snuggling on the couch with my tiny dog, Coda, and watching a movie.
Something awesome that happened in my department… was our Hoʻolōkahi Chamber Choir just returning from giving the world premiere of a 30-minute work at Carnegie Hall in New York City, that they themselves were instrumental in creating. The Worldwide Requiem was written in several of our target area languages and involved eyewitness survivor accounts from several students in the choir.
What’s next for me… is that we are working toward a collaborative concert on campus with the BYU Men's Chorus. We are also exploring options for a music therapy trip with students to areas of the world with refugee camps, in partnership with Peace through Music International.