REXBURG—For 19-year-old BYU-Idaho student Graham Wilde, making music isn't just a hobby, it’s a calling. Wilde has been composing music since he was 17, but his latest project is his biggest undertaking yet.
Wilde is working to debut a brand-new musical and dance composition entitled, “God’s Gift of Life.” The performance is designed to share his personal testimony of life on Earth, drawing directly from his own experiences. For Wilde, bringing this show to the stage feels like a divine mission.
“I would stop at nothing to make it happen," Wilde said. "You know, if the theatre dropped me, I would find a new theatre.”
The inspiration for the project started simply enough, just messing around on a music creation website as a hobbyist musician. But Wilde says a spark went off, and piecing the entire show together ultimately felt like a calling from God.
“It was like revelation, it just kind of came to me," Wilde said. "You know, listening to the music, I'm like, oh, we could fit the song together like a puzzle piece.”
But as every good story goes, the road to opening night has had a few speed bumps. Wilde originally envisioned a grand ballet but quickly found out that crashing the theatre scene as a teenager comes with a few painful reality checks.
“I think the most major roadblock for me was originally it was supposed to be like a ballet with dancers, like ballerinas," Wilde said. "No one was really willing to join my team. I'm just a 19-year-old student, so I had to cut that. I think in the future I'd like to put on bigger shows and compromise less.”
Rather than letting a lack of ballerinas dampen his spirits, Wilde shifted his focus. He hopes that those who attend the performance walk away with a powerful, uplifting message about the bigger picture.
“Keep having faith in God no matter what. This is God's earth. This is God's plan. Jesus Christ died for a reason, and we're here to gain from that. It's a selfless sacrifice,” Wilde said.
When it comes to the ultimate takeaway of the production, Wilde had an eloquent way of summing up the entire experience in three words: “Happiness always wins.”
“God’s Gift of Life” is scheduled for 8 p.m. on June 13 at the historic Romance Theater in downtown Rexburg. Admission is free.