As soon as students walked into the venue, they were hit with bubbles, sequins and silver streamers that shined and draped every inch of the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC). Esther Freeman, a fourth-year commercial music major, debuted her EP “Living in Color” live at Point Loma Nazarene University on the night of April 15. The senior showcase, organized with Point Radio, drew over 150 students who were dressed in bright colors, covered in glitter makeup provided by Freeman’s family and wearing glow-in-the-dark bracelets to match her theme.
Freeman described “Living in Color” as an EP that defines how she sees the world through her relationship with Jesus. The title alludes to the “color” she is now seeing and experiencing as she lives her faith out.
“Jesus makes you see things differently,” Freeman said. “[It’s] my main theme; life with Him is like seeing everything in color for the first time.”
Although the EP’s theme is about her faith, the songs Freeman wrote aren’t necessarily labeled as worship songs. Two out of the six songs are primarily about her faith experience, while another two are about heartbreak and the last two about life and growth. Her first single “Wishful Thinking” was released the night before her concert.
“I’m a big, very visionary person, so [“Wishful Thinking”] was birthed out of that [concept], ” Freeman said. “I have really high expectations for myself and a lot of dreams, but I sometimes don’t live in reality with them. A lot of it is like wishful thinking. I have to remember that part of the process is the beauty of figuring it out.”
Freeman has been planning her senior show since the beginning of this spring semester, receiving mentorship from Chaz Celaya, the associate professor of music at PLNU. She secured the ARC at the beginning of the semester, saying that the venue allowed her to have more creative liberty when it came to decorating for the show.
The Point Radio and ASB helped with the event since Freeman had friends in each of the clubs. This enhanced the engagement of the show because it brought about more students from different circles across campus.
“My roommate works for Point Radio, so I’ve been talking about this with her since like last year,” Freeman said. “It’s fun because I have friends that are involved in these clubs that are willing to help and support, so it wasn’t hard to get [everything] done.”
Both clubs had their own table, with fun drinks and snacks to enhance the viewer’s experience. Freeman also displayed posters of herself, along with merchandise that included white T-shirts featuring ink prints of her album cover.
The night of the show, Freeman’s performers included two backup singers, bass, guitar, drums, keys, electric and two violinists. She opened with her original “Living in Color,” followed by a cover of “Blame It on the Boogie” by The Jacksons. The set continued with her original “Evergreen,” then “Life Goes and Changes,” “Thank You,” “What I’m Looking For,” “In Over My Head,” “Postcards from Far Away,” “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay and “Wishful Thinking.” After the crowd chanted, “One more song!” Freeman and her band performed “Goodbye Yesterday” by Elevation Rhythm and Gracie Binion.
“It was so amazing,” Morgan Robitaille, a second-year nursing major who played the violin in Freeman’s band, said. Esther just blows me away with her skills. She is just such a talented artist and musician.”
As for production, Freeman spent many late nights in the studio downstairs of the Cooper Music Center.
“Over Easter break, I pulled two all-nighters in a row. I have a video of me at 4:00 a.m. playing a tambourine into a microphone,” Freeman said. “There are all these details that people don’t see [for creating music].”
Freeman said her favorite song to create was “Evergreen,” which had a jazz style and was Olivia Dean-esque. It was a class project that came to her quickly and she wrote it within two days.
“I recorded it a weekend later and it became the favorite of everyone – which is so awesome but also frustrating, because working on all these other songs for so many hours but this one just came so easily,” Freeman said.
Charity Pfeiffer, a fourth-year commercial music major and Freeman’s best friend, attended the show. Pfeiffer completed her senior show on January 29, 2026, with Freeman on background vocals for her performance.
“[This is] hands down the best concert I have ever been to,” Pfeiffer said. “I cried. I’m so proud of that woman. It was so good.”
When reflecting on her experience as a whole, Freeman said that she allowed God to work through her creativity. As a result, she saw God involved in many minor details.
“I’m learning how much more God is involved in everything,” Freeman said. “It’s not only ministry, only worship, only when we pray or only when you’re specifically inviting Him in consciously. If something you make is beautiful, it is a reflection of God. It is. It is glorifying Him because that is what He made us to do.”
