Knowledge: know what it is. Know how to teach it. Know how to inspire it. A core “motto” of C118A so to speak, Professor Neuen made it his mission to instill this in his students and also exhibit it phenomenally within each class session. Professor Neuen is by far one of the most exceptional instructors I’ve had the privilege of learning from. He is deeply passionate about success and does everything in his power to make sure his students retain his lessons well and engage in a constant improvement process. I approached C118A knowing close to nothing about the art of choral conducting. It even took me half of the course time to learn how to simply hold a baton correctly. Instead of displaying any sort of frustration or irritation, Professor Neuen remained patient and always more than willing to help fix my errors. After each conducting assignment, where I would usually find nothing but self-criticism for my performance, Professor Neuen would always find a particular component of my conducting that he appreciated and would congratulate my efforts. His constant encouragement meant the world to me. His staunch belief in perfection is deeply admirable and his lectures and demonstrations are incredibly beautiful and inspiring as a result of this. Professor Neuen’s breadth of knowledge on the world of choral music and choral conducting is astounding and I am so grateful to have been able to study under him.