Choir Director and Students Sing on Good Morning America

BY ABIGAIL FRISOLI

Asst. Photography Editor

When Sacred Heart University Choir Director Tom Cuffari got contacted by singer Josh Groban’s team asking him to put together a choir of 12 singers to back Groban up in his performance last Thursday on Good Morning America, Cuffari decided that he would include some of Sacred Heart University’s own talent in the mix.

The choir that Cuffari assembled included eight hired-out professional singers that he had worked with in the past and four members of Sacred Heart Choir: himself, Director of Liturgical Choir Matthew Cimino, junior Cassidy Baldauf, and junior Minas Kostis.

“I was delighted to bring two of our fine choral program students to sing with us on Good Morning America!” Cuffari said. “I hope to include more of our students in these fun performances in the future.”

On Thursday, the singers had to be at the Good Morning America studio by 4 a.m. Once they arrived, they were brought into a dressing room where they waited until the first of their two rehearsals, and spent their time there until being called to be on standby at 8:36 a.m. for their performance at 8:45 a.m.

“I was still trying to process everything that had happened once we were leaving the studio,” said Baldauf. “I did things I never thought I would experience in my life, especially while I was still in college. It was a really cool day, and I am so grateful I got to go.”

The four of them sang backup to Groban’s arrangement of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” to promote his new album, which was released the next day, on the 21st of September, called Bridges. A clip of the performance can be viewed on YouTube.

“If you are a Sacred Heart student and would like to learn more about singing in our choirs please come find us at the Performing Arts Office,” said Cuffari.

Other things that Sacred Heart Choir has been invited to do includes singing at the MET with Pete Townshend’s Classic Quadrophenia tour and being invited to sing backup for the opener at a Panic! At the Disco concert.

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