The long-awaited 180 days have almost come to an end. So much has happened this year, and so many memories have been made. The Lewis Cass Choir Department has had a year full of change, emotions, happy moments, and many friendships created. Throughout this all, choir members have stuck by each other, made the most of each moment, and stayed strong through every emotional hurdle they had to overcome.
The beginning of the year came with the most unexpected change of all, getting a new director. Abby Guy stepped into this role and took the reins right away. She helped the students overcome the transition and made her way in as the new director. Throughout the year, students got to know and love her, build strong bonds with her, and learn that she was there for her students no matter what. Mrs. Guy was asked about the major differences she has seen since the beginning of the year to the end of the year. She said, “One of the major differences for me is learning and knowing everyone’s voices in the choir! It made selecting songs for our May concert much easier for me.” Mrs. Guy selects every song for every choir, but the choir votes sometimes for their choice of song. While selecting these songs, Guy has to take level, voice range, and ability to learn songs in a timely manner. Guy was asked about how she felt the year went. She mentioned, “Looking back on this year…I am overwhelmed in the best ways possible. I’m overwhelmed with the talent that our students have here at Lewis Cass. I’m overwhelmed by all of our performances we pulled together this year! But mostly, I’m overwhelmed by how kind, accepting, patient, and gracious you all have been with me as your new director. I couldn’t have asked for a better first year, and I can’t wait for next year!!” Lastly, Mrs. Guy was asked what some of her favorite highlights from this past year. She said, “Highlights from this year…man, that’s hard to narrow down! Grease was definitely a highlight for me! This was my first time directing a musical. I was so nervous, but man, what an amazing experience and performance!!! I would say other highlights involve watching our vocalists improve their skills. Our King’s Chorus started the year singing the year with minimal 2-part harmony, and ended the year singing 3 parts. Our King’s Chorale added a bass section, opening up new music possibilities for them! King’s Crescendos (6th Grade) blew me away with their ability to harmonize and learn music quickly. Both high school choirs took on new challenges all year long and continued to push themselves musically. I’m so incredibly proud of all 5 choirs this year!!”
This year, the choir program as a whole had six seniors. These seniors were Jennifer Romero, Will Rose, Heidi Frey, Kurtis Goodwin, Nataly Lopez, and Zabrena Cunningham. Throughout the years, the seniors have experienced a lot of ups and downs. These seniors have gone through three choir directors, survived the pandemic in the first year of high school, and have been through all these moments together as a group.
Jenifer Romero, one of the seniors in Collective, was asked if she thought the year had gone as expected. Romero said, “Yes, and no. Senior high school choir students know what to expect from their last year in choir, considering the anticipated daily routines we undergo. This year caught me off guard, taking into account our choir director replacement. A new director requires students to learn flexibility. Every teacher has their own strengths, weaknesses, and teaching methods. As a student who has had a close bond and admiration for her director for four years, there were select adjustments to be made to my mindset. This was certainly a year of growth and independence.”Many students adapted to this year, as far as learning the things the year would bring. Jenifer was also asked what some of her highlights were from her four years in choir. She said, “I enjoyed practicing, gaining new skill sets, helping others, and spending family time with our class. It has been a blessing to experience it all and grow as an individual.”
From a freshman’s perspective, joining a whole new choir and having a new director could be quite stressful. The freshmen this year coming into Collective, though, did not see it as something fearful, but something that would benefit them in the end. Freshman, Madelyn Hillis was asked how she felt about her first year in Collective. She said, “This being my first year in Collective, I feel that my musical knowledge has greatly increased. I have really enjoyed learning new things and growing as an individual.” Collective focused a lot on sight reading this year, which is looking at the music, and knowing which notes to sing without the teacher having to tell them first. This helped many students learn more about music and learn songs much faster. Madelyn was also asked what she thought were some major differences between the Collective and the Jr. High choir. She mentioned, “Some major differences I noticed between this year and last are everyone’s level of talent and commitment.” Lastly, Hillis was asked about some of her highlights from the year. “A few highlights of my first year in high school are singing at the Woodbridge nursing home, and then going to watch the new Wicked movie after.” These are just a few of the things that made the year so wonderful.
Throughout every year, students in choir learn more about others and more about themselves. Although the year started with an unexpected twist, students kept pushing on and made the best of the year. With a new director came many new experiences. New ways of teaching, different ways of class, and different learning styles. Throughout this, the choir department continued to adapt, as they do well, and set themselves up for success.
