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Photo by Jeanne Ciasullo

“My first magical musical moment was when I was singing Mozart’s Laudate Dominium in Chicago. A woman in the first row was bawling,” recalls Cara, the UNF Director of Choral Activities. After spending years traveling abroad and conducting, Cara’s favorite part of her work is still “bringing the page to life,” and motivating her students to do the same. “The halls I’ve sung in don’t feel like my biggest accomplishment,” says Cara, who has performed in Grant Park, Merkin Hall, Carnegie Hall, LincolnCenter, and Dublin's National Concert Hall. She has also worked with the Cook County Jail Choir. “I did call and response songs with them,” she explains. “Maintaining the beginner’s mind is my biggest accomplishment...I have very high standards for my students.” Her parents are both musicians, and raised her to express herself musically. “If I can inspire a few people like I was inspired, I would feel like my life was worth something,” she says.