On a hot day in August 2024, music student and singer Nehemiah Jones drudges his way home, exhausted from his job as a desk attendant in the Fairhaven dorms at Western Washington University. As he chats to his partner on the phone, the device buzzes. He sees that it’s a notification from his professional email and realizes that it may be important.
Jones opens the email and immediately freezes in place, quickly tells his partner to call him back and hangs up the phone. Tears begin to run down his face as excitement floods his body, he then calls his close family and friends to break the good news: he was accepted to the Seattle Opera’s Creation Lab.
The Creation Lab began in 2020 to give young singers and composers a space to experiment and develop their craft, said Joshua Gailey, the communications and public engagement manager at the Seattle Opera.
Jones, a third-year vocal performance and composition major at Western, had a love for classical music all his life but discovered a new love for opera through his classes.
“I think the person that inspired me to dive into opera was my voice teacher, Dr. Hodges,” Jones said. “He showed me what more there is to my voice, it was like exploring a whole new part of myself.”
For Jones, this moment solidified his decision to stay in the music program. Before this, Jones contemplated a career shift but wanted to give music composition a final chance.
“You get a lot of ‘no’s’ in the music world,” Jones said. “It was the first time I was submitting, putting my work out there. I felt like I wouldn’t get it, but there was a moment when [I said] you know what? I’m gonna do it.”
Across the Viking Union and nestled behind a large red statue lives the Performance Arts Center. Upon entering the lower level of the building, students chat, tune instruments and warm up their voices throughout the halls. Therein lies Dr. Charles Halka, a composition professor at Western, who helps music students get professional opportunities.
“I always push my students to experiment as much as possible. It could be successful, they could fail, ” Halka said. “This is the safe space to try things out. Once they’re out of here, they don’t have much room to fail.”
According to Jones, he just began work at The Creation Lab. Although he was selected in August to participate, Jones will not share his opera until June 2025.
“The Creation Lab is all about collaboration and getting the experience of collaborating with a librettist (someone who writes text in opera),” Jones said. “An outline will be written; the librettist and the composer will get on the same page; the librettist will write the lyrics; the composer will write the music and then we’ll have rehearsals and readings. It’s a long process.”
Beginning in December, The Creation Lab will host public readings and workshops with Q&As following, said Gailey.
Dr. Halka sees The Creation Lab as a bridge for students to build professionalism and opportunities for music students at Western. Additionally, he also hopes Jones’ success will inspire other students to pursue similar opportunities.
“[It’s] bridge that you're building in the profession when it begins with your colleagues here at [school],” Halka said. “To see one of your colleagues be out there doing the thing, it's inspiring. It lights a fire.”
Jones, wearing his best suit and tie, stands in the performance hall in the Performing Arts Center, the crowd is silent. He gestures to his accompanists, signaling he’s prepared.
“[Young voices] are the future. We are the future. Especially in the music world, there has been such a large shift toward new and poignant art that questions,” Jones said. “[Young artists are] willing to ask those questions, and then go about finding an answer.”
As a gentle melody begins, standing tall, Jones begins to tell a story through opera. A tale of love, heartbreak and passion is told through a series of crescendos and arias.
Julia Hawkins (she/her) is a opinions reporter for The Front this quarter. She is a fourth-year journalism/public relations major. Outside of reporting, Julia enjoys hanging out in The Planet office, baking and asking random people to pet their dogs. You can reach her at juliahawkins.thefront@gmail.com.
