Senior Dana Fall, a Contemporary Christian Music major, loves to perform.  But it wasn’t always that way.

 

“I’ve actually always wanted to sing,” Fall said, “but I became overly shy about singing around junior high. I wouldn’t even sing in front of my parents.”

 

In fact, sometimes she still finds herself insecure in her singing.

 

“I still struggle with confidence in knowing if … I can sing,” Fall said.

 

She decided to take voice lessons to improve her singing.

 

“I had had the desire to take voice lessons for a long time so I could learn how to sing … or sing better since I didn’t even know if I could or not,” Fall said.

 

So she did.

 

“I was homeschooled, and decided to start voice lessons as part of my high school credits,” Fall said.

 

Fall has been taking voice lessons since her freshman year of high school. 

 

“As far as training, mostly I worked on singing beginner classical pieces, and some contemporary things,” Fall said.

 

The first piece she worked on was “Only Hope” from the movie “A Walk to Remember.”

 

“I remember it seeming so high for me, and now I realize it wasn’t high at all,” Fall said.

 

Her voice teacher at Cornerstone is Kathy Wagner, who has appreciated her diligence as a student.

 

“Dana is an excellent student who already exhibits the trademarks of a professional musician,” Wagner said.  “I think she will be successful in whatever life adventures come her way.”

 

Until college, Fall didn’t sing in front of people often.

 

“Before I came I Cornerstone, I could count the times I had sung publicly on one hand,” Fall said.  “I am proud to say that I’ve lost count of on the number of times I’ve sung publicly.”

 

Fall said coming to Cornerstone was simply following God’s direction. 

 

“I knew I wanted to get a music degree from a Christian school,” Fall said.

 

Fall said one of her favorite things about Cornerstone is the people in the music department.

 

“I know God directed me to be at a community college for the first two years of my college life, but I wish I had more time than just the two years of getting to know the ‘music family’ here at Cornerstone,” Fall said.  “There are some incredible people here.”

 

Initially she intended to study music education.

 

“I chose music education as my major since it was “safer” than a contemporary music degree,” Fall said.

 

But God had different plans for her.

 

“[God] really began to press upon my heart the desire to go into contemporary Christian music,”

Fall said.  “I felt him saying to me, ‘Don’t go into something because it’s safe. Are you going to trust me enough to lead your future in a career that is not as stable as music education?’”

 

Fall decided to trust God and change her major to contemporary Christian music.

 

“I know that God wanted me to go into contemporary Christian music,” Fall said.  “How he is going to use that, I don’t know, but it’s increasing my faith all the time.”

 

Fall said she a desire has been growing in her recently to get her master’s and teach in a college setting.

 

“I have a feeling I’m never going to have one particular job, but be involved in a lot of things from teaching lessons, to songwriting, from working in a church to possibly teaching at a college,” Fall said.

 

For now, she would like to perform more, “Anywhere from coffee shop gigs to leading worship in church,” Fall said.

 

One sure performance is her upcoming senior recital on April 18 at 7:30 p.m., beginning with a classical repertoire in Cornerstone’s Gordon Music Building followed by her contemporary performance in the Corum.

 

As she leaves Cornerstone, Fall will remember one of the biggest lessons she has learned here: the difference between excellence and perfection.

 

“Saying I’m a singer does not have to mean that I have the best voice,” Fall said.  “What it should mean is that I am using my voice to the best of my ability in order to bring glory to God.”