78 Photo Essay: Emily Greene, Music Student, The University of Alabama

Words by McKenzie Wade | Image by Blakeney Clouse

If there is one word to describe college junior Emily Greene, it’s “passionate.” She’s passionate about music. Passionate about teaching. Passionate about people. 

Growing up, Emily was always drawn toward music. When she was a student at Jasper High School, she was involved in choir for several years. “I would go to these choir competitions and to practice and it would just make me the happiest person ever,” Emily says. “Nothing brought me the amount of joy that choir brought me.”

As Emily approached her senior year, her desire to teach music was undeniable, yet she wrestled with numerous questions. Was this something she could really do? What would it look like? After her choir director, Mr. Lindsey, was able to answer her questions and provide clarity, Emily applied to the School of Music at the University of Alabama. She recalls the day she auditioned. 

“I will never forget driving to the music school and on the way back thinking, ‘this is one of the best decisions I have ever made,” she says. 

Emily is now a junior at the University of Alabama majoring in Choral Music Education. To her, school is a joy because she is constantly studying music. Whether it’s learning about music theory or the history of music, Emily loves and values it all. “Every day I get to take these classes that are so interesting to me and that I love so much,” she says.

Aside from the musical aspect, Emily has a passion for teaching. Set to graduate in December 2022, she eagerly awaits the day she can step into a classroom and begin teaching her own students. “It is important to me to equip my students with musical ability and give them the opportunity to figure out what it is about music that they like,” she says, “but it’s more important to me that I teach kids how to be good human beings.”

Emily believes that we are all put on this earth for a purpose, and that “we just have to dig and find out what that thing is.” There is no doubt that Emily has done her share of digging and is well on her way to live out the very purpose for which she was created. 78