When Blair School of Music graduating senior Kady Hillman stepped onto the stage at Vanderbilt’s May 8 Commencement, she delivered an electrifying rendition of the school’s alma mater that drew a powerful response and extended ovation from an estimated crowd of around 10,000 in attendance at FirstBank Stadium.
After the ceremony, we caught up with Hillman to hear about her experience, from last-minute surprises to performing for her largest audience ever.
Q: How were you selected to perform the alma mater?
A: It kind of fell into my lap. The voice faculty chooses a senior who represents the program in an exemplary and unique way. So, I didn’t audition or apply but was honored to be asked.
Q: Tell me a little about your background. Where are you from and what are you studying?
A: I’m from Charlotte, North Carolina, and I’m a music education major with a minor in special education. I’m continuing into the MA5 program, the Blair to Peabody program, so I’ll go straight into my graduate studies.
Q: How familiar were you with the Vanderbilt alma mater before performing it?
A: I had heard it at sports events, but I didn’t really know the words.
Q: How much time did you have to prepare?
A: I found out right after spring break, so I had enough time to learn it. I used repetition, singing it in the car, in the shower, and even used little tricks to memorize the verses.
Q: Walk me through the actual performance. What was that moment like?
A: Honestly, I kind of blanked a little bit because I was scared. Sometimes when you’re in front of a huge crowd, your mind just goes blank.
Q: You looked incredibly calm and confident. Where did that come from?
A: My parents told me, “If you feel nervous, just smile.” At first, I thought I’d have to fake it, but then I saw all my friends in the crowd and thought “This is awesome.”
Q: Was that the largest audience you’ve ever performed for?
A: By a lot! My previous biggest was maybe around 600 people. This was way bigger.
Q: Were there any unexpected challenges?
A: I was told that I would have the words on a teleprompter, so I was like, “Oh, no stress.” But during the dress rehearsal, I got up to the podium and I hear “We can’t see her,” so I had to move and couldn’t see the words. I did miss a lyric, actually, in the second verse, but I caught it and kept going. You just have to move forward.
Q: Looking back at your time at Blair, what stands out?
A: Performing Mozart’s Requiem off campus was really special, and I loved being part of large-scale works like Mahler and Julia Wolfe’s Fire in my mouth. My time here has exceeded all my expectations.
Q: What are your plans moving forward, beyond your graduate studies?
A: I’ve fallen in love with Nashville, so I’d love to stay here and teach. I’m especially interested in elementary general music and middle school choir.
Q: What did it mean to you to be part of Commencement in this way?
A: It really was once in a lifetime. Being up there, seeing everyone, it was just incredible.