Since an early age, Emma Kittay ’22 has loved to create music. Emma believes that music is her own form of self-expression that has helped shape her into the person she is today. Starting at age ten, Emma joined her elementary school choir in Manhattan Beach, California and never looked back. Although she loved the community of singing with others, it took her quite some time to find her own individual voice. Her Grammy Award-Winning high school choir program began to help her gain more confidence, but it wasn’t until she joined the Marist College Music Department that she realized her true voice.

          When looking for colleges to attend, Kittay made sure that a welcoming music department was present, and Marist has given her that and much more. Moving across the country for college was a giant leap for Emma, but is also a decision she will never regret. Starting her freshman year, Emma attended the Marist Singers music camp and instantly felt at home. From that point forward, she got involved in every way she could. For the past two years, she has been a member of the Marist College Singers, Chamber Choir, the Marist Singers Student Executive Board, and The Enharmonics, the co-ed a cappella group on campus. Although being involved in these groups fills her time, she loves every second she can create and enjoy music with her peers.

          Kittay has been able to integrate music into all aspects of her life at Marist. As a music minor, she intertwines music into most of her semesters of study. One of the most influential music classes she has completed was Vocal Skills with Professor Sarah Williams. With the help of Professor Williams, the class has taught Kittay so much about her personal performance and has put her on the right track to flourish into the musician she wants to be.

Along with academics, Kittay has also combined her love for performance into her internship as the Social Media Marketing Intern for Marist Dining Services. To be able to create content for her job, she “performs” publicly by speaking in front of the camera as a face on @maristeats social media platforms. Music has given Kittay more composure when presenting in front of others which gives her the ability to be the best intern she can be. She also has involved music into her internship by performing live at the Marist Dining Valley Cafe. Each semester, Marist College Singers collaborate with Marist Dining to host a Valley Cafe event to promote the bi-annual Marist Singers benefit concerts. Although Kittay helps run the marketing of Valley Cafe each Tuesday for her internship, performing at Valley Cafe was a new experience that she would love to do again.

To Kittay, music will always be her center. The Marist Music community helps with this by always being there to lift her up no matter what obstacle may be in her path. As Professor Williams says, “every member of Singers is there to see a need and fill a need”, which is exactly how Emma intends to grow and help others along their path. Kittay is grateful for finding a special place at Marist where she can be her authentic self and that she can call home.