Meet F&C Scholar Emma Cerovich
Emma Cerovich, a vocal performance master’s student at Missouri State University, is a contemporary worship scholar at First & Calvary. Her role involves leading worship during Sunday night services.
Emma’s love for music started early, and she’s always enjoyed being on stage. She attributes this passion to her mom, who was also a worship leader and taught her to sing.
Earning her bachelor’s degree in ethnomusicology – the study of music in cultural contexts – from Wheaton College, Emma planned to have a career in nonwestern music. However, God slowly shifted that plan.
In 2020, Emma was scheduled to go to India to work with their music and culture. Due to pandemic restrictions, however, the trip was cancelled. As a last-minute solution, she was sent to Virginia to work with a racial reconciliation ministry as a songwriting intern.
Initially, she was disappointed about the change, but it ended up being her “turning point.” She says, “I went into school wanting to go into missions and music. I was fascinated with nonwestern music. God has really worked in my heart … to bring me back around. To really acknowledge the depths of my own culture. Part of me wanting to go to a different culture was not wanting to partake in the messiness of mine.”
Realizing that there are underrepresented voices in all genres and cultures, she has rekindled her love of western music, specifically opera. She has found beauty in unraveling the intricacies of western music, wanting to build a career in promoting lesser-known voices. She says, “I really want to champion both the voices that are important, like Mozart, but also the underrepresented artists.” She wants to continue in songwriting and worship leadership as well.
Emma cites one of her major accomplishments as releasing her own EP of songs, “Heart Gone Wrong.” Another achievement is her acceptance into a competitive master’s program, and the award of a graduate assistantship.
First & Calvary has undoubtedly left a mark on Emma’s life. Her favorite part of the church is the leadership: “The senior leadership at First & Calvary makes themselves so accessible to us. They want us to make value in our craft. To have the opportunity to gather and look deeper. It’s not something a lot of churches do.”