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he said. "So meeting Mack Wilberg and playing his music felt really personal. When I saw him sitting in rehearsal listening to us, I was shaking. I mean, this is a person I used to idolize from a screen. And now I'm playing his music for him. That's wild." Starks said the trip reignited his love for New York and planted seeds for their future. "The first time I came to New York, I stepped off the plane and thought, 'This is where I need to be.' This experience reminded me of that spark, that anything-is-possible feeling." Sophomore Anna Grace Martin, a vocal music education major, learned a lot from being part of the new work. "I fell in love with this commissioned set," she said. "The musical contrast between each song is quite emotional in many aspects." "I can go from dancing with fellow altos in 'Skip to My Lou' to crying during the tenor solo in 'Red River Valley,'" she said. For Martin, the performance was extra meaningful. Like Linton, it was her first time ever visiting New York, where she hoped "to experience as many art forms as humanly possible." Beyond the stage, Martin saw the trip as a powerful moment of musical growth. Maconites get a taste of Manhattan Back home, audiences in Macon got to see parts of the Carnegie Hall program during a sold-out Fabian Concert Series performance on Feb. 11 and a Feb. 10 open dress rehearsal. A final chance to hear selections from the show took place on Feb. 24 at the Macon-Mercer Symphony Orchestra concert at The Grand Opera House, with Watkins returning to the podium. For students conside ring Mercer, Dr. Gerber says this kind of opportunity sets the school apart. "We do have multiple opportunities, not only in Macon, but around the world to be able to perform. In just the past few years, they've sung in cathedrals in France, discussed interfaith music in Morocco, and now they've performed at Carnegie Hall." Besides these, Gerber explained that students regularly get the chance to play in a variety of stages locally, from the historic Piedmont Grand Opera House to the intimate Fickling Hall to the ornate St. Joseph's Church. "It's not just the level of music that's high, but there's a unique depth to the experience. It's going to benefit the quality you're putting into your performance," he said. "That variety and quality is a huge part of what makes Mercer so unique." With the confidence gained from Carnegie Hall, these Bears might be unstoppable. "You might see my name in big lights one day," Starks said with a grin. "Actually, you probably will." Based on the impression the trip made, Starks won't be the only one. Julia Morrison represents Townsend School of Music and McDuffie Center for Strings as the director of arts marketing and community engagement for Mercer University. Look forward to planning your 2025-2026 concert season with the annual Discover Townsend and McDuffie Center brochures, coming soon in the August/September issue. "It wasn't just a concert. It was a handoff. It was showing them they're ready, and watching them fly." ABOVE McDuffie Center student Hanami Froom is all smiles onstage at Carnegie Hall. LEFT Longtime professor Stanley L. Roberts at the podium. 80 maconmagazine.com | June/July 2025