“There are beautiful melodies that hit your soul,” he says. “I get goose bumps every time we sing them. You don’t need to be a music aficionado to appreciate the beauty of these pieces. The melodies are accessible to everyone.”
Stengel is excited to bring the choral music tradition embodied by the choir to audiences in the Southwest, and he hopes they will gain more than a concert of good music.
“I think we have a very unique job, doing what we do,” he says. “We’re bringing a message of love, beauty and spirituality to our concerts that’s magical. I think people will respond to us when we sing. Music has the power to change people in positive ways, and I hope our message is uplifting so people will leave our concert and say, ‘Wow!’”
A third-year member of the choir, he serves as choir president, an elected leadership role that makes him the liaison between the choir and Dr. Clausen.
“After giving so much to this choir, it means a lot to me to be trusted by my peers to help guide the choir,” Stengel says.
A mathematics major, Stengel's dream job is to use his proficiency in data analytics to become a professional sports team statistician, hopefully with his beloved Minnesota Twins baseball team.