On Oct. 14, Ta’u Pupu’a gave a master class with Kirsten Chambers to a group of students to help them refine their talents through better breathing techniques and using other instincts aside from head voice.

Pupu’a is an acclaimed opera singer who got his start as a defensive tackle for Weber State University’s football team. Drafted by the Cleveland Browns, Pupu’a was traded to the Baltimore Ravens.

Pupu’a changed career paths after an injury forced him to retire. He was then able to attend Julliard in pursuit of an opera career.

In an interview with Pupu’a, he said that opera and football are quite similar. In football, you wear pads and tell the story of two teams fighting. In opera, you wear dresses and wigs and tell stories of love and sadness. Both convey emotions through their body language and the specific tone of their voice.

“I was ready, my aria felt polished, but when I went up it was like the song was new,” Rebecca Schull, one of five students chosen to attend the master class, said.

Schull got involved because she was able to attend the last master class Pupu’a gave four years ago.

WSU is Pupu’a’s alma mater, and when asked about how it felt to come back after having been on the football team for so long, he talked about how it was like a child in a candy shop. He also mentioned how appealing it is that there is now a dedicated track for opera.

“I believe that everybody has a purpose in life, and that purpose is to become a master of your own art,” Pupu’a said

“The Hearts of Fire” concert was held at WSU on Oct. 15, where Pupu’a and Chambers performed duets together. “Ailine’s Touch of Polynesia” had performance dances from Hawai’i, Tonga and Tahiti.

Towards the end of the performance, Pupu’a took his phone out and took several selfies onstage with the audience behind him, after he was done, he encouraged the audience to do the same.

Deborah Uman, the dean of the college of arts and humanities, was given the opportunity to perform as part of the orchestra and played the trumpet.

Patti Ehle, an audience member, attended the event and has been coming to the Browning center for performing arts since the ‘90s, before she lost her vision.

“It doesn’t matter that I”m blind, I do all kinds of things,” Ehle said. “It’s beautiful, better than I could ever imagine.”