Music has power. It can make a person feel deeply, spur movements, and so much more.
Chandler High School alum Trevor Spruill has always been drawn to powerful music, be it orchestral, an opera, piano or voice.
“I just like how it can help people and how it can explore the full range of emotions for humans,” he said.
And this is exactly what he does in his micro opera “To Be Loved.”
Spruill is one of six new composers selected for OK City Opera’s annual Micro Opera Festival this year. That in and of itself is an accomplishment, however, Spruill is the only composer that is still an undergrad. He is currently a sophomore at the University of Central Oklahoma, majoring in vocal performance with a minor in composition, while the other participants are in graduate school.
“It’s really great to be part of a community that actually supports new music and supports artists and it’s great to be around such incredible artists all the time and stuff like that,” he said.
Around October or November, composers from around the state and the U.S. submit ideas for a micro opera, along with their resume and previous pieces they have composed. The finalists were chosen and had to submit finished works in March. Their micro operas, which are about 15 minutes long, are performed at the festival in June by the OK City Opera.
“To Be Loved” explores the fragile tension between affection and obsession, Spruill said. It tells the story of Max and Lucy, two young lovers ready to start their life together. However, their happiness is shadowed by the chilling presence of Max’s mother, who’s possessive nature threatens everything.
“It’s like when love becomes controlled and longing transforms into madness and then tragedy unfolds,” he said.
Spruill has always enjoyed psychology, watched a lot of films and read a lot of Dostoevsky and Jack London, which he called “pretty dark romantics.” This helped inspire the opera, among other things.
“And honestly all of my life I’ve been, quote, unquote, a little dramatic when it comes to performing,” he admitted. “But it all kind of leads back to how powerful music is and its communicative power.”
Spruill said that music has always been a part of his life, though he didn’t fully realize that or its impact on him until he started doing theater, band and choir. He said it’s been a kind of avalanche and music is everything to him.
The most difficult aspect of it is finding time. While composing is something he loves to do and he always finds time for it, he’s often a busy person. Spruill said it’s also one of those things that you have to learn all the rules so you know how to break them.
“I’m not necessarily somebody who is constantly thinking about the rules, it kind of just comes to me… as I’m writing,” he said. “It’s not really difficult for me. It’s not necessarily a task for me. It’s just something that I do. I like telling stories and to me I’m just telling a story, how I feel. I just put it on the page and it just happens.”
Spruill enjoys seeing people’s reactions to his work and having an audience experience it and watch his music “take them to a different place.”
“Especially the musicians as well, because they get to experience it and its whole life, and they really get to dive into the characters… or the performers get to really dive into the music and be surrounded by it forever. And it’s just really powerful getting to see how this can affect people,” he said.
“To Be Loved” will be performed at the festival on June 8 and 9 at The Jazz Lab at UCO. The performances start at 7 p.m. Admission is $30.