Varsity Show Choir

Each year in the fall semester, Christopher Newport University’s six a cappella singing groups put on a glow-in-the-dark showcase event in the Ferguson Center for the Arts called “Glow in the Darcappella.” These CNU student groups include: Expansion, Extreme Measure, The Newport Pearls, Take Note, Trebled Youth, and University Sounds. This year, the event was held on a Friday night, October 23rd, and was a sold out

One the afternoon of Sunday, 03 May, 2015, I was watched a performance of the North Dakota State University Spring Choral Concert Festival Concert Hall at North Dakota State University. The NDSU Concert Choir has a distinguished tradition of performing eminent choral literature at the highest level of artistry.

I signed up to be in band class in the sixth grade, expecting the class to be equivalent to elementary school. I expected the class to be effortless and enjoyable. However, I was enrolled into the “advanced” band, as opposed to the beginner band, because I had played my instrument prior to being in middle school. So on the first day of advanced band, the band director informed us that we would be having a seating test. Every single

“Why would someone join chorus? Only nerds and weird people are in choir.” Hearing comments like these when I was in middle school almost discouraged me from participating in the arts. I did not want to do anything that would make it more difficult to achieve popularity, for I was obsessed with trying to fit in with my peers. My chorus teacher knew how irrational it was for me to think that and convinced me to try out for chorus. I am forever grateful that she did, for joining chorus allowed me to express myself, connect with others, and create memorable experiences.

Choir is something I deeply care about and it really does help me get through each day of school with a positive attitude. I am also one of the top choir students in our school, being accepted into all the top tier choirs at our school and making honor choirs throughout the state, but the All State Choir was the real prize. Only the best are accepted into it and I made it my sophomore year and I thought I would never face failure in choir. The next year however took a downward spiral. I tried out for the All State Choir the next year and walked in with confidence and pride. Then I sat with patience to waited for the results that were posted five hours later. When I looked at the list one name was missing and I

From Starting off with zero confidence and feeling like I didn’t belong, I have come a long way, most of that I owe to music. Choir is who I am, of the students here at PHS I fall under the category of “choir kid”, I am proud to wear that label. Along my way through choir, I have developed a love for fitness through choir. Some of the friends I have made through the years have been bodybuilders, they taught me to not care what others think of me, and if I did have a problem with what they thought, to prove them wrong, to show them that you can become. Music has made me into this person I want to be. I have found a true passion in music, choir has made me be into person I am. Its

Show Choir is an elective class that integrates choreography into the choral experience. A varied repertoire of 2 and 3 part music is memorized, choreographed and then performed in a concert setting. Vocal technique, developing the ensemble and dance are the main emphasis of this class. Various

During my junior year, all high school students of the Coachella Valley were given the opportunity to audition for the All Coachella Valley Honor Band, with a guest conductor H. Robert Reynolds. This was a significant educational opportunity I took advantage of. The audition consisted of a couple of scales, and excerpts from the music that was going to be performed on the day of the concert. When the day came I sat in front of the judge with my music and clarinet, where my nerves began to rise. Before I began to play my heart began to pound along with my hands beginning to sweat. Throughout my audition I had a few mistakes,but I stayed persistent and completed my audition. After I finished my audition, the judge said I had done great, I was

I never sang too loud so if I messed up, no one would hear it .After every class I would go up to my Choir or band director with about five questions. But it simply was not enough. So my sophomore year I was given vocal lessons that taught me that I can match pitch consistently , and that my range was bigger than I ever thought it could be. I discovered a talent that I loved and I intended to perfect it .I performed in multiple cabarets and had the opportunity to sing with my choir at the Carnegie music hall. I was finally getting the swing of music; but that was not enough due to my obstinacy. I wanted to learn

As a third and fourth grader, I participated in choir. I enjoyed it then but decided to stop so that I would have more time for homework. In the beginning of seventh grade, when it came time to decide if you want to join choir, Maria Abbulone and I chose to sign up. We thought it would be a fun experience because we enjoy singing, and we had done it in past years. As choir practices began, Maria and I thought that it would be a fun experience for the year, and we might decide to do it in eighth grade. As the choir kicked into full swing, everything was going well.

I had to get that audition, if I did I was in. Honor band always had at least one kid from our band in each section. All I had to do was get past Mr. Higgens. I had been stressing that whole week and now it was time. This year the clarinets would go before the saxophones. After everyone had played was when the audition sheets would be handed out. The clarinets played and it was clear who would be given a sheet and who would not. Then it was time for the saxophones, first chair went first as always, that meant I had less time to freak out. Before I knew it, it was my turn. I was just as nervous as I was last year, yes, I had improved but I still had an immense amount of self doubt. I pushed everything out of my mind and began. I got through smoothly, but of course it was hard to determine if I had done well since I was hard on myself. The rest of the saxophones played through and we all waited as our conductor jotted down notes. He picked up the honor sheets and began to pass them out. Only a couple of the clarinets were handed a sheet, he then turned to the saxophone section. He passed one to first chair, then there was a second in between that I swear lasted for hours, my heart seemed to drop but also was under attack at the same time. My mind went to chaos. “This is silly, I'm in sixth grade and stressing out over this?” “ Life will go on if I don't get it.” “ But if I don't I'll always remember.” “This stupid piece of

Coming into my freshman year of high school my voice was underdeveloped and that of an amatuer, still I was determined to mold it into something wonderful. This was the beginning of my high school career, acting as such I planned to put myself out there in order to be noticed by anyone, as well as auditioning for solo opportunities outside of school. These new prospects were running through my mind one day while I sat in biology. Being the naive freshman I was, I surrounded myself with people I had considered to be my “good” friends, good friends despite every sense and feeling in my body telling me otherwise. Between my fantasies of musical stardom and success, my acquaintances had begun a discussion on singing. The

Once high school started, I got way more into band than I had been previously. Because there are so many people at the high school the department is split into two bands, and we have to try out if we want to get into the better one. I wanted to be in the better one because my dad conducts it, so I practiced more than I usually did to have a higher chance. I made it in as last chair alto saxophone in the symphonic band, with all the other saxophones being some of the

I have been in choir four all four years of highschool and I became a Choral Union Officer my junior year. It was a tough decision to take this role because at the time, I was also the PHS Dance Team Captain. Being a leader in two huge and important things in my life was hard, but choosing to lead one was the toughest decision I had to make. The schedules highly overlapped and I was forced to pick one or the other. I stepped down from being the captain of the dance team so I could focus on being an officer for choir. Of course stepping down was devastating, but I do not regret choosing choir. My junior year was the most eye opening year for me, where being a choral leader not only allowed me to become a better chorister, but a better leader

There’s a bigger song emerging from the music wing this year, but even though the women’s choir has more than doubled from the 36 girls in the fall of 2012 to the 82 girls enrolled this fall, choir director Elliot Kranz said that teaching that many girls at one time isn’t any different than teaching any other ensemble. There are just more girls.