The preparation is finally being put to use. Nerves are high and the songs memorized leave the brain. The lights are shining bright in their faces as they prepare to sing for friends and family. Everything goes well, except for the occasional voice crack or word mix up.
This is what Sophomores Laura Campbell and Natalie Juszyk are both involved in at PLHS. This being their first year in Adv. Treble, it’s a whole new experience for them.
“I have been involved in choir since 7th grade so about four years now,” Campbell said.
That’s a long time to be in choir but someone has been in it for a year more than Campbell.
“I’ve been in choir since 6th grade and have been in it ever since,” Juszyk said.
With them both being in choir for so long, this interest in it had to come from somewhere or someone they know.
“My interest in singing started when I first heard Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran when I was about 5 years old,” Campbell said. “I’ve been singing since then and thought why not join choir and so I did.”
While some were inspired by music that they heard when they were little, some became interested just by being around people that were involved in it.
“My interest in choir came from friends I knew that talked about it and loved it,” Juszyk said.
Doing something like being in choir and singing everyday can lead to a variety of types of skills developing. Campbell and Juszyk have developed some themselves.
“I’ve developed the ability to sing really high notes with specific songs because of choir,” Campbell said. “I can hit high notes like A and B flats and I’ve been able to produce more sound and be more confident with my voice.”
These skills are what are making it easier on them now that they are more experienced compared to when they first started.
“Some skills that I have developed are learning how to read music and stay on tempo and in tune with the music,” Juszyk said.
While Campbell and Juszyk are in Adv. Treble, they still had to take regular Treble choir freshman year in order to be able to try out for Adv. Treble. Since Adv. Treble is a harder class, there would be some noticeable differences between the two.
“The difference that I’ve noticed is that Adv. Treble is a smaller group and we have more complicated and longer songs than Treble choir does. We also sing really high notes compared to Treble choir,” Campbell said.
While some differences are right in the face, some are more noticeable over time.
“I’ve noticed that we do more challenging pieces and read music on our own rather than reading it all together as a class, we also have had to learn to balance our voices in a different way than Treble choir,” Juszyk said.
All of these years taking some form of a choir class have had to have made an impact on their thoughts about the future. The question is if they’re going to continue with it later in life.
“Yes, I can see myself continuing with music after highschool because I love it some much,” Campbell said.
Continuing with it in the future is a big step in the difference between high school and college, but some people might continue it as something to pass the time.
“Maybe as a hobby to keep me busy and meeting new people and creating bonds with new people,” Juszyk said.
Campbell and Juszyk have had to solve some problems that they have faced in choir on their own to make it easier and a more fun experience for them. Those who are new to choir could see it as useful.
“To just go for it because it’s not that different besides learning more complicated pieces of music but you’ll get it eventually,” Campbell said.
Their wisdom from their years in choir shows the impact that it can have on one’s life.
“Even though things might be difficult and a bit different, it takes time to be able to look at a sheet of music and know what the note is, but you’ll get better,” Juszyk said.
Choir has become a big part of Juszyk and Campbell’s lives. Making memories and having new experiences with the people around them. Creating bonds and making new friends all because of the decision of a class to take that they made years ago.
