By Elaine Ruth Pope

The music teacher at Cass City High, discovered I had a natural voice and told me, Elaine, I think you should take singing lessons. I asked how much that would cost and when could I fit it into my hectic schedule. I worked at Wood's Rexall after school and time was not always readily available to me. Mr. Borg worked in lessons once a week; the first song I learned to sing was One Kiss from New Moon. It was a love song and I sang the words from my heart. It was easy for me to sing any selection Mr. Borg gave me. I hadn't taken any music lessons of any kind before these with Mr. Borg so I couldn't read music notes but I would listen carefully as he played a song and it was as if I heard it before, it was already mine. 

Mr. Borg entered me into the Michigan State Vocal Festival competition. It was not a contest, but something graded individually on performance. Mr. Borg lectured me all the way to Michigan State University, If you don't get good grades, Elaine, just remember this is your very first time around. Do not be disappointed, whatever the results.

As strange as the surroundings and the unlikely chance of any success at all, I felt somehow confident. As we entered the room where students were performing I took note of the procedure. A student would go to the front and sing or play an instrument, and when finished, walk to the back of the room. Here another person would join him or her and they would leave the room as the judges watched and took notes from the back. 

When my name was called I started to walk to the front feeling somewhat nervous. Then, all of a sudden, I remembered what Mr. Borg had said to me and I thought to myself, Well, okay then, I'm going to have a good time because I love to sing and I loved my selections. I was graded with all As and only one A-. The A- was for the vocal selection of One Kiss, I sang it too slow and dramatic, but that's how I felt it should be sung as I was passionate about it. 

As I walked back from the front of the room I noticed one of the judges had walked over to Mr. Borg and was speaking with him. This was not the normal procedure so I became concerned. When I approached the judge turned to me and Mr. Borg introduced us. When we left the room Mr. Borg was ecstatic. The reason, I soon learned, was because I had been offered a scholarship for my sophomore year in college. Due to my lack of any music at all, it was necessary for me to study one year at a reputable college and then I would have the scholarship from Michigan State University.

A newspaper article was written for me in the Cass City Chronicle, I learned from my experience that I not only had a good voice but I had stage presence as well. One day, Professor White from Alma College came into the drug store where I was working and asked if I would be able to sing for him. After work he drove me to my home which was a basement without a house on top. We walked down into the basement, Mom was there, and I introduced her to the professor. Then, without any accompaniment I sang Italian Street Song. Professor White left saying I had a lovely voice; I didn't hear anything until later that year when I was notified that I had received a scholarship from Alma College, [home of the Alma Scots, whose college orchestra wore Scottish kilts paying homage to their homeland, Scotland.]

My Uncle Jim gave me support money for only one semester at Alma. Now this is a strange phenomenon to happen to anyone in my family. No one had anymore than a tenth-grade education, not even a high school diploma. I was the first and this created a certain amount of jealousy, so my scholarship and entrance into college was not a topic for discussion. My singing success was hushed not only with my siblings but also when aunts and uncles came to visit. I completed the one semester with As, but could not enroll for the next semester having no money and owing Alma a balance which I was working off at the school's cafeteria. 

I moved to Detroit and found a job which hardly paid my bus fare, let alone my room. Having money to pay for French and voice lessons was the most important thing, so I went without food many times. I remember one evening being so hungry I would have stole food if it were around. I searched in my drawers for something, anything. Aha! I found a cough drop. My dinner that night was a very tasty and delightful cough drop, which I will never forget. I savored its sweetness until it was a thin sliver in my mouth. 

I didn't tell my parents about this hard time because they would have made me return home which I did not want to do. Cass City had nothing to offer me at that time in my life. And so I stayed in Detroit studying at the Conservatory of Music under Mrs. Pearson who was Detroit Symphony Orchestra's magnificent and well-known soprano.