By Andi Bourne
Pathfinder 

Bringing the Standard of Excellence

 

February 15, 2018

Photo provided

Seeley-Swan High School UM Honor Choir students Amaya Harman, Lane Mackie-Wendel and Korinne Treser with All-Star Mixed Choir Conductor Dr. Cameron Labarr.

MISSOULA – The butterflies and nerves were more than three students from Seeley-Swan High School had ever experienced before as they took the stage at the University of Montana during the UM High School All-Star Honor Choir. The lights were hot making ovens out of their robes but all three said once they started singing, "It was just amazing."

This was the first year Seeley-Swan High School students were chosen for the Honor Choir. Tenor Lane Mackie-Wendel and Alto Amaya Harman sang in the All-Star Mixed Choir and Korinne Treser sang soprano in the All-Star Womens Choir Feb. 2-4. Senior Amber Leetch and junior Chloe Robbins were also chosen but were unable to attend the event.

SSHS Music Director Kristen Cottom said all of her students who were interested in the Honor Choir filled out at application. Nearly all 22 students applied.

"I thought it would be really fun to meet new people who were really into singing," said Treser.

Of the 400 applicants, 200 students were chosen based on their dedication, experience, choir honors and teacher's recommendation.

"[Lane, Amaya, Korinne, Amber and Chloe] are all really good singers and they are the ones that go the extra mile," said Cottom who added they come to class prepared, know their music and attend all the extra choir events.

This is Mackie-Wendel's first year in the choir.

"Being around people who enjoy music as much as we do and to be able to share that passion was really nice," said Mackie-Wendel.

Harman has been in choir since the eighth grade. This was the first time she has participated in an honor choir.

"Being in a group that wants to sing and wants to be in a choir to perform really good music was really fun," said Harman. "It was bigger and people wanted to have a louder sound."

Treser said that everyone knew their music and everyone participated.

"The sound that came out was so much more mature and louder that what we get [with the SSHS Choir]," said Treser. She added when they hit that perfect chord, "It was really pretty and I loved it."

The students practiced more than 12 hours starting Friday night, all-day Saturday and performing their concert Sunday afternoon. There were around 130 in the All-Star Mixed Choir and around 80 in the All-Star Women's choir.

The students learned different warm ups, worked on singing technique and how to involve their full body when singing. Teamwork was something the students also learned through different group activities. It helped them learn how to sing as one voice and get the proper mix.

"If you know everyone else's part as well as you know yours, it will mix together. If you don't know everyone else's part you can mess up," said Mackie-Wendel.

Harman said that the mixed choir instructor Dr. Cameron F. Labarr of Missouri State University insisted that they get things correct. They practiced the entrance of one of the songs five times before getting it correct.

"You cannot just [fake] your way through the music," said Harman. "If you didn't want to participate you were out."

Treser said the All-Women's Choir conductor Dr. David Edmonds from UM was less strict but still wanted a certain sound. "When he got it, he was so happy," said Treser.

Mackie-Wendel said that he knew he always has liked music. This year he started to come into his voice "Once I got to Honor Choir I was like I want to do music when I'm older."

Harman realized that she could still do music in college even though she doesn't want to be a music major.

"Also, it was making friendships with people that you didn't think you would," she said. "We got to be friends with a lot of cool people [from all over the northwest and Canada]."

Treser said she learned how to take music she was listening to and to be able to sing it herself and as a group. Being the only SSHS student in the all womens choir she didn't know if she would be able to make friends.

"Once we started singing you didn't have to worry about that at all," said Treser.

"Everyone loved music and everyone knew what they were doing," said Mackie-Wendel.

"It was such a great experience and so much fun. After two days it seemed like we were all family."

The SSHS choir paid for the students to attend with money they raised this fall. Cottom did not want money to be a reason students did not do it so she made sure they had enough funds.

"Our kids represented our school really well," said Cottom who was with them for the weekend. "They were super respectful. They made a ton of new friends and got along really well with the conductors."

Cottom said that they brought back a lot of things they learned and are teaching their classmates.

"They bring the standard of excellence," said Cottom. "They are really demonstrating it and come to class even more prepared. They are setting a really good example of how choir should run and how you should act in choir. I think the other kids are noticing."

 

Reader Comments(0)

 
 

Powered by ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation
© Copyright 2024