Professor Cailin Marcel Manson’s love of music and performance blossomed in his youth, signing gospel in the German Lutheran congregation he belonged to in Philadelphia. Manson, the director of Clark’s music program, is a recognized classical musician and conductor who has performed internationally. While Manson is known to listen to Beethoven in his car, he also enjoys singing along with funk and pop icon Chaka Khan. On and off the stage, he champions diverse voices and talent.

Manson marked 20 years as a conductor this spring with a performance at the historic Carnegie Hall in New York City, where he led a 152-voice choir, which included the Clark University Choir, in a rendition of Verdi’s Requiem.

“I remind students all the time, you don’t know what the audience is coming into the room with. That’s terrifying and beautiful at the same time,” says Manson. “The one thing you can guarantee is that people will know when you’re phoning it in. They will know when you are not fully invested as a performer. If you fully invest, you invite them to fully invest themselves in receiving the performance.”

Watch a YouTube video of the recent Carnegie Hall performance.

Challenge. Change. is produced by Andrew Hart and Melissa Hanson for Clark University. Listen and subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Find other episodes wherever you listen to podcasts.