By Olivia Massucci · Staff Writer
“Glorify,” an album of original, Grove City College student-written worship music, will be released on all major music streaming platforms today.
The album centers on God’s glory and explores themes of confession, lament and celebration, united by influence from the Psalms. While three singles from the record have already been released, the full album will debut at 7 p.m. tonight alongside a party and concert in the Breen Student Union.
Attributed to Grove City College Worship as the artist, “Glorify” came from a songwriting course introduced in fall 2024 as part of the college’s worship arts minor. Although producing an album was not part of the course plan at first, chapel worship coordinator Daniel Snoke said the idea emerged during the spring 2025 semester.
“Around spring break, I started thinking about the record,” Snoke said. “I told all my students I was going to try to record a record and that they could submit song ideas from class. It was really up to them if they wanted to do it or not.”
Snoke received many submissions from students. “They did the bulk of the work, and then I helped them polish it up and push them past the finish line,” he said.
In his songwriting class, Snoke emphasizes intentionality, wanting his students to know what they want to say with their music before creating it.
“The best songs are written out of a sense of conviction,” Snoke said. “In my class, I help them go through the Psalms particularly, but all of Scripture, and put the theology into beautiful words and beautiful images. From there, they start to create their music as a reflection of all of those things.”
In addition to musical talent and spiritual depth, Snoke was particularly proud of his class’s ability to collaborate across denominational differences.
“I think the hardest thing in songwriting is co-writing,” Snoke said. “I really mixed the groups up, and they really did a good job at getting everyone to bring their voice and make really good music at the same time. That’s hard, really hard, and they did a really good job at that.”
Snoke also highlighted the communal nature of the recording process.
“I opened the invitation to a lot of students to just come to the studio and hang out in the live room where all the mics are and just sing along. It’s very well performed, it’s very representative of the students and it just feels like there’s energy, and it sounds like Grove City because there’s a bunch of Grove City students just singing along to all the songs,” Snoke said. “I think it gives a lot of joy and playfulness to the record.”
Sophomore Brooke Garrett, who wrote two songs on the record, described the album as one of the most rewarding experiences in her time at Grove City.
“Daniel Snoke’s songwriting class was first offered my freshman fall semester, and I feel so privileged to be part of that group of incredible friends and musicians,” Garrett said. “It felt like the culmination of the worship spirit of the whole college.”
Garrett said she never expected the songs to be released publicly. “When Daniel proposed it the next spring, I was shocked that he would start such a big project with us, and that our songs might be able to bless the body of Christ,” Garrett said.
One of Garrett’s songs, “Life of Forgiveness (Psalm 32),” holds particular significance for her.
“That psalm has been a constant anchor for me in my walk with the Lord, and I’m so excited others might experience the glory of this psalm through our song,” Garrett said. “I’m so grateful this song even got into the album, considering it was a sort of last-minute writing and revision with my co-writers, Jasmine Hoagland and Jenna Miller,” Garrett shared.
Along with Garrett, senior Sarah (Sassaman) Herrmann, junior Jasmine Hoagland, junior Jenna Miller and senior John Remaniak wrote songs or performed in the album.
Recent alumni from the class of 2025, Jenna (Knepper) Bennett, Luke Bennett, Lydia Dyk, Sam Hougue, Haley Miller, Meredith Reed and Anna Tomasetti, also feature in it.
“Recording my own full album one day is a secret dream I foster, but for now, my hopes are fulfilled beyond what I imagined in this very special album,” Garrett said.
