By Erica Bush ’25 

LaJoyce Daniel-Cain has come out of retirement to revive the Otterbein University Gospel Choir after a three-year hiatus.  

Before her retirement in 2019, Daniel-Cain directed the gospel choir for 32 years and created a stress-free and fun environment for all students to sing and rejoice in music. After Daniel-Cain’s retirement, the gospel choir continued meeting and performing with Daniel-Cain’s past student  as the director, but the gospel choir ultimately disbanded in 2020 due to COVID-19 complications. 

Now, Daniel-Cain is eager to work with Otterbein students again and help them find their passion in gospel.  

“I’m excited to meet the new wave of students. There’s a different type of spirit here and I love it,” Daniel-Cain said. “This is a wonderful way to express yourself in the middle of the week, it burns off energy and stress and it’s just a great place to come together.”  

Otterbein students can join the gospel choir regardless of their singing abilities and knowledge of music. Daniel-Cain encourages all interested students to join.  

“Just come,” Daniel-Cain said. “It is a wonderful way to meet people, to have a good time and just to enjoy yourself. Just come as you are.” 

Connor Rosenberger, a sophomore music major with a vocal concentration, says that he is excited that the gospel choir has returned to campus and that he looks forward to having more music at Otterbein.  

“It’s another choir group on campus so that means more music, which is always a good thing in my book,” Rosenberger said. 

Any Otterbein student interested in joining the Otterbein University Gospel Choir can attend practices on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. in the Otterbein Chapel.